Atif Aslam & Mahira Khan and The Holiday

Today I have some ethnic music for you. It has been quite some time since I have posted any Bollywood music and I thought, why not today? This song is a really nice one because it is kind of out of the normal scope of Indian music. This song is sung by one of my favorite singers, Atif Aslam and features Mahira Khan. What makes this song so different is the fact that it is pretty acoustic and uses more Western music instruments and styles. But somehow, the song still has a little bit of that Indian flare to it. The guitar work in this song is very pleasing to the ear and has this really nice harmony going on between the two. The opening introduces us to a singular guitar melody that both artists play, but then the both separate into their respective parts. One of the things that makes this so cool is that Atif Aslam actually slaps the guitar to create that percussion-esque beat. This technique is something that has started to become more prominent in music, and for this song, it fits extremely well. The guitar taps are strong enough to give the song that backbone beat, but soft enough to keep the song on that more acoustic and contemporary sound wave. This song kind of reminds me of what old Maroon 5 or John Mayer sound like, except this happens to be the Hindi version of that style of music. It just has that sunny and warm vibe to it, the kind that makes you want to turn your face up to the sun and smile. This song was actually written, composed, and performed by Atif Aslam himself. And it is just phenomenal. This song is one of those that knows how to put you in the right mood. Even if you don't understand the lyrics, the call and response between the guitars and flute are enough to make you smile. And of course, Atif Aslam's voice is simply gorgeous. With this song, you will definitely be able to tell why I find him to be so amazing. Today's instrumental song is from the movie The Holiday. Now I have never seen this movie, but I loved the soundtrack! It is romantic and lovely and sunny and completely light hearted. Again, this is a score that makes you want to feel good and really does make you feel great. This composition is a swelling orchestral melody, topped with the piano playing over the strings. The piano tends to be the star of this composition, but along with that we get to hear the violins and violas and cellos sing to their hearts content with the guitar. There is one point in the song when the violins get a melody that is backed by the guitar and it is absolutely stunning. It starts at around 2:00, and from then on, the violins just soar and play and sound like magic. I love the enchanting nature of this entire score, and how each piece seems to have its own special twinkle and gleam. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!