Article Updated 21 August, 2005 02:05:39 PM IST   Salaam Namaste By Abid ©2005 Bollyvista.com   After the way the music of the previous Yash Raj productions has found success (during the last two years), a lot was expected from 'Salaam Namaste' especially after the first few promos of the title track. So let us check out the keenly awaited album. The deadly rhythm of the title track 'Salaam Namaste' catches you instantly. Yes, we are talking about the synthesized keyboard piece that has been used liberally in the first few teasers. Kunal Ganjawala and singer-actress Vasundhra Das do full justice to the track as they say "Ek din ek pal ik janiya, Aaj hai kal phir ud janiya" and their voice blends beautifully with the music. A guaranteed chartbuster in the days to come and a deserving replacement for 'Just Chill' and 'Dus Bahane'. In the 'antras' one can get nostalgic, being reminded of the legendary "Koi shehri babu dil lehri" from 'Loafer'. The 'Dhol Mix' of the title track has a faster tempo and the traditional percussion instruments dominating the proceedings. Yet again, Kunal Ganjawala and Vasundhra Das demonstrate their talent as they sing with gusto and adjust their vocals so that they are in sync with the upped tempo. A remix that has its own charm and is not a routine job. 'My Dil Goes Mmmm' is another winner from the album. Though lyrically, attempts have been made to recreate 'Sochti hai Zyada ' ('Hum Tum'). Shaan is excellent as he sings "Aati hai woh aise chal ke, Jaise jannat mein rahti hai, Dekhti hai sabko aise, Jaise sabko woh sahti hai... My Dil Goes Mmmm." Gayatri Iyer is adequate. Vishal Shekhar's music is a plus point of this excellent track. The club mix version (D.J. Aqeel) of 'My Dil Goes Mmmm' has Shaan, Caralisa Monteiro (instead of Gayatri) and the improvement is obvious as she matches Shaan step for step with her energetic singing. The lyrics are totally in English, the rhythm and tempo obviously faster. Surprisingly this one is even better than the original version and will dominate the dance floor soon. The opening piece of the next track 'What's Goin On' takes one back to Yash Raj's very 'Dholna' from 'Dil To Pagal Hai', but the similarity ends there. A situational number with appropriate lyrics according to the song situation (reminiscent of late Anand Bakshi). Synthesized bagpipe-like sounds have been used liberally. Kunal Ganjawala and Sunidhi Chauhan debate and decide how to and where to meet and at what time, obviously for the lead actors! A routine ordinary romantic track 'Tu Jahaan' comes as a let down in the album, especially because it is a blatant lift of Adnan Sami's highly popular 'Sun Zara' from 'Lucky - No Time For Love'. One just wonders whether the lead singer Sonu was as goofy IQ'd as the composers or was it a joint effort because the resemblance to 'Sun Zara' (right down to the Russian chorus and drumming) will be obvious even to the casual listener. Come to think of it 'Lucky - No Time For Love' is not even a six-month-old release and its music still sells in combos. On the whole, the groovy 'Salaam Namaste' will appeal instantly to the youths especially because of the title track and 'My Dil Goes Mmmm' and their mixed versions. The critics may not like it much but Yash Raj has another winner to add to its list, though the shelf life will not be more than a couple of months. Rating : 7.5/10   close   Print this Article http://www.bollyvista.com   http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/31/5391