In an earlier blog entry, I discussed my film-making process and mentioned, in passing, the crucial step of selecting music for my film soundtrack. I mentioned that the choices made at this stage were no less critical to the eventual outcome than the earlier choices I had made during the all-important filming and editing stages. And, indeed, the selection of music tracks I have included, licensed from Magnatune.com, have made a significant difference to the overall look and feel of my film.
The music genre I chose for my film is Indian fusion, an exotic blend of Indian classical and western music styles. Each of the tracks has a very distinctive sound, each contributing to create a signature blend of the romantic, exotic ambiance that pervades the film.
The first track that you hear in the film is from the album Ethnic by the self-styled oriental/gothic artiste, Shiva in Exile—the composer/songwriter Stefan Hertrich. The album was released in 2004.
Magnatune.com comments upon the album in the following terms:
It is an enveloping sound rich with atmosphere and the pulsating life of percussion, an almost gothic expanse warmed with the vocals and instruments of distant lands. The album won the Just Plain Folks Music Award 2004 in the category "Best New Age/World Album 2004".
The track from the album that opens my film is Breathing, a surreal sound that, I thought, provides exactly the sort of the hauntingly lilting melody that the opening sequence needs:
Another haunting track from the same album, Hollow Earth, accompanies the sequence depicting the steep trek up to the Elephanta Caves. I believe this track captures both the mystery and the exertion of the grueling climb:
A third track from the album, Aldebaran, perfectly captures the ethereal, haunting beauty of the Elephanta Caves themselves:
And a final track, Akasha, again from the same album, blends a uniquely earthy, primitive sound with hauntingly evocative choral strains to the accompaniment of a techno jazz sound to end the film on a note of unearthly disorientation and ambiguity:
The music from the album Happenstance featuring the ensemble touchingGrace led by the brilliant sitarist Jay Kishor includes some of the most melodious and contemplative tracks ever recorded, in my opinion.
It is my personal favorite of all the albums featured in the film. Magnatune.com features the following writeup of the album:
"touchingGrace", featuring Jay Kishor, is a Sitar-based World Music ensemble that combines the esoteric and mystical qualities of Indian Classical Music with the improvisation and synchopation of Jazz, the structure and thematic development of Western Classical Music, the passion and primal emotion of The Blues, and the energy and power of Rock.
Founded by Sitar and Surbahar virtuoso, Jay Kishor (pronounced "Jai Kee-Shore"), "touchingGrace" is more a "vision" than a "band". With the exception of Jay, the group will consist of a myriad of instrumentations and musicians from various styles, genres, and disciplines, keeping the Music always evolving and fresh.
The first track from the album appearing in the film, Watching Clouds, conveys a sense profound tranquility accompanying images of ships and boats on the ocean near the Gateway of India in Mumbai:
Another mellifluous track from the same album, Sitar Study in A flat Major, captures the serenity of the harbor and natural setting on Elephanta Island:
The album Aras features the lyrical chords of flamenco guitarist Miguel Espinoza accompanied by the percussive rhythms of the Indian tabla played by Ty Burhoe. The duo, Curandero, have produced an album with a sound that is at once fluid and harmonious.
Magnatune.com comments upon their music, stating:
The word Curandero means healer/folk doctor/shaman. This powerful image, as a balancing, motivating, inspirational force in human history is what the music of Curandero aspires towards in the world of sound. The flamenco guitar of Miguel Espinoza and the East Indian tabla of Ty Burhoe bring together two passionate and ancient traditions into one music.
Since the initial release of their first release "Curandero" in 1995, they have toured extensively in the US and are responsible for initiating the exciting blend of flamenco with the rhythms of India.
The track River from the album Aras brilliantly captures the harmony of the ocean waves in the course of the ferry ride from the Gateway of India in Mumbai to the Elephanta island. Mixed with the actual sounds of ocean waves, the acoustic imagery produced from the track is striking:
The music of Anup, is a symphonic blend of Indian and western styles. Anup Patel is an Indian sitarist who is also proficient on the percussive tabla and the keyboards. His music has a very distinctively Indian sound, but makes liberal use of western harmonic structures.
Magnatune.com describes Anup's musical ambitions as follows:
Anup's main goal in the music world is to remove cultural barriers by fusing music from various cultures, without losing the original spirit of the music. He wants to share with the world the musical ecstacy that he feels by transforming simple and complex Indian scales into easily understandable and enjoyable songs. He would like to remove the sombre and complex image that has surrounded classical Indian music. He wants to emphasize the universality of musical notes.
The track Genesis Wave from Anup's album Embrace provides a striking musical backdrop to the images of the ancient sculptures of Hindu deities in the main cave at Elephanta. The very distinctively Indian sound combined with techno rhythms makes for a stunning tapestry of richly evocative melodies:
The 25 minute film, The Elephanta Caves, the first in the series Exploration with Uday Gunjikar, is currently available to view for free in its entirety at the website WWW.EXPLORATIONTHESERIES.COM. The film features the tracks cited above and some stunning visuals of the city of Mumbai and the Elephanta Caves. Here's hoping you enjoy it!
Wishing you the very best,
Uday Gunjikar,
Founder and CEO,
Horizon Cybermedia, Inc.
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