O.P.Nayyar is no more.

And every person is jumping the bandwagon with cliched statements like ‘maestro par excellence’ and ‘survivor from the golden era’, forgetting that he was virtually neglected in the autumn of his life, and that his valiant comeback in the nineties was received with a freezing shoulder and not-so-charitable remarks.

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Filmfare Power List is out! And Latadidi retains her fifth position this year too in the music makers section. Kudos to the lady to still be amongst the top five- that too, with virtually no musical album release last year! Whoa! That is surely an achievement. Many congratulations!

Repeat of movie names is not a new phenomenon. And with the volume of our Hindi film industry’s output, it sometimes becomes a necessity as well.

In the age of FM, the announcers (or better known as RJ’s) hardly inform the film’s names of the song playing, let alone any other detail. But when I grew up listening to the ever dependable Vividh Bharti, the entire music credits were often mentioned including the always sidelined lyricists’ names. Then, it used to be disappointing to hear for example – the announcer speak out the name of Mahal, only to hear a song from the newer one (starring Dev Anand).

Blame it on my penchant for old songs, usually I prefer the older titled film’s numbers. Here is a list of films that have had similar names – again in no specific order:

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Latadi has sung for a wide spectrum of heroines over several decades now – for some she sang in the first film itself. Others were not as lucky. In fact, many names that later became synonymous with Lataji’s voice didnt have her singing for them – for example, Rekha (Saawan Bhadon) and Jaya Bhaduri (though she got Lata’s voice in a back-door way, since she lipsync-ed Madhumati’s song Aaja re pardesi in Guddi). Even from the older lot – like Asha Parekh and Sharmila Tagore – didnt have Latadi singing for their adult/Hindi debuts!

Here is a brief list on some debuts which I recall (in no specific order) – these are mostly post-seventies as my film knowledge is a bit stronger from that era onwards.

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Today morning, I heard Yaara seeli seeli*** for the umpteenth time – a very satisfying and fulfilling number. As the song ended with its impossibly high and collosally breathtaking crescendo, I switched off the player – seeping in the reverberations of the voice that had once again shaken, stirred and stimulated the core of my soul; a thought struck my mind that I hadn’t done any post on Lata Mangeshkarji for a long long time now.

So here is one, a mosaic of memories from my lifetime. I am afraid the post has gone longer than intended, but I didnt have the heart to cut it out, or post it in parts.

For me, discovering songs sung by Latadidi (Lata Mangeshkar) is a passionate quest for a lifetime; and often, the results have been more often than not extremely satisfying.

As I wrote earlier, my love for Lata Mangeshkar’s voice began when I was too young to understand the feeling of love or being enthralled. I was too little to comprehend as to why I was selectively recording her songs when my dad got me a mini-diktaphone. I was too kiddish to grasp as to why my heart beat stopped when I heard her voice soar in the impossibly high-pitched Jahan pe sawera ho**! (Today, I heard the song again and I am convinced they must have invented laser beam hearing her unwavering-hitting-the-soul voice!)

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The Times of India (Dated 17.12.06) carried a full page article on how music has returned in Hindi films. It praised the new sounds, and even commended on the use of Urdu in few songs.

I disagree.

