Mychael Danna
Monsoon Wedding Original Soundtrack
Milan
Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding is this year’s art house darling that just won’t quit. Of course, the music is just one of the elements to which the film owes its success, and, listening to this soundtrack, you can see why. Mychael Danna has composed some remarkable music that stands well enough alone without the support of that remarkable film.
Almost anthropological in its scope, this project brings today’s Indian musical scene into your stereo. The disc starts off with the percussive firestorm chant of “Aaj Mera Jee Kardaa” and refuses to stop. There’s the startling “Mehndi/Madhorama Pencha,” which the movie’s fans will remember from the phenomenal mehndi scene. “Baraal,” which opens the film, is most definitely my favorite, with its New Orleans marching band stomp. The legendary Bally Sagoo makes an appearance with his retro-techno “Aaja Nachle,” and the soundtrack ends with some serious remixes. Both Zimpala and Alexkid offer up dub-laden downtempo make-overs to a couple tracks. Julio Black’s handling of “Fuse Box” is brilliant in its abstracted soul, and MIDIval PunditZ (India’s electro-darlings) contribute the stellar “Fabric/Aaja Savariya.”
As a soundtrack, an album, and a cross-section of all the things going on in Indian popular music right now, Monsoon Wedding really cannot be beaten.
Monsoon Wedding: http://www.monsoonmovie.com • Milan Records: http://www.milanrecords.com
