Dama Dam Mast Qalandar Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

One of the greatest songs of all time, this song will touch your soul for sure

Piya Haji Ali - Fiza

Fiza proves a key point I have been aching to state of late; in the long-run, it takes creative, unique and situational lyrics in tandem with pleasant music to make a Classic Soundtrack. Anu Malik, A.R. Rahman and "long-time no hear" Ranjit Barot are three of our best music directors. That fact is indisputable. But to make any of their individual scores immemorable, they also need the complement of great lyricists. (Can you ever forget Rangeela or Kareeb?) The vast disparity in song quality between Fiza's different tunes is ample proof of my assertion. 

A.R. Rahman and Shaukat Ali should share the gloriy that is "Piya Haji Ali" with all of Bollywood.  The Arabic tune meets Taal style music is fine.  

Arziyan- Delhi 6

The world’s singing laurels of Indian ace A R Rahman post Golden Globes. Back home we always realized and recognized his musical magic. Rahman again teams up with Rakeysh Mehra and Prasoon Joshi post their achievement in Rang De Basanti , for Delhi-6 . An interesting observation is how Rahman has cut down on established singers like Sonu Niigam, Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik and is employing more of new-age voices like Javed Ali, Benny Dayal and Mohit Chauhan to good effect.

The album makes a divergent shift to a Sufi qawalli . Rahman uses a calm and countryside combination of Javed Ali and Kailash Kher for this 9-minute long devotional number Arziyan . Javed Ali continues to sound like Sonu Niigam like he did in Jashn-e-Bahaara ( Jodhaa Akbar ) though one doesn’t complain. While Rahman effortlessly adapts to the new milieu, Prasoon Joshi shows equal versatility in his writing. 

This song was suggested by Vaibhav Naik aka BOBO of Tampa bay fame.

Khwaja Mere Khwajaa - Jodha Akbar

This brilliant song from Jodha Akbar is one of my lifetime favorites, A great composition by Rahman. Brilliance of the song not only lie in its lyrics, but also on the recording front. I don’t remember listening to a song which is layered as much as this one is. Layered? .. Remember Rahman is the only singer who has sung this and no chorus, just try to find out how many number of layers the vocal has, overlapping or being together in the qawali chorus. its just one single voice which has been multiplied to form a chorus! technical brilliance!! Probably only Rahman knows how to use Logic Pro so well! Also hear the bass guitar in beginning, OMG bass guitar (1:20 to 1:27) in a qawali ? Who else can do this other than Rahman!
This song was actually not composed for the movie, it was one of the templates which Rahman recorded for himself to listen to. Gowariker liked this so much that he wanted this to be in the movie, and he created a sequence for the song.
About this song… Sung for Moinuddin Chishti also known as Gharib Nawaz (Urdu: غریب نواز ), is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of South Asia. He was born in 536 A.H./1141 CE, in Sajistan, Khorasan (other accounts say Isfahan) in Persia. He is also known as “Sultan-e-Hind”. He claimed his progeny to Muhammad through the sixth Shia Imam, Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq.
He was one of the most outstanding figures in the annals of Islamic mysticism and founder of the Chistiyya order in India.


Here goes the lyrics of the song with the translation…
Khwajaji, khwaja
(O saint khwaja)
Khwajaji, khwaja, khwaja ji
(O saint khwaja) ; (O saint khwaja)
Ya gharib nawaz
(The one who cherishes/soothes the poor)
Ya moinuddin, ya khwaja ji
(O Moinuddin Chisti), (O khwaja saint)
Khwaja mere khwaja
(O saint khwaja)
Dil mein sama ja
(Reside in my heart)
Shaho ka shah tu
(You are the king of kings)
Ali ka dulara
(Ali’s beloved)
Khwaja mere khwaja dil mein sama ja
(O saint khwaja); (Reside in my heart)
Beqaso ki taqdeer, tune hai sawari
(The destiny of the ones in despair, you have changed for the better)
Khwaja mere khwaja
(O saint khwaja)
Tere darbar mein khwaja
(At your door, o khwaja)
Door toh hai dekha
(I’ve seen it from afar)
Sar jhuka te hai auliya
(Your confidents/protectors/confessors bow down to you)
Tu hai Hindalwali khwaja
(You are the hindalwali Khwaja)
Rutba hai pyara
(Your status is glorious/great)
Chahne se tujhko khwaja ji mustafa ko paya
(By wishing/worshipping you Khwaja, I have found Muhammad [the chosen one])
Khwaja mere khwaja
(O saint khwaja)
Dil mein sama ja
(Reside in my heart)
Shaho ka shah tu
(You are the king of kings)
Ali ka dulara
(Ali’s beloved)
Mere peer ka sadka
(The alms of my old age)
Hai mere peer ka sadka
(It is the charity of my old age)
Tera daaman hai thama
(That I have come in your refuge)
Khawajaji
Tali har bala humari
(All my problems/crisis have been averted)
Chaya hai khumar tera
(Your trance is all over me)
Jitna bhi rashk kare beshak
(No matter how much one may envy (rashk) be jealous)
Toh kam hai ae mere khwaja
(Its just too less, o khwaja)
Tere kadmo ko mere rehnuma nahi chodna gawara
(Its not acceptable(gawara) , o my guide(rehnuma), to leave your feet(kadmo)now.)
Khwaja mere khwaja
(O saint khwaja)
Dil mein sama ja
(Reside in my heart)
Shaho ka shah tu
(You are the king of kings)
Ali ka dulara
(Ali’s beloved)
Khwaja mere khwaja dil mein sama ja
(O saint khwaja); (Reside in my heart)
Beqaso ki taqdeer, tune hai sawari

Kaise Mujhe Tum Mil Gayi - Gajini

A.R. Rahman’s music is top notch. At least three numbers have the unmistakable stamp of a genius — “Guzarish”, “Behka” and “Kaise Mujhe Tum”. The best track of the film is undoubtedly “Kaise Mujhe Tum” which has a soulful haunting but grand track… with an eloquently poetic melody by Rahman and some enchanting romantic lyrics penned by Prasoon Joshi. Infact after the movie ends, you would be taking this song home emotionally with you… it just grows on you. The sentiments are beautifully expressed.