CD REVIEW - Beat The Drum


Beat The Drum
Music by Klaus Badelt and Ramin Djawadi
Varese Sarabande VSD 6787 (EU)
22 Tracks 53:30 mins

This South African/US production was actually made in 2003, according to the Internet Movie Database, but is only now doing the rounds internationally. The film tells of a young boy, orphaned when a devastating illness strikes his village, and his journey to the big city to find work to help his surviving family.
The music is a collaboration between Klaus Badelt, best known for his modern action writing and Ramin Djawadi. I don't know the dynamics behind this union, but the resulting music is nothing like we're used to hearing from Badelt. It is in fact a wonderfully tuneful effort for orchestra (the Boyana Symphony) and choir, an absolute joy to listen to, more or less from start to finish.
Flute leads a good deal of the melodic content, including the attractive and adaptable main theme, though guitar plays its part also in tracks like "Nobe & Musa," and "Wash for a Rand." "Thandi's Theme" is almost as nice as the main theme, with flute again taking lead.
Naturally, given the subject matter, there are sadder, darker moments in the score and things pretty much take this turn from about track 12, but by track 19 things are warming up again to provide a heart-warming ending with the gentle sentiment of "Did God Send You?" leading to the concluding "Brand New Day", which ends in an increasingly inspiring African choral song.
Just from listening to this fine, melodic score, one can tell that this film is very likely a superior tearjerker and, as a sucker for these, I am sure I will enjoy the film as much as its music.