Director – Manoj Tyagi
Music Composer – Adnan Sami
Our Rating – 2/5
Present day rhythms and groovy music, this is what takes ‘Akeli Zindagi’ at an edge over present day chartbusters.
The song title would probably have you expecting a track on the lines of ‘Tere Bin’, but it’s a total surprise when it starts playing. The lyrics by Sameer which sounds very urban when clubbed with the Spanish musical feel of the song and the mesmerising voice of Shaan makes the song whole. with no flaws or spaces that would feel void.
Something very similar to the tracks in Adnan Sami’s album is this soft, romantic track titled ‘Choti Si.’ Sameer has once again given his best shot and played very well with the words of this song. The solo track by Adnan flows as expected with a soft pace and Indian touch.
With music that would get everyone on the dance floor, ‘Friday’ sung by Gayatri and Kunal Ganjawala is a right mix of English lyrics, metropolitan composition and western beats. With this song, Adnan has set a standard for his own compositions which cannot be challenged by anyone. The same song by Gayatri Iyer alone doesn’t sound all that sensuous but is definitely driven by salsa moves. For those with enough knowledge on Salsa music, would find the music going flat and pale at a few places; but for the rest of the crowd – this is a rocker track!
The title track ‘Mumbai Salsa’ comes in two versions – one a duet by Adnan Sami and Alisha Chinoy, and the second a solo version by Alisha. Adnan has tried very well to play with the voices, beats and instruments to set this track on a level above the others. The queen of Indi-Pop, Alisha with her groovy voice does all justice to the track, delivering it in a very stylish manner. The elements in any Salsa track that make it a complete salsa package is very well expressed with this number.
‘Pyar Se’ too comes in two versions – one with Shaan and Shreya Ghoshal and the second, a solo track by Amit Kumar. The duet version is a very modern-day Bollywoodish track with a salsa touch. But when Amit Kumar gets solo, he creates little magic. He appears to be using his vocal chords to the maximum, but the required fervor is missing. These two tracks sound like some Kishore Kumar remakes with a metropolitan touch.
The final ‘Salsa’ which completes the album is better off in a way. It doesn’t live up to the expectations of a Salsa track but does appeal to a limited extent.
The album as a whole is quite ok; definitely better than Adnan Sami’s previous one ‘Dhamaal.’ It starts with a bang, but does disappoint towards the end. Mumbai Salsa, as the movie title suggests, should have had a musical edge over other films, but Adnan has failed to create a musical blockbuster of this album. Hope he returns in better form with his next.
