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Audio Reviews
Jhummandi Naadam: Audio Review
By NaChaKi
Jul 1, 2010 - 12:24:38 AM

Sree Lakshmi Prasanna Pictures
Jhummandi Naadam (2010)

Producer: Manchu Lakshmi Prasanna
Director: K. Raghavendra Rao
Music Director: M.M. Keeravani
Audio Rights: Aditya Music
Lyrics: Vedavyasa (1, 3); Suddala Ashok Teja (2, 4, 5); Chandrabose (6, 7, 8, 9)
Playback: S.P.B. (1); S.P.B., Geetha Madhuri, Balaji, Deepu & Chorus (2); S.P.B. & Chorus (3); Anuj Gurwara & Chaitra (4); S.P.B., Suneetha, Malavika & Chaitra (5); S.P.B., Chaitra & Mounika (6); Ranjith & Chaitra (7); Karthik & Shivani (8); Krishna Chaitanya & Suneetha (9)

Rating: 4.25/5

Summary:
Keeravani-Raghavendra Rao combination has always been a great one for music-lovers; Jhummandi Naadam is no exception! With appreciable lyrics through most part and the legendary voice of S.P.B. for a majority of the songs, this audio album from Keeravani leaves the audience with a refreshing feel, particularly given that the music director who recently completed a double-century of albums had not yet made a great impression this year (with Rama Rama Krishna Krishna!, Young India, and Vedam). On the whole, the album gives a feel that the songs can be elevated in a style typical of the veteran director when watched on the screen. (The overall rating for the album is more than the average of all ratings, because of an "overall satisfaction" factor that stays with the audience.)

1. sarigamapadanii saptaswara sangeetasudha... (Duration: 4:40 minutes) (Rating: 4.5/5)
Playback: S.P.B. excels in singing for two characters (apparently enacted by Mohan Babu & Manchu Manoj) with very clear variation, imitating both of them in his impeccable style. For someone who sang the more complex naa paaTa panchaamRtam... (Allari Mogudu) 20 years ago (imitating Nagesh then), this song is a cakewalk. As demanded by the lyric/composition, his voice moves mellifluously through various levels (pitch) and long lines of lyric! (And, apparently Manoj imitates Mohan Babu at the end, and even that's rendered by Balu, but a bit different from the "original imitation" of Mohan Babu!) His voice is particularly young for Manoj, and it's miraculous that he can still do it at an age of 65!
Lyric: Vedavyasa provides a lyric that talks about various aspects specific to the Carnatic tradition of Indian classical music, as appropriate to the situation - a musical debate/competition, apparently similar to naa paaTa panchaamRtam... (Allari Mogudu) that was in the same combination (Keeravani-Raghavendra Rao-Mohan Babu). The lyric mentions how the protagonist has mastered various "tonal" levels (sthaayulu), and how his competitor has mastered the 72 mELakarta raaga-s in 12 chakra-s (indu, nEtra, agni, vEda, baaNa, Rtu, Rshi, vasu, brahma, diSi, rudra, aaditya). One can notice how the protagonist deserves to be a winner - by widening his scope into various levels of mastery of classical music and other forms such as the light and folk music. (One has to appreciate the producer and director for their taste of mentioning about classical music in such a detail through the lyric.) One rather uncommon word can be heard too: in danDi gamakamula..., the word danDi means the same as the more common danDiga (particularly in Rayalaseema region), i.e. "abundant" or "rich".
Tune/Interlude/BGM: In this composition in one of his favorite raaga-s (hindOLam), Keeravani uses his favorite instrument violin very impressively and the flute is beautiful too, particularly in the interlude as it competes with the violin! Unlike the comparable song from this combination in the film Allari Mogudu, Keeravani sticks to just one raagam here as the song moves into rendering musical notes, probably to keep it simple to suit the times and/or situation in the film. (Having said that, I'd hastily add that this composition is simple in no way! One can even notice that the pitch variation in the tuning is also made in such a way to depict the humble nature of the protagonist, and of course, credit goes to the legendary singer too for being so expressive!) It seems that he set lyrics to a tune, which is becoming rare these days (except with some music directors like Keeravani); yet, the lyrics are compromised nowhere! (This is only a guess, based on the observation that the lyric is otherwise a long list of various aspects of music, as prosaic as it can get!)

2. laali paaDutunnadi ee gaali... (Duration: 5:09 minutes) (Rating: 3.5/5)
Playback: S.P.B. is his natural. Geetha Madhuri sounds a bit artificial occasionally, but that could be more suitable to the female lead character. She initially sings paaDu chunnadi unlike S.P.B. Was it intentional or a mistake that was noticed yet left unaltered since the meaning wouldn't change? Balaji and Deepu fill in appropriately.
Lyric: The lyric runs through beautiful expressions such as gaali kosala laali and good amount of wordplay, and most of the similes are innovative. For example, buDibuDi naDakalaku bhUmaata laali is one such. However, on the whole, the lyric is okay but it felt like such a melodious tune could deserve a smoother lyric.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: This is a smooth composition in mOhana raagam and suits the theme very aptly, and what other instrument than a flute to render the raagam beautifully! The folk-style part is probably demanded thematically by the visuals and is good in its own stride.

