Reviews : Audio Reviews : Gunde Jhallumandi: Audio Review

Album: Gunde Jhallumandi (2008)
Producer: Madan
Director: Madan
Music Director: M.M. Keeravani
Audio Rights: Vel Records
Lyrics: Chaitanya Prasad (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8), K. Siva(shakti) Datta (4, 7)
Playback: Nikhita Nigam (1); Deepu, Ganga, Malavika & Chandrateja (2); M.M. Keeravani, Usha & Bhargavi Pillai (3); Jai Srinivas & Geetamadhuri (4); Krishna Chaitanya & Geetamadhuri (5, 6); Geetamadhuri (7); M.M. Keeravani & Geetamadhuri (8)

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:
Keeravani brings out an album that catches up within a few rounds of listening. Some songs do catch up instantly too... while some continue to linger on the audiences' minds for a while and then haunt along. He experiments a bit with playback too. Lyrics by Chaitanya Prasad are just okay but cliché could have been avoided. Siva Datta pens only a one-line bit and one song, and he does a good job. On the whole, Gunde Jallumandi has different 'feel' and off the regular Keeravani style.

1. I have a boyfriend!... (Duration: 4:41 minutes) (Rating: 3.75/5)
Playback: Nikhita has the right modulation for this peppy song. Her pronunciation is good in both English and Telugu.
Lyric: With a end-of-line rhyme ( antyapraasa), the lyric goes as a bragging of a girl about her boyfriend - what a kind of person he is, how he reacts if someone misbehaves with her, and so on. The vowel ending of the word " kalakanDa" is sacrificed for rhyme.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: Quite notable is the violin bit in the interlude, which is typically classical in nature, blended into a neat fusion. The smooth transition between western and Indian classical styles within this bit reminds of Ilayaraja's private album How to Name It! The tune catches up slowly. The beat is heavy yet unobtrusive.

2. kaLLaku ulukE vacchindi... ( gunDe jhallumandi) (Duration: 4:51 minutes) (Rating: 3.25/5)
Playback: The playback singers are all good, but a duet by two pairs of singers is interesting.
Lyric: The song marks the realization of depth of love. It's clichéd to some extent but is okay on the whole.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tune for the title bit gunDe jhallumandi is very catchy. The swara-s in the interlude seem to borrow a bit from the classy song SivaSankari.... The BGM is good too.

3. tiTTukunTEnE, koTTukunTEnE... ( True love) (Duration: 4:49 minutes) (Rating: 3.25/5)
Playback: Keeravani is very good. The female singers are okay too. The rendition style with breath control, done effectively, could connect more with the visuals on the screen.
Lyric: Love is an amalgamation of both sweet nothings and sweet quarrels, says the lyric. The lyric talks of heights of romance, liking, and even sizzling wars such as "tongue wars", clarifying the situation to the listeners' minds!
Tune/Interlude/BGM: A typical Keeravani's composition, this one catches up instantly too.

4. paavaDa kaasta paiki lEpi nuv kOvela daaTutunTE... (Duration: 2:45 minutes) (Rating: 3.5/5)
Playback: Srinivas sets his modulation to suit the melody. Geetamadhuri is sweet.
Lyric: Another title song, this one seems to mark the start of love in the minds of the lead pair. The situation, the rendition, and the music director being the same remind of sogasu chooDa taramaa... from Mister Pellaam. And, then, one may feel that the lyric for this song is not too great!
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tune may not seem too fresh but it catches up very soon with the audience. The beat is folk-like and suits well.

5. idi adE, idi adE... (Duration: 6:14 minutes) (Rating: 4/5)
Playback: Krishna Chaitanya and Geetamadhuri give their energy to this song where the lead pair enthusiastically realize their love.
Lyric: The songs marks the dawning of the truth of love, going about how each one feels about the other person.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The lead music sets the pace for the song, and the BGM carries it forth efficiently. The tune, orchestration, and the treatment remind of Hindi and Telugu film music from late '70s.

6. telusaa, manasaa!... (Duration: 4:52 minutes) (Rating: 3.5/5)
Playback: Krishna Chaitanya and Geetamadhuri portray the pain in this song equally effectively as they throw out their energy in the previous number.
Lyric: The lyric indicates a pain in losing the sweetness of love, trying to identify what went wrong and where. The expression " joodamlO ninu paavugaa chEsi aaDistOndi" seems to be inspired by Bhartru Hari's line " kaala@h kalyO bhuvanaphalakE kreeDati praaNisaaraya@h" (meaning "Time gambles with all Life on the game-board called the World.") The usages that talk about kotta- paata are innovative and impressive.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The composition of lengthy lines portrays the anguish in the theme of the song more effectively. The interlude is good. The BGM maintains the mood of the song.

7. nee nuduTi chiru chemaTa konagOTa meeTa... (Duration: 1:17 minutes) (Rating: 2.75/5)
Playback: Geetamadhuri emotes very well and modulates her voice smoothly.
Lyric: This is just a little bit by the female lead telling how her " gunDe jhallumandi".
Tune/Interlude/BGM: With minimal orchestration and BGM, the tune is catchy but lacks freshness.

8. jaragakooDadani anukundi... ( ilaa endukautOndi!) (Duration: 4:31 minutes) (Rating: 3.25/5)
Playback: Keeravani and Geetamadhuri give their good performance to this song of a love pair that parted ways probably by force and/or due to unforeseen conditions.
Lyric: The lyric reveals an unwanted separation in love, seemingly due to other issues arising out of love (of other family members?). " okariki okaranukunTE evariki evarani aDigindi" is a good expression that portrays the questioning of a sudden change.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tune is good, the bit " ilaa endukautOndi?!" being particularly catchy. The orchestration is different; the way the song ends makes one inquisitive.

By NaChaKi

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