VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Best Of Bollywood (Hip-O)
Reviewed by Rusty Pipes

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Whether you've noticed or not there's an invasion going on. It's from India. It's not like it hasn't happened before: years ago Ravi Shankar was introduced to a larger audience through the Beatles, and the sound of the sitar became a defining one for 60's psychedelic pop.

In the 21st century, the Indian Invasion is more than just musical; there are more Indians working in this country than ever before, especially in computer programming. Whole IT departments seem to have immigrated from places like Mumbai and Delhi, and it's driving up awareness of modern Indian music and film in this country. The Indian film industry is nicknamed Bollywood (concatenating the "B" from Bombay and "Hollywood") and there are more films made every year by Bollywood than Hollywood. They usually feature big production dance numbers like the ones on this album.

Don't expect traditional acoustic ragas; this is pop music, Indian style from some of Bollywood's biggest movies of recent years. There are high wailing female vocals on most tracks, with lots of strings over the occasional guitar, electric bass and Indian percussion - tablas, tambourines, finger cymbals and the like. There's examples of show tunes from Kishore Kumar, India's biggest star, and several from Lata Mangeshkar, but I think my favorite is the slightly more traditional "Kaahe Chhed" by Pt. Birju Maharaj, Kavita Krishnamurthy and Madhuri Dixit. Unlike the pop arrangements on the other tracks, this tune does have sitar and some excellent tabla work. In addition there are some of the traditional tabla-player-type vocals that announce the rhythms to be played, all done triple fast. It's great, in fact this stuff sends most American rap artists back to school in comparison.

I'll have to talk to some of my Indian friends to understand the lyrics, but this is very interesting listening if you like exotic music. This is the real stuff, perhaps a little too ethnic for most Western ears but I can imagine many musicians getting turned on by some of these rhythms and melodies. The only thing missing is the address of the babe on the cover. (There, I said it!)

Track Listing:

Pyar Do Par Lo (Sapna) * Laila O Laila (Kanchan) * Tere Sang Pyar Main (Lata Mangeshkar) * Hey Maine (Lata Mangeshkar) * Pal Bhar Ke Liye (Kishore Kumar) * Ye Raatain (Lata Mangeshkar) * Dil Aaj Shair Hai (Kishore Kumar) * Wada Na Tod (Lata Mangeshkar) * Mehbooba Mehbooba (Rahul Dev Burman) * Kaahe Chhed (Kavita Krishnamurthy) * Hum Tumhen Chahte Hain (Anand) * Badi Mushkil (Alka Yagnik) * Kehna Hi Kya (Chitra) * Do Pyaar (Sonu Nigham) * Chori Chori (Alka Yagnik)

© 2003 - Rusty Pipes