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Ehsan Aman's new Song from Kite Runner movie Omaid e Man
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Calendar/Film?Film=oid%3A573379
The “Opening Titles†begin with a Middle-Eastern string instrument sound and other ethnic winds and percussion with string backdrop that gradually appears. It is a leaner orchestral sound from other standard Hollywood Arabic-influenced scoring which gives way to just the hint of a thematic idea on guitar. The vocalizations that Iglesias adds here, though often a common failsafe approach, flow out of the score material far more naturally and appropriately. That is to say that they are not “extra-musical†but an intuitive expression of the musical underscore. The asymmetrical rhythms of “The Call, Kabul 1978†create a perfect musical picture while straying away from overly Westernizing the material. “Kite Shop†is one of the many highlights of the disc that begins to blend the ethnic musical sounds with more traditional Hollywood film music. “Kite Tournament†has an almost Celtic sound and feel to the music, which at first seems oddly out of place, until the Arabic percussion ideas appear and we move into another of the fantastic set pieces of the score that has a wonderful overall musical shape throughout its 5 minute playing time. Overall, this is one of Iglesias’ richer and more lyrically thematic scores with engagingly enticing orchestral colors and ideas that show the composer at the height of his skills.
The score tracks are set apart throughout by five pieces that lend a more authentic flavor to the film. There are two from the mid-1970s performed by Ahmad Zahir (with electronic organ!?), two by Ehsan Aman written perhaps for the film itself, and the final track, “Supplication†performed by Iranian artist Sami Yusuf. Rather than distract from the score proper, they add a level of authenticity to its style and approach. They also serve to increase awareness of the unique sound of Afghani music from the period, reproduced here in very good sound that matches the levels of the surrounding score material. The rhythmic pulses in these dance-like works provide a key to Iglesias’ models for his score and show how he has adapted those sounds into his musical textures and orchestral styles. The harmonic and rhythmic ideas of the score take their departure from these extra-musical pieces as well making for an interesting overall listening experience.
THE KITE RUNNER is one of Iglesias’ most widely-accessible scores to date with a superb blend of ethnic musics interpreted in ways that flow naturally out of the music.
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