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I admit it is too early to really write a review on the music on which everyone seems to have an opinion. But before that, let’s face a few facts squarely in the face – it was an arduously tough act to compose songs for a subject whose previous version is still fresh in the minds of music listeners. More than merit for the older hit, it is the nostalgic wrapper that shines and glitters. It has reached a cult status, where it is placed at a hallowed pedestal. One reality check that I wish to present – unlike Sholay or Don the movie, or its music, wasn’t such an earth shattering hit when released in the eighties. It is only over the years that the songs have acquired a ‘retro-hit’ status. So, this sudden urge by everyone to lambast against the newer version sounds funny – even from that generation. Even those who wouldn’t ordinarily listen to Khayyam’s ghazals from Muzaffar Ali’s classic have somehow turned up their nose against Anu Mallik’s efforts. A prime reason is that Mallik’s name itself evokes plentiful negative reactions. Even before the music was out, I had read vitriolic write ups on how could J P Dutta entrust Mallik with such a prestigious job. But obviously, Dutta has enough faith in his composer who gave two whopper (musical) hits with Border and Refugee. In my honest opinion, such reaction was totally unwarranted. Mallik might be obnoxious in his interviews, his many compositions lack any luster of many kind, but still the man has in him to turn up with music that might just be listenable. Another positive point in Dutta-Mallik’s favor is that they haven’t gone and remixed or re-arranged the old classic songs – a towering brownie point to the team, especially seen in the light of the absolutely bland re-mixes/re-designed score of Don.

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Aah, it’s that auspicious day again – the day Goddess Saraswati blessed the eldest daughter of Master Dinanath Mangeshkar with a voice so sweet that it defies the shackles of vocabulary and language.

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It is S.D.Burman’s birth centenary this year. And www.sdburman.net compiled an awesome evening today, here in Delhi at Sri Sathya Sai Auditorium, Lodhi Road.

Personally, I have attended very few musical shows, primarily because the music that I like is seldom a crowd-puller, and hence commercial organizations avoid it. However, this was a treat compiled by a select group of connoisseurs, and all of it – as Ritu Chandra, one of the co-hosts and co-owner of the site mentioned – voluntary and for immense love for Burmanda’s music. Due to this I was eagerly awaiting the show. And I wasnt disappointed. A labor of love has a fragrance that is as natural and pure as a rose in the garden – with thorns, et al; something that is not found in the ornate bouquets wrapped in plastic films in decorative shops. So was the show fragrant, byouant and vibrant, despite a few hiccups and snags. It was all for the love of music, by lovers of music, for the lovers of music.

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Today is Madan Mohan’s Birth Anniversary. Any superlative falls short of capturing even an iota of the genius music maker that he was. His tunes have survived the onslaught of time, in more ways than one. While his recorded songs continue to regale music lovers, even his unused tunes held a life of their own. Perhaps he is the only music composer whose even leftover tunes were re-constructed in a film made thirty years after his demise.

With Lata Mangeshkar he held a special bond, which resulted in those innumerable solos without which the singer’s ouvre would have been woefully empty. And Latadi reciprocated to her ‘Madan Bhaiyaa’ in providing that superior quality of sweetness which is entirely impossible to describe. Each song is complete in itself, away from the films they were embedded in (which were largely box office duds) and not dependant on the artiste’s charisma (which were wooden heroines like Priya Rajvansh in many cases). Madan Mohan’s music truly embodies what Hindi film music should sound like – fit into the story, yet retain its individuality to stand out of it. Perhaps that is why, in his case no one bothers to find out about the film or the heroine!

While Madan Mohan was known more for his ghazals, earning him the sobriquet of ‘King of Ghazals’, yet he has a vast array of other genre numbers as well, some which I highlighted in an earlier post.

Time and again I tried to list out MM-Lata Mangeshkar combine songs, but every time I failed and the post remained incomplete – that’s because it is very tough for me to select just a handful, and remove the others.

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Today is World Music Day – and I cannot let this day pass without saying a prayer and thanks to the musical legend who has been one solid constant in my life; one who epitomises music; one who has inspired generations – LATA MANGESHKARji, aap ko shat shat pranaam. You are the beginning and end of music!

On this day I also remember and bow before other legends who have colored my life with their golden voices: Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar and Manna Dey. My thanks to Asha Bhonsle for her songs, and also praise to some contemporary voices like Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Shreya and Sonu Nigam.

A day dedicated to music cannot be completed without a mention of three of my most favorite composers – Madan Mohan and Shankar-Jaikishan.