3. gOvinda, hari gOvinda! gOvindaa, siri gOvindaa!... (Duration: 2:27 minutes) (Rating: 4/5)
Playback: S.P.B. is his usual. Keeravani's voice can also be heard in the chorus (as is the case with most of his compositions that need a chorus). It's from S.P.B.'s expressions that one can guess that this number comes as a song sung by devotees walking up the seven hills to Tirumala.
Lyric: Vedavyasa, who was earlier employed in Tirupathi, could thus pen the lyric just naturally, impeccably, and originally! His skill and experience are apparent in reminding the audiences of various other popular lyrics and hymns but not directly sourcing/lifting from them. Only as examples, notice these similarities: marraaku teppa pai tElETi... reminds of Annamaachaarya's teppagaa marraaku meeda tElaaDu vaaDu... and possibly even alamElu mangamma andaala gandaala is inspired by Annamacharya's EmokO... eDaneDa kasturi ninDenu.... One can draw a parallel to the first stanza that mentions the story of Lord Venkateswara (sthala puraaNam of Tirupathi-Tirumala) in much simpler words (and briefer) than the classier private song jaya jaya jaya Sree vEnkaTESaa... (written by A. Venugopal, rendered and popularized by Ghantasala). The phrase "Sree vEnkaTESaa, nee vanTi daivam lEdu... janmaanDamantaTa vEnkaTaadri velugu" is a Telugu translation of the traditional Sanskrit verse "vEnkaTaadri samam sthaanam brahmaanDE naasti kinchana | vEnkaTESa samO dEvO na bhUtO na bhavishyati" or "vinaa vEnkaTESam na naathO na naatha". (All these can only be felt upon repeated hearing and not in the first hearing, and there lies the unmissable success of the lyricist!)
Tune/Interlude/BGM: Keeravani's compositon is kept simple, apparently to suit the commoners who sing along; the obvious influence of western scale on its closely-related Indian equivalent in a part of the song seemed unnecessary. The tune is very catchy and gives that familiar feeling of going up the seven hills to Tirumala on foot! The orchestration is kept minimal too.

4. Em sakkagunnavrO, naa soTTa sempalODaa!... (Duration: 4:56 minutes) (Rating: 3/5)
Playback: Chaitra is here to stay, she proves with a modulation that suits the folk theme of the song. Anuj also does his part taking ample care with pronunciations, except for the now-common mistakes such as daa chukO.
Lyric: The folk-like lyric that starts off referring to the dimples of the protagonist has a lot of "raw" expressions that are common to folk songs, but leave one wondering why a poetic touch is nearly totally missing in this song! There are expressions like nee kaali merupulO poddupoDupu-nE choostaa! (after washing away gOrinTaaku) but it feels like there could be a lot more apt ones. Clearly, the lyric is aimed at the masses among audience, but there seem too many expressions to make the others go uneasy at listening to the song, particularly in the first charaNam; it doesn't seem like a logical extension to the otherwise nice pallavi.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: This is a typical Keeravani-Raghavendra Rao combo song that reminds of their signature style in the tune and orchestra, but has its own catchiness, particularly in the lead stanza. The beat has a typical Keeravani mark written all over it. The beat, tune and the lyric remind in parts of nemali kannODaa... from Okato Num. Kurradu in the same combination (but, of course, Anuj does a far better job than Udit Narayan, and Chaitra is not a match to Chitra but has done well too).

5. suvvi kastUriranga, suvvi kaavETiranga! (sannaayi mOgindi peLLi pandiTlO)... (Duration: 5:49 minutes) (Rating: 3.5/5)
Playback: Suneetha is sweet as usual, and S.P.B. marks his presence in the first line itself as he pronounces mu..ccha..TlO. The way Suneetha suggestively pronounces toliraatiri or how Balu pronounces munipanTitO tells what an impressive modulation an experienced singer can give to highlight the lyric as needed! Malavika & Chaitra support the lead singers.
Lyric: While Ashok Teja's lyric starts off with some rarely mentioned observations like danchutunTE meravaalanTa chevula kammalu (denoting how the face turns sideways each time and how the light could thus shine on the ear-tops) but the audience soon realize that mentioning some such observations could even get weird! The lyric mentions preparations and events before, during, and after a girl's marriage, starting from teasing the bride-to-be the day before marriage until appagintalu. Consistency of language seems missing - it's sometimes classic with words like teeruTakE and suddenly goes into a less-polished kaapu kaayala (instead of kaayaali). The reference to Tifineelu chEyanDi, Coffee-lu taaganDi serves its purpose of reminding of the director's blockbuster Pelli Sandadi.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The initial beat sets the mood for the song. The catchiness of the song goes down as the song proceeds but the initial familiarity with the tune makes it linger on. The orchestration suits the mood of the song.

