'Movie Masala'

FRoots Jan/Feb 2005

It’s a simple but effective formula: take tunes from the soundtracks of Indian films and perform them as a brass band, that way you get the strong melodies without any of the cheesy arrangements found in so many Bollywood hits. Three albums down the line and it’s still working well. Having concentrated solely on the music of A R Rahman for their last set (2002’s Rahmania), BBB now turn their attentions to the writing duo of Laxmikant and Pyarelal and the legendary 70’s composer RD Burman, with a selection that spans 50 years of filmi hits, many of which are so well known that they’re familiar even to a Bollywood ignoramus like me.

The band’s arrangements are getting more assured and well developed as they go along. There are lots of twists, turns and impressive solos here, with no apparent loss of firepower. After all a 13-piece brass and percussion ensemble that includes two dhol players, is hardly going to have any trouble kicking up a racket. Dr Das from Asian Dub Foundation adds bass on three tracks, including a stirring version of Tu cheez badi hai mastt mastt (better known as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Musst Musst). Rahmania closed with a couple of remixes and this time round they’ve developed the idea into a bonus eight-track remix CD with notable cuts from Temple of Sound (who add a ska rhythm to the mix), Future World Funk (who take things dubwise) and Bhangra mixer Baby P. aka BBB’s tabla player, Bobby Panesar.

Long may they blow!

Jamie Renton

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