Atif Aslam and The Painted Veil

Today I have some Bollywood music for you because I find that some days you have to listen to some foreign music. This song is from a movie called Ajab Ki Prem Ghazab Kahani and this is my absolute favorite song from this movie. The movie has a very typical Bollywood plot to it, however, the soundtrack is not completely like the ones you hear from a lot of Hindi films you see. This soundtrack has the combination of dance songs and love songs and sad songs. This song in particular is very beautiful because it is somewhat of a romantic ballad. I really like the fact that vocals are all done by males because for these kinds of songs, the gentler male vocals sound the gorgeous. This song kind of has this Sufi influence which has become a bigger thing in Bollywood songs. These slower songs have this length to them because they are slow. There is no need for the song to be extremely energetic so there can be cool dance moves. These songs are all about the feelings associated with the song and the moment. Because of this, the song has a heavy stress on both the rhythm and lyrical characteristics. In fact, this song uses a lot of Indian rhythmic instruments, and normally that doesn't add softness to the song, but in this case it does. The tabla is so perfect for this song because it serves as the rhythm and bass of the song while also being a great addition to the tone of the song.  This song also uses string instruments to create filler music and serve as a harmony. This is very different from a lot of Indian songs out there because the harmonium is not a central instrument of choice. I guess nowadays the use of harmonium has dropped, but in slower songs like this, it still has quite an influence. But in this case, the harmonium does not really have a great presence. I kind of like it that way though because then it would change the entire tone and feel of the song. This song is one of those very romantic ones in both musicality and lyrics. The lyrics in this song are very sweet but also have a tinge of sadness and longing. It is so beautiful though that I can't stop listening to it. Atif Aslam uses his magnificent voice to soothe our ears and make us cry which is wonderful. Today's instrumental song is from the movie The Painted Veil. I have never seen this movie, but the soundtrack is quite lovely and very soothing. This captures that Victorian-esque sound that some people associate with little English towns. There is something both soothing and captivating about this piece. It is subtle but deep and embellishes the atmosphere with a sense of peace. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!