Music: Clinton Cerejo
Label: T Series
Quick take: A commendable second album by Clinton Cerejo
Filmfare rating: 4/5
Clinton Cerejo has been around for years as a singer, musician, and arranger but has lately come into his own as a composer. His debut album Jugni (2016) offered us a glimpse into what he’s capable of achieving and with Te3n he’s really made his mark. Amitabh Bhattacharya has written some meaningful lyrics which bring out the poignancy of people suffering from the loss of a beloved.
Haq hai sung by Clinton is a slow bluesy piece that grows on you. The orchestration is kept minimal, letting the singer tease out nuances of the lyrics which talk about clinging to hope and seeking out redemption. This seems to be the introductory song for Amitabh Bachchan and Clinton has set it up nicely. Rootha is a fusion of west and the east, what with rock elements mixing with traditional Bengali percussion and sounds of shankh. Benny Dayal and Divya Kumar carry the song well and Bianca Gomes adds to the composition by her contemporary take on the famous Bengali folk song Sujan majhi re. It’s a layered track with all its intricate pieces clicking together as one.
The goosebumps inducing Kyun re has two versions. Amitabh Bhattacharya has come up with some really poignant imagery – Kaanch ke lamho ke reh gaye chure… goes one line, another evokes sense of loss with the words– teri gairmaujudgi mein bhi lage hona tera. The orchestration in minimal to the extreme in both versions, with just the guitar accompanying the vocals. However, it’s the difference in the voices which brings out different meanings to the same lyrics. While Clinton’s version sounds like a young lover remembering his lost love, Bachchan saab’s version brings to mind a grandfather lamenting the loss of his grandchild. You can’t help but listen to both versions on repeat mode to sample the subtle variations once more.
Vishal Dadlani is Clinton’s choice for the sombre rock ballad Grahan. Dadlani, who besides being a composer and a playback singer is also the face of the cult rock band Pentagram goes into rocker mode here and gives a full throttle treatment to the song as guitars blast away in the background.
It’s short album packing lot of punch and leaves you asking for more. Clinton most probably has given the background score of the film as well and it would be interesting to find out how he fuses these songs into the film’s narrative.
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