6. dESamanTE matam kaadu, gatam kaadu... (Duration: 4:56 minutes) (Rating: 4.25/5)
Playback: "Who else can sing such a song with all the pain and anguish in one's voice!" - that's what S.P.B. makes the audience feel (with due respect to all other playback singers) with his high-pitched modulation that can stir inside every audience. At one point (praaNa-dha na-maanaalu teesE...), the tune gets a bit discontinuous, but Balu's experience pulls it off. Chaitra and chorus give the right support. Mounika pitches in at the end.
Lyric: Chandrabose pens the lyric very effciently with apparent references to things that are not expected to go wrong but are (communal riots, naxalism, terrorism, fodder scam, MiG jets scam, altercations in the parliament, recent allegations pertaining to Ex-Governor in Rajbhavan, acid attacks on women, irresponsibility of the media, strikes and bandh-s). Of course, the lyric uses Gurazada Apparao's famous lines dESamanTE maTTi kaadOy, dESamanTE manushulOy! The lyric goes on preaching to "love thy neighbour" and to not destroy peace that rightfully belongs to the future generations. He banks on his wordplay all through, wonderfully choosing rhyming words that still fit very well to the meaning and theme.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: Again, even this seems like a tune for a lyric written first. (In any case, Chandrabose and Keeravani did one of their best creations together.) The interlude is composed aptly in such a way as to keep the tempo of the song intact. The BGM reminds that of vinaraa vinaraa... from Roja at times.

7. karakara karakara korikEsElaa choostU unTE (ni ni ni nigraham)... (Duration: 4:25 minutes) (Rating: 2.5/5)
Playback: Ranjith could be some more better with pronunciation, and Chaitra does not seem to be at her best either.
Lyric: This is clearly a sizzling number, and Chandrabose bares it all with his lyrics, giving a clear idea of how the song could be picturized. However, some of the lyric doesn't meet logic entirely such as the lines palikE (?) badulu aa maaTani nee manasE cheppEstunTE - big difference, duh! Usages like kummaristE and raktaannE marigistunTE suggest some more about the mood of the song. Grammar takes backseat with usages like bellamnE as Chandrabose tries to fit the right words into a constricting tune. There are some so-to-say poetic expressions, but they never get highlighted in the lyric that talks about seduction or the effort to avoid falling for it.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: If there's one lyric that suffers to fit into the tune in the entire album, it's this song. Some blame goes to the singers too. The tune is okay, and orchestration is appreciable. This is the only fast-paced tune in the film, and it does seem like some sort of filler in an otherwise melodious album.

8. sankraanti... bhOgipaLLu pOsukuni (baalaamaNi, baalaamaNi, baalaamaNii!)... (Duration: 4:30 minutes) (Rating: 3.5/5)
Playback: Karthik is natural in this high-spirited rendition. Shivani is suitable too. Keeravani joins in the chorus again.
Lyric: Chandrabose is his usual in coining phrase such as eda kOTa, madhu-mOha vyaadhi. The way he breaks the name/reference baalamaNi as abbaa, allaa, ammaa, aNNii is innovative and is in tune with the mood of the song. While poola danDa-poola konDa and tEnepaTTu-tEne cheTTu seem uninspired, okaTimmanTE renDicchaavu (Refer to previous line in female voice - maaTa naaku chaalanTE muddicchaavu... suggesting "two" lips instead of "one" word.) has a poetic suggestiveness. There's reference to sankraanti at the end of every stanza, differently each time. Needless to say, this is catered to the masses among audience too and makes its mark surely.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: Another song that reminds of the typical combination of Keeravani & Raghavendra Rao. Again, the beat/tempo and tune/scale remind of other previous songs in their combination: enni janmalettinaa... (Okato Num. Kurradu, produced, but not directed, by Raghavendra Rao) and EmeTTi chEsaaDE... (Student Num. 1, direction supervised by Raghavendra Rao). The tune gets into folk-style in parts. All in all, this is another greatly catchy song, with a foot-tapping beat.

9. enta enta enta chooDanu... (Duration: 3:24 minutes) (Rating: 4.25/5)
Playback: Krishna Chaitanya starts off in a tender voice and maintains a very melodious tone all through, reminding Keeravani sometimes. Suneetha joins him with her mellifluous rendition.
Lyric: Another suggestive lyric, describing the "rich beauty" that meets the protagonist's eyes. kaLLatO tOTi kaadu, kougiLLa tOTi choostE... writes Chandrabose, and continues that expression with yet another one with a romantic touch: choopulu munimaapuga, mana rEpuga mari maaraaligaa! The lyric also has innovative rhyming such as praNaya pustakam-valapu vaastavam but the content dominates the wordplay. Chandrabose garnishes the lyric with more romantic feeling by adding gaaru to chempa, pedavi, and naDumu.
Tune/Interlude/BGM: The tune is very catchy and dances on one's minds and lips long after one stops listening to it. This being a short-length song leaves melody-lovers wanting more. Orchestration sets the mood very suitably to the theme, particularly with wind instruments towards the end. There's not much scope for long interludes in this short song, and Keeravani ensures that even such short interludes maintain the feel right through the different stanzas. On the whole, this is a well-made composition that ends with more than 40 seconds of music in signature style of Keeravani that keeps the audience glued to it even after it's over!

By NaChaKi