The middle road approach
While most songs welcoming the festive season either go totally indie in their experiments or stay true to the classical form, the song with vocals by Hemachandra adopts a middle path. There’s an adequate mix of energy, devotion and buzzing instrumentation that helps build the festive momentum here. Shot at Dharmasai Temple, Dharmagiri, Shamshabad, the single features actors Thrishool (popular for his Fun Bucket appearances) and Architha and is backed by impressive aesthetics with simple lyrics that a listener could hum along. A festival that rings in a mix of togetherness, energy, madness, spirit and devotion like no other, Ganesh Chaturthi are only complete with a dash of music. We pick a few tracks that could top your playlist!
Om Vighnaraja
Singer: Hemachandra
Lyrics and music: Sathya Sagar Polam
The massy Ganesha
How cool does the phrase ‘Ganesh rap anthem’ sound in our own Deccani? Among the forefront in giving an identity to Telugu rap music, Roll Rida and Kamran sum up the essence, chaos, happiness surrounding the festival within five minutes in ‘Shankar ka beta’. From collecting donations within the community, hosting group lunches to dancing to teen-maar during processions, the video mirrors the enthusiasm of a Hyderabadi like no other. With phrases like ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Ganesha Super star’, the foot-tapping number has everything going for it to be called an anthem.
Shankar ka beta
Singer and lyrics: Roll Rida
Music: Syed Kamran
The grand festival
Popular for his numbers in films like Dhammu, Eega, Jakkanna, singer Rahul Sipligunj makes it a point to reinvent his music styles over time with his indie efforts. The song lyrics feature a healthy mix of Urdu, Hindi and Telangana Telugu and dwell on the preparations that go into making Ganesh Chaturthi a grand festival, right from the decoration to ingredients needed to make a naivedyam and of course, the laddoo and the inevitable send off. What helps the number is the presence of composer-singer Koti, who joins Rahul to groove to its tunes along with other dancers.
Galli ka Ganesh
Concept, music and singer: Rahul Sipligunj
Additional credits: Composer Koti
The cool Ganesha
This is a song the ideators intended to resonate with the aam aadmi. Its catchy lyrics and guitar riffs lend it a cool vibe, while the inherent melody is complemented by the foot-tapping instrumentation and a surprise rap-element by Megh-U-Watt a.k.a Meghraj Ravindra. While Sai Charan's vocals help the song sail smoothly, what makes it more interesting is its changing musical texture over a four-minute duration. An unlikely yet a welcome addition to your Ganesh Chaturthi playlist!
Jai Ganesha S/O Mahesha
Music: Durga Bahadur
Lyricist: Sarath Chandra
Singers: Sai Charan, Megh-u-watt