A.R.Rahman needs no introduction and hence I directly go to the list of my ten. I bet the list will not satisy anybody but anyway this is my own list. First I chose some 50 songs as his best and from that after multiple listening to all those 50 songs, I decided my final list and finally these 10 songs got a place in top ten songs list.
Count down starts now.
*1. Bombay theme - Bombay sound of peace
Film: Bombay(Tamil)
Instrumental*
Can anyone forget this masterpiece of ARR? Here is a music, which fights with silence and wins peace. The music is well orchestrated using violin and flute. The music reveals the emotions of the people who lost their relatives and neighbors in the fight between Hindus and Muslims and their longing for peace. This music is not for a country in search of peace but for each and every person who has terror in him and evokes the search of peace in oneself.
The best thing is the tune having Indian classical notes and a traditional flavor and yet it is diluted without any compromise in notes to satisfy both the classes and the masses of the world. Starts with a rhythmic bell sound that sounds in the background for the whole track and the soothing sound of flute by Naveen makes a slow and soft beginning. Then slowly the violin orchestration takes over the tune to its strings and plays the tune. Just before ending a sad note in solo violin pours the longing peace into the soul through the ears. As the theme of this instrumental is universal and as it perfectly sounds for the theme through flute and violins this music has reached universal masses.
*2. Vellai pookal
Film: Kannathil Muthamittal
Singer: A.R.Rahman*
He takes guitar in his hands this time to promote peace through his music in this song. It is an orchestrational master piece by ARR again. So far best song sung by A.R.rahman. He proves that he can even sing a soft melody. He masters the usage of guitar at its best in this song. The song has no usual format. A.R.Rahman lifts the song with his new style of rendition of his voice. The tune is very simple but different and purely based on a karnatic raga Hamsadwani the raga on which musicians rarely compose film songs. Vairamathu deserves the national award which he got for penning lyrics about peace for this song.’kaatrin mellisayum’ part has lot of changes in pitch of voice in singing. Piano and Flute pieces perfectly blends with lyrics at right places in this song and as usual Naveen haunts with his flute work.
*3. Warriors of Peace song
Film: Warriors of Heaven and earth(Chinese)
Singer: Jolin Tsai*
The song is an excellent melody with soft beats in the background and strings(Tanpura) have been used well in this song. It is a nice blend of traditional Indian classical and Chinese music. Even though I don’t understand Chinese the song is simply haunting because the Chinese language itself sounds like a music and the blends well with the tune. As I have heard the English and Hindi version of the song I could understand the meaning of the song but according to music language Chinese version sounds better than English and Hindi version. The female humming in the song is soothing and perfectly sounds for the search of peace in the minds of warriors fighting with terror.
*4. Anbendra mazhaiyilae
Film: Minsara Kanavu
Singer: Anbendra Mazhaiyilae*
Song starts with a mild female harmony and a mild base rythm in the background and then to our surprise Anuradha sriram starts this Christ devotional with her vocals. Even though rahman rarely uses her voice he uses it perfectly for the right song and one such song is this. She has put lot of effort and her voice is the soul of the song. Close your ears and just listen to the song her rendition takes you close to the Christ. This is the best song ever sung by her. The song has no beats at all. The flute piece is awesome again in this song. The lyric is excellent about Lord Jesus. One more special feature of this song is that this song is sung in Tamil for a prayer in front of Pop John Pal in Vatican City.
*5. Narumugayae
Film: Iruvar(Tamil)
Singer: Unni Krishnan, Bombay jayshree*
Again a pure classical song with traditional south Indian instruments like tabla, flute veena etc., Those who complain about rahman?s music as electronic, computerised and noisy just have a listen to this song you will be really left with a surprise. He proves that he can make songs of any kind. As per script of this movie this song should like a love duet song of Tamil cinema in 60?s and his composition and the usage of instruments and the lyrics perfectly delivers such a song with excellence. Unni krishnan and Bombay Jayshree are perfect choices of this song as both of them had formal training in classical music they both have done a great job. The tune is so fresh. The first interlude with mandolin, tabla, flute, temple bells and violin orchestration is great, clay pots are used. Lyrics by vairamuthu are top notch. In this genre it is a rare piece of work with lyrics that needs lot of in depth knowledge in the language to understand the complete meaning.
*6. Vande mataram
Album: Vande Mataram
Singer: A.R.Rahman*
High techno song that kindled patriotism in the minds of youngsters of India, which was released at the right time when India was celebrating her golden jubilee year of independance. It is a path breaking song with powerful lyrics and vocals by ARR himself. Song starts with a powerful chant of ARR followed by?Vande mataram? chorus with strong percussions and electro stuffs in the background. The electric guitar used in the background evokes the electrifying power of the word’Vande mataram?. Use of instruments like nadhaswaram, flute, tabla’s etc at right places gives traditional feel and in right proportion in such a techno patriotic song elevates the song to even greater heights. The song is highly complex to an extent that even now you can hear a new sound somewhere in the song.
*7. Ae Ajnabe tu bhi kabhi
Film: Dilse(Hindi)
Singer: Udit Narayanan, Swarnalatha*
A path breaking pathos and song that sounds for separation by ARR. The song has simple beats in the background and the tune has the full essence of somberness in it. Udit naryanan’s rendition of voice takes the song to higher altitudes. Simple percussions at the background all through the song carry the pathos feel without any flaw in it. The female part makes the song complete. The solo shenoy piece played in between the verses and also used at the end of each stanza in the last line along with the singer?s voice rendering the feel haunts our hearts. I consider this is as one of the simplest composition ever by ARR with least number of instruments but yet powerfully elevates the mood of situation for which the song is scored in the movie. The lyric is as equally powerful as the music and blends well with the tune.
continued in comments.