The Namesake (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

by Marisa Brown In Mira Nair's film The Namesake (which is based on the book by Jhumpa Lahiri), a man searches to balance his American life and mindset with his parents' Indian customs, eventually coming to a kind of understanding of his two sometimes contrasting sides. Accordingly, the accompanying soundtrack reflects this confluence of cultures -- as well as the general societal impacts of globalization -- with traditional singers like Geeta Dutt ("Jhiri Jhiri Choyetali"), who made her name in part through her soundtrack work in the late '40s and 1950s, and Lakhan Das ("Baul Song") placed next to artists like State of Bengal ("Flight IC408"), who blend electronica with Indian beats, and the English-born Susheela Raman ("The Same Song," "Ye Mera Divanapan Hai"), whose music shows both Western and carnatic influences. This idea of multiculturalism continues with Argentine musician Federico Aubele, who has also lived in Germany, Spain, and the U.S., and whose song "Postales" brings together South American folk with chilled-out lounge vibes and an accordion; Matt Hales of Aqualung also provides nicely poppy vocals to the Nitin Sawhney (the score's composer -- who generally sticks to sparse guitar and flute pieces to elucidate certain themes) orchestrated arrangement in "Falling." The positive aspects of globalization, its ability to provide and provoke cultural exchange and hybridization, are all at play here, making The Namesake an affecting, and important, release.