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FES 005CD
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2015 release. Far Eastern Sunshine present a reissue of Bappi Lahiri and Salma Agha's soundtrack for Kasam Paida Karnewale Ki, originally released in 1984. Oh, groove it, baby! Bappi Lahiri is a very busy composer, conductor, and music director for the so called "Bollywood" scene, the Indian factory of dreams. Kasam Paida Karnewale Ki is a 1984 movie with a soundtrack that comes as colorful and interesting as Indian '80s pop-disco-funk can be. Even Bappi Lahiri finally surrendered to electronic music but he still puts it into a rather traditional '70s soul and funk context with some Indian flavors added. A melody here, native tongue lyrics sung in a way that mixes pop and Indian folk music, a sound effect like typical Indian string sections there. The result is a beautiful ethno pop album with an utterly haunting groove which originates from the funk, soul, and disco elements a dancefloor queen like Donna Summer would kill for. There are always enough regular instruments - such as guitars, sitars, trumpets, and bass guitar - to keep a fan of handmade music interested. The vocal melodies have a lascivious expression at times, just as it was typical for the late '70s black disco music, which gets fused with classical Indian harmonies to create a captivating atmosphere. This record is certainly all about dancing - it will turn even the most lame living room sit into a steaming, hot sexadelic dance party. The music is vivid and emanates an enormous vitality that will drag you from your chair and make you float across the floor like a dervish. Lush arrangements of strings, brass, guitar, synthesizers, and vocals capture your soul and enwrap your spirit. Imagine an Indian Patrick Hernandez ("Born To Be Alive"). The catchy melodies and song structures, and the furious, but still professional, execution throughout make it an utterly enjoyable listen. Wild and wonderful.
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FES 004CD
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2015 release. Far Eastern Sunshine present a reissue of Rahul Dev Burman's soundtrack for Hare Rama Hare Krishna, originally released in 1971. Hare Rama Hare Krishna is an Indian movie from 1971 which features an odd story about family problems, the flight of a young girl into the hippie lifestyle far from home, and the quest of her brother to bring her back home. The musical framework of this movie has been created by Rahul Dev Burman (1939-1994), one of the most prolific soundtrack score composers from India. And the music alone plays as a movie, even though you may not have seen the original film. It is rich and deep, with a sound obviously rooted within the music of India, but always with a pop approach. There is some acid rock, typical of the era, and Hindi pop tunes with haunting vocals on a background of traditional acoustic instruments. Some western oriented moments hook up with colorful Indian harmonies. Even the obvious pop hits present have a mystifying power. The playing here is surely excellent for all of the tunes have been executed by well-educated professional musicians. If you are a fan of Bollywood movies and love the soundtracks, you will undoubtedly enjoy this album. If you wish to go for some music with a straight flow but exotic flavor, this is a great way to start your journey. It is a Hindi pop, with micro elements of ancient traditional music from India transported into new and rather accessible song structures. Since all of this happened during the era of psychedelic rock and power funk, there are traces of these popular West styles as well, but just in a very small dose, so the whole atmosphere and spirit of this music is definitely Indian. R.D. Burman takes a different route compared to other contemporary Indian pop artists such as Ananda Shankar, who let Western rock and pop and traditional Indian music stand as two equally strong aspects. Now, drift deep into the world of Bollywood.
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