Now that it won an Oscar, everybody and their mother will go download (buy? On CD?) the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Not that it’s a bad thing! I mean, the thing won an Oscar, so it has to be good. Right?
Overnight superstar, A.R. Rahman composed the music and performed with a number of people I’ve never heard of. Oh and M.I.A. She’s popular these days. So I hear. So is the soundtrack good? Is it worth all the hype? Is it better than those God awful performances of it’s songs at the Oscar ceremonies? The short answer is yes. The long answer is also yes.
Oscar nominated “O Saya,” which I talked about like forever ago, kicks off the soundtrack and sets the mood for the rest of the music. That music is dark intense electronic beats fused with classic Indian influences. The tone is perfect for the movie and is unlike a lot of the stuff we tend to hear these days. “Jai Ho,” which took home the Best Song award last night, is of course the peak of the soundtrack, despite it’s placement at the very end.
The academy’s choice for the Slumdog soundtrack was obvious but also important. While classic Hollywood scores with orchestras and sweeping ballads are usually favored, a more experimental soundtrack that features dance music and rap ended up taking home the glory.
You can get the soundtrack as always on iTunes or Amazon or wherever else you buy music (Best Buy? Do people buy CDs anymore? That’s SO 1998).
A.R. Rahman – “Jai Ho” [MP3]
Don’t forget, Three Six Mafia won a few years back in one of the more absurd oscar moments
You’re right – Rahman’s soundtrack was perfect for the film, a real synthesis of Mumbai “street sounds” and folkloric Indian textures (sitars, etc.) with techno and other global pop sounds.
But from what I read, he’s not exactly an overnight superstar. He’s reportedly sold something like 100 million copies of his Bollywood soundtracks and other recordings.
Yes, contrary to what you think, A.R. Rahman is the single most popular and industry-dominant composer in the Indian film industry; a position which, if you consider the sheer size of the industry in question, the depth and variety of Indian musical styles, etc…. is already achievement enough. The Oscar is only a global acknowledgment (albeit late) of a recognized musical genius with decades of fans.
And to add a note, here’s something most Indians/Rahman fans will agree upon: the Slumdog soundtrack is not even half as good as his more notable scores.