Song of this Summer, 2011

Beera Beera

by

Vijay Prakash, Kuotane (additional vocals by Keerthi Sargathia & A. R. Rahman)

Soundtrack of "Raavan" (2010)

Of course, music needs to be listened to before one may couch it:

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or

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Beware, this song is addictive. Big time. It's one of the best songs that have ever sprung from Rahman's magic fingers or brain, or whatever makes him do what he does. 

The duration of about 3 minutes has been described as "tantalizingly short", and I though I have never heard that word before (looked it up in a dictionary), I know that it's true. The song isn't exactly short, actually, about the length of a typical western pop song, but you never want it to stop, you want those holy tunes to go on and on and on. 

Many of Rahman's best songs commence in a quite "strange" sounding way, which in my eyes is a clever step, as the brilliancy of the song shows off even more in that contrast. A rough voice sings "Aankhon mein jaan... oooo..." ("In his eyes his beloved", I believe), quickly followed by some "jungle tunes", as I call them - evoking pictures of a jungle and its strange residents in your mind. 

And now comes my favorite, favorite part... I am mad about this part. After I went crazy about this song, I kept hearing this part all the time, wherever I went, just - always. It doesn't even have any lyrics. Basically, and objectively, it's Rahman (the God!), singing "e-e-e-o, e-e-e-o-o, o-o-o-o-o...". Twice... oh, I must keep listening to it! It is... pure, pure magic, pure inspiration - pure music.

Then it's over, and the song begins for sure.

This is probably the addictive part for most of the people who love this song, and it is addictive, though not as much as my favorite part. Eh bien, qu'est-ce que c'est? Le refrain, évidemment. Basically consisting of... one word. A name. Ah, names with power - one word, one name is enough to awaken your senses... Better than "Main Hoon Don", way better, much more simple, just "Beera". 

"Beera ke das maathe, Beera ke sau naam,

chede jo Beera ko... dhamadhamdhamdham"

("Beera has ten heads, a hundred names - if someone taunts at Beera... dhamadhamdhamdham!")

He doesn't even have the coolest name on earth, he is also a God (like Rahman), immortal probably - and don't'u dare touch'm.  Ah, let's praise him even more by singing his name. (Vijay Prakash is a rrrrockstar, by the way).

I really like how they bring in the "jungle tunes" as the song goes by. You feel like you're standing in the middle of a jungle, and all those natives are dancing around you singing weird songs and playing weird instruments. In the middle of them Vijay Prakash, praising "Beera", the man who kidnapped you. Sorry, not the man - the God, who is frightening, brutal and above all that, well, plain awesome.

"Arey Beera udhti aandhi, Beera ek toofan,

saans mein uble agni - Beera jalti jaan, jaalti jaan..."

("Beera is a rising storm, Beera is a tornado, in his breath the fire is burning - Beera burning lives...")

I told you, he's awesome. I mean, he's kind of a human dragon, too, as we just found out. "Beera burning lives, burning lives, burning lives... Beera...".

"Janam naa poocho, jaat naa poocho,

poocho jo pehchan - Beera ka abhimaan hai, abhimaan hai..."

("Don't ask about his birth, don't ask about his caste, 'cause if you do ask, you'll realize - Beera's got ego...")

Maybe he doesn't wear suits, isn't well-groomed and he doesn't have a smoky voice - but Beera is a strict business person. He doesn't talk privacy with anyone, he's the Godfather of the jungle... 

I actually also love those verses... This song is just rock around the... ah, not clock... jungle. I think we should invent a new genre, "Jungle Rock". I mean, what else would "Beera Beera" be? Okay, "Rahman", most certainly, a genre that already contains many other Rahman songs unable to be put into the cupboard of genres... Most likely his best ones...

The rest of the song is not new in terms of lyrics. There's a repetition of the first verse and a lot of singing "Beera". Addictive, by the way. 

And then, it's over. It's just over. And you want to cry, cry your heart out, because this wasn't supposed to end - this was heaven! Heaven!

Hm... wait a minute... I once heard of the so-called "re-play" button... 

Oh, thank God! Thank you, Rahman and Beera (well, I called them "God", so...)! Oh, there it is again...

"Aankhon mein jaan... ooo..."

And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And a...

gain.

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Thank you for reading,

Mette M. K.