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pinkpanther263 | United States | 03/05/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I just want to make a few comments about this soundtrack. I would like to point out that several of the songs from the film are "bhangra." I don't think that was made clear in the film and I think it's important for mainstream viewers to know, especially if you also enjoyed the "Bend It Like Beckham" soundtrack. For those of you unfamiliar with this style of music, it is a traditional form from the Punjab region of India (Northwest part). Bhangra has become quite popular in recent years all over India and especially in the UK and Canada. So far it is still fairly unknown in the US outside the Indian population. The people in both "Bride & Prejudice" and "Bend It Like Beckham" are Punjabi, which is why you not only hear this infectious music, but also why you see the fun and vivacious dancing--that is bhangra! As a professional bhangra dancer and big fan of Punjabi culture, I really want mainstream people to KNOW what they are looking at and hearing. Moviegoers really have seemed to respond to this music and it bothers me that there isn't better mention of the name of this type of music and what part of India it comes from. India is a very rich and diverse country with every region having its own culture. We must not lump everything into just being "Indian." That can mean a lot of different things. I wish director Chadha made more of an effort to illustrate this in her films, since she does sincerely want to inform mainstream viewers about Indian culture.

For example, the second dance scene that supposedly takes place in the family's home town of Amritsar (which is a very holy place in Punjab) is not at all a Punjabi thing -- it is a dance and music form from the state of Gujarat, located further south and west, closer to Bombay. I was really confused why Chadha would do this, as she herself is Punjabi and knows that Garba-Raas is Gujarati! But later I understood that she needed that type of interaction with the actors to mimic a similar scene in the original film and book.



Anyways, I just wanted to make those points clear as I am thrilled to see Americans loving this music and dance and now they'll know what they are hearing and seeing.



As for the soundtrack itself, I mention that one should also get the import (for the Hindi version) because it is really better to hear the songs in their real language. It just doesn't sound right in English! I know she probably did that because Americans are notoriously lazy to read subtitles, but it really is better in Hindi (though note: bhangra is normally sung in the Punjabi language). The Ashanti songs are missing but you will not be disappointed.



If you like this "Bollywood" style film and would like to see the real thing, I suggest such popular recent films as "Kal Ho Naa Ho" (filmed in NYC!), "Main Hoon Na" and "Devdas" (also with Aishwarya Rai)-- all starring #1 Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan! They are all available on DVD on the web.



Chakk De!!"

Excellent soundtrack

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 02/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had recently seen "Bride and Prejudice", a Bollywood interpretation of the film "Pride and Prejudice" which is about a mother who is bent on marrying off her four daughters. "Bride and Prejudice" is directed by "Bend It Like Beckham" director Gurinder Chadha. It is the American debut of Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai. Everyone including Aishwarya sings in the film. After seeing this delightful film, I had to get the soundtrack. The music is what really made this film for me. My favorite track has to be the addictively catchy "A Marriage Has Come to Town". It is the scene where Lalita and her friends are in the village shopping. The song starts out as a ballad and then the beat picks up. Other than "Dola Dola", all the songs are sung in english. Aishwarya has a really lovely voice. She sounds like a much more accomplished singer than most American pop stars nowadays. The music is traditional Indian music and very infectious. I can't get the songs out of my head. I could almost hear the music on the "Siddharta" series or on one of DJ Cheb I Sabbah's mixed cds. One of my favorite songs is "Take Me to Love (Part One)". Aishwarya Rai's delicate vocals really took my breath away. It is a beautiful ballad. I loved the acoustic guitar intro. That is when Will Darcy and Lalita begins to fally in love. I also loved the hilarious number "No Life Without Wife". That is one of my favorite numbers from the film where the sisters imagine if Lalita (Aishwarya Rai's character) had married a potential suitor named Mr. Kholi who was not exactly her type. The man is loud, crude, and obnoxious. What really surprised me the most is that r&b star Ashanti puts in a pretty decent performance on "Take Me to Love (Part Two)" in the film. Normally I think her voice is thin and weak but the songs she sings on this soundtrack is not as bad as what I have heard on her singles over the years although I do prefer "Take Me to Love (Part Two)" over "Touch My Body" which is a mediocre r&b track with a little hint of Indian music. The fact that the two songs she sings on aren't her atypical bland r&b fare, makes listening to her singing enjoyable for me. I kinda wished that Groove Armada's "Superstylin'" was included on the cd (which was from the beach party scene in the film) but it isn't a big loss. I loved all the songs on the cd so for me, it was not a huge detriment for me. Great movie, great music."

A wonderful, intoxicating breath of fresh musical air

Daniel Jolley | Shelby, North Carolina USA | 10/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most movie soundtracks don't really interest me - even if they have a good song or two, the rest of the music usually does nothing for me. With Bride and Prejudice, however, I was immediately captivated by the music (well, I was first captivated by Aishwarya Rai - but the music also thrilled me). I was hooked on the exotic sounds almost from the start, as I had never heard anything quite like the music of Balle Balle (Punjabi Wedding Song). If you've seen the movie, you know how integral a part the music plays. The sisters' No Life Without Wife song is one of the more memorable parts of the film, as is the huge production number A Marriage Has Come to Town. A song like Take Me to Love, which is one of the more beautiful love songs I've heard in a long time, almost gets lost among the more audacious audio/visual treats the movie offers. And I haven't even mentioned Ashanti's song, which does play very well in the movie.



I would be remiss if I didn't mention the other tracks on this album. Dola Dola is absolutely infectious with its addictive beat. Arrogance, Pride, and Vanity is an engaging duet that sums up the state of the stars' early relationship (and does not, so far as I can remember, actually appear in the film). Ashanti's two songs, My Lips are Waiting (AKA Goa Groove) and Touch My Body, are excellent. Lalita Walks Away is a gorgeous instrumental that captures almost perfectly what may be the most poignant scene from the movie. The music is even more beautiful on Take Me to Love, two versions of which are featured here (Part 1 being the sad version, and Part II capturing the feelings of a young love in bloom). Just before the first verse begins, there's this magical moment when violins kick in, and I have to tell you it's one of the most beautiful musical sequences I've ever heard - and it takes you immediately back to the corresponding moment in the film.



I had never been exposed to music like this, and right now this soundtrack - and vintage Bollywood music from India - is all I can listen to. I should mention the fact that this film and its music is a mixture of Bollywood and Hollywood, and if you haven't been exposed to Bollywood, you just do not know what you are missing. If I had the chance to go back to college, I would learn Hindi just so I could enjoy Bollywood's movies and music in their original language. Of course, not all of the songs on this CD are in English - but that doesn't matter because the music just engages your whole being. Several of these songs have taken up permanent rotation in my brain - it really doesn't matter if I can understand the words or not.



For me, this was a must-have CD. There's not a bad song on the album, and I for one could relive each related scene of this movie over and over again without end. This music is so appealing that you might also want to invest in the Hindi version of the soundtrack. The Balle Balle! Amristar to LA release doesn't include a few of the songs on the English soundtrack, but it's worth buying just for Tumse Kahen Ya, Hum Na Kahen, the Hindi version of Take Me to Love - and there's also an instrumental version that really lets you hear how beautiful the music to this song is."