#CelebRecco: Judah Sandhy talks A.R. Rahman, Jon Bon Jovi, and more

One of the best gifts a music lover can give another is the title of a song or an album that they are yet to discover. And when the recommendations come from a legitimate source such as a music composer, the credibility is only amplified. In this second episode of the new series titled 'Celeb Recco', we have the '

Sakath

' music director

Judah Sandhy

talk about the albums and artists that have inspired him in myriad ways. From

A.R. Rahman

and Ilaiyaraaja's seminal works to hard rock gods like Jon Bon Jovi, there's a lot to savor here.

"Of all the amazing A.R. Rahman soundtracks, 'Rangeela' has stood out for me all along - pure guts and courage in the album, and "guts" is the operative word for me here. Technicality-wise, it is so rich and complex but for the common listener, there's so much harmony, melody, and ease in offer. And one may refer to him as a magician and he deserves every bit of such accolades, but I personally feel that it's a very intelligent display of mastery and technique. And to think that it's one of his earliest works!"

And the concept of "intelligence", quite uniquely, seems to be a prominent part of Judah's vocabulary. As much as the feel factor matters with respect to music, any composer worth their salt will have to be smart with their compositions and arrangement, he reckons.

"Ilaiyaraaja sir's music doesn't need any introduction but I simply love his arrangements, counterparts, and harmony it boasts of. The music of Mani Ratnam's 'Mouna Ragam', for example, is divine (to say the least) but this stems from the intelligence he exhibits in his work."


But for a guy who began his musical journey in the independent scene, with a band like Slain, vocal growls and eclectic guitar riffs are bound to matter a great deal. For Judah especially, the '80s hard rocker Jon Bon Jovi still makes the cut and so does the very versatile 'Toto'.

"I have been listening to Jon Bon Jovi and Toto since I was quite young. and honestly, I doubt I can grow tired of their music ever. Bon Jovi's songs like You Give Love a Bad Name, Bed of Roses, or even Livin' On a Prayer still play in my car ".