However, there are many others whose contributions have had significant impact on me viz. Naushad, Anil Biswas, Husnlal Bhagatram, SD Burman, C. Ramachandra, Chitragupt, Sardar Mallik, Kalyanji-Anandji, RD Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Bappi Lahiri. My sincere thanks to many contemporary music composers as well , listing them out will not be possible here.

Words add beauty to music. Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri, Rajendra Kishan, Raja Mehndi Ali Khan, Shakeel Badayuni, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Anand Bakshi, Javed Akhtar and Gulzar and to many others I have missed out to mention – thanks for your invaluable words which have touched my heart and soul.

Listing out every artiste of each music field is impossible. But everyone’s contribution is always important, and somewhere it does make an impact.

Lastly, my reverance to Goddess Saraswati, who gave this priceless gift to mankind called music!

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While HRD Ministry draws rightful flak for its regressive reservation policy, there is a positive tune also emanating from its corridors. The Ministry has proposed changes to the archaic Copyright Act 1957. Under the proposed changes, it will be difficult for the remix brigade to pick up any song and maul and distort it at their fancy – the journey from beautiful to beat-iful will get tougher!

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Rajesh Roshan has come up with quite an unlikely present day song. And I was correct. The roots of this melody can be traced in the background score of Kaho Na Pyar Hai. In the scene where Hrithik and Amisha are stranded on a deserted island, there is a shot where Hrithik is running towards the make-shift flag (made of Amisha’s skirt) – the dholak-based tune in that shot is same as the lines, ‘Aao sunaoon pyaar ki ek kahani’.

Often music directors develop their own background scores into full-fledged songs. Shankar-Jaikishan were particularly known to do this often. Shiv Hari converted Chandni‘s love theme into the sumptuous Kabhi Mai Kahun for Lamhe.

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Where do I begin? Where do I end? She is part of my continuum; a companion of my life; a portion of my soul. She is like the gushing blood in my veins; the air that breathes through my lungs; the beats that thunder in my heart. She sat with me in that school bus on a frosty Greek winter morning, even though I did not recognize her. She walked with me on this potted pavement on a hot Delhi summer afternoon. There, on that rusty bench at the park corner, where I sulked, she soothed my frayed nerves. Here, I was lonely and feeling bored, she came and entertained me. That day, when I joked with friends, she naughtily teased me. This hour, when I saw my first crush, she whispered hauntingly.

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Picking up a leaf from Ashish s blog (or should I say, picking up an ingredient from Ashish s masala?), I am starting this series of posts on my own favorite composers Shankar Jaikishan. Since I am already covering the Lata Mangeshkar songs on the other blog, the series here will concentrate on the male songs (or at the most, the duets). The first part of the series Lata/SJ-Black and White Era Songs is already up on my other blog (click here).

For those who have been regular in following the Expressions here, they might have often wondered at the lack of mention of any male voices. It is not that I do not listen to male songs at all; it is just that beyond Lata Mangeshkar I hardly get any time to concentrate on them.

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Here I pick up another beautiful number (sung by Lata Mangeshkar) that could not survive the tides of time, but nevertheless, is a delight to listen to.

First the lyrics:

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I must have been around 12 or so when the writing bug got permanently installed within the grey matters of my brain ( more on that some other time). And ever since the day I started to write, my ambition has been to write on Lata Mangeshkar. But whenever I have started to do so, words have terribly failed me ( how do you describe this great voice- its like saying describe the heat of the sun, can anyone do that?) , and I have been compelled to stop, and pick up some other topic.
I did write a few “Letters to the Editor” in Filmfare defending Lata Mangeshkar (if there was any adverse comment on her, and criticising a female called Anuradha Paudwal who thought she could oust Lataji) but never a full fledged article or essay on her. But today, having started this Blog, and having forced open a new avenue of writing, I return to my favorite, and respected, topic. I am still not convinced if I can write even half as comprehensively as what my mind wants me to write, but I will definitely give it a try.

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