Bollywood: The Ultimate Site by Narbir <powar@idirect.com>

Sadly the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is not alive to realize that his musical masterpieces are really being appreciated by all.  If you liked the folksy rustic sounds of Kaache Dhaage this year, then know that Kartoos offers something really different.  Although the compositions are still folk underneath, they are very techno savvy offereing from the king of qawalli!  Nusrat helps out with the vocals as well, however his collaboration with Anu Malik and Bally Sagoo is nothing spectacular.  Anu and Bally do one song each but both pale in comparison to the four tunes that Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has composed.

Side A starts off with enigmatic Ishq Da Rutba sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.  The song is a out and out winner, it has everything!  Superb vocals, outstanding music, and breathtaking lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.  As if you didn't know already Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has an amazing voice, it literally hypnotizes you!  He can control it at any range or level.  As far as his range goes, he can do anything with his voice and it will sound good.  The music is especially good.  Like his qawalli's, he uses the violin very well in his composition and the chorus is incorporated well into the music.  He uses a few synthesised instruments as well to give the track the added pizzaz. This one is a sureshot winner.

Sadly one cannot say the same for Anu Malik's disgusting Walla Yeh Ladki! Udit Narayan and Abhijeet can't even lift this song from the burning pits of hell to make it sound heavenly.  It sounds like a song that kids would sing at a birthday party, and it's harsh on the ears as well.  The vocals are just about okay, but anu maliks composition is loud, brash, and annoying not to mention weak.  It buckles under the weight of all the noise going on in the background.  Luckily this is the only Anu Malik inspired track on the album.

If you thought of turning the cassette off then STOP!  Up next is the fast paced Teri Yaad sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Udit Narayan.  The music is superb, it conveys the lonliness felt by the singer looking for his love.  The composition is full of synthesised music which is accented by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's vocals.  But Udit holds his own and comes out unscathed and triumphant!  His vocal range is apparent in this track, another good score from the king himself.

Side B starts off with Gham Hai Ya Kushi sung by Alka Yagnik.  The composition and the music is a little weak but still good, there is a more traditional feel here because of the Sitar use.  The flute also accentuates the traditional feeling in the song.  What is really dissapointing is Alka Yagnik, she sounds really bored, and as a result she jarrs the final product.  Too bad considering that the track had a lot more potential, however it is not a bad song.  The lyrics are okay, but the song will stick with you after it is over.

Following this is the obligitory bhangra number, O Rabba which has been composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan but pieced together by Bally Sagoo.  Jayshree Shivram is Bally's prodigy and sings very well.  If you are punjabi you'll know her from the Kamlee tapes that Amarjit Sidhu released a while back.  If you've ever heard Bally Sagoo compose his songs you'll notice he always has a different take on traditional punjabi numbers.  This is no exception, its a Bally Sagoo style track. There is plenty of techno savvy synthesized beats here but at the same time the bhangra vibe is apparent.  Jayshree does a good job with the playful track and puts a youthful glow into the song which is a light number.  This one will be appreciated more by younger people rather than diehard music fans!

And then the tape ends with Baha Na Aansoo sung by Udit Narayan. This is Udit's tour de force of the album.  The composition is strong yet silent, it really helps Udit come across better.  The lyrics are superb but its Udit's reassuring vocals which enhance the score.  This loveable song is the perfect way to end the album off.  It's a slow, soothing, melody which is carried off quite well, one which will stick with you after the album.  Udit keeps himself restrained giving the track a gapping feel which fits the mood.  A meaningful track which was made for every music lover out there.

And that's all six short songs, most good, some okay, and one really bad!  Never the less out of the six songs, five are reccomended.  Ishq Da Rutba and Baha Na Aansoo are the ones which will really catch you off gaurd and watch out for them.  Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has left us with a musical masterpiece which will be remmebered for its simplicity and appeal to critics.   May his soul rest in peace. Lyrics are good mostly but could have been reworked in some parts.  It is the collaboration of Udit and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan which is the real dynamite under all this.  You have to buy this one!

Rating 8.5/10 - An excellent score and good meaninful songs are the underlying factor here.  Good music.

Indiabollywood:

Three music directors, popular ones at that, compose the music for this film. The late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Anu Malik and remix king Bally Sagoo come up with a score which wouldn’t really excite a music buff. Of the six songs, Anu and Bally compose only one song each. The remaining four songs have been composed by the late Ustad. The credits though, are a bit confusing. One credit goes - Music: Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; and another credit goes: Music composed by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. But we thought it was one and the same.
Turns out that April isn’t the cruellest month after all. Just when you’re up to here with the triteness of movie music, comes an album armed with word power and a superlative voice. The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has created the near impossible - a laidback score that excites all the same. And how!

You hear life in Nusrat’s delicate timbre in Ishq da rutba as Majrooh Sultanpuri spins lyrics conveying myriad moods from romance to sorrow. The versemith is inspired in Nusrat’s two solos with Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik - Teri yaad and Gham hai ya khushi. Niggling complaint: the electronic hi-energy backbeat tends to distract in Alka’s Gham hai ya khushi number.
Though Anu Malik and Bally Sagoo share the music credits with Nusrat, the duo barely come up for air in their tracks like Wallah yeh ladki and O rabba. Udit Narayan’s Baha na aansoo is the show-stopper, what with the singer reaching a vocal paradigm, reminiscent of his Ae ajnabi in Dil Se.
After the exciting Kachche Dhaage, Khan Saab serves a double whammy with Kartoos. His immortality in music of every possible kind is ensured.