TODO: "Chaiyya Chaiyya"
TODO is one daily thing recommended for you, by us.
If you happened to catch Spike Lee's recent caper flick Inside Man, you might have been struck by the bouncy and wickedly catchy tune over the opening and closing credits. This song, "Chaiyya Chaiyya," is a near-standard from Bollywood's hallowed musical halls, dating back to 1998's Dil Se. Performed by beloved balladeer Sukhwinder Singh with engaging caterwaul accompaniment by Sapna Awasthi, the original version opens the movie; the closing version is a remix by Brit artist Panjabi MC, broken up with a few verses of English rap. The Inside Man soundtrack only has the remix, but you can find the original all over the place as well. Something about this song — even the remix — makes it fantastically addictive. It's not an earworm, and you won't find yourself ululating along, but it's one of the best tunes we've heard for walking around New York. The relentless marching beat and peppy vocals have kept it in heavy rotation on the commute, and we strongly recommending picking up the soundtrack, single, or downloading either just to get this one song.