In the musical heritage of Bengal, a vibrant canvas of human emotions unfolds. Age-old melodies of Agamani and Bijoya evoke the bittersweet essence of love and loss, whispering secrets of the soul. Sounak Gupta delves into this symphony of joy and sorrow, exploring its emotional depths, through Agamani and Bijoya songs by Sachin Dev Burman. As the festive season culminates with Deepavali, and the haunting melodies of Bijoya slowly dissipate, let us cherish the timeless musical legacy of Agamani and Bijoya, intricately woven into the fabric of our autumnal celebrations. What secrets of the soul do these melodies whisper to us?
To celebrate RD Burman’s 84th birth anniversary, Pancham Fan Club Delhi showcased a bouquet of songs composed by the legendary composer, a man who was way ahead of his times. Titled Beeti Na Beetai Raina — Hits & Misses of RD Burman, the musical event included presentation of a mix of both popular hits and also some hidden gems which did not become so popular. Surajit Roy, who scripted and anchored the event, recounts the experience.
Jyoti kalash chhalke, an immortal ode to dawn, eminently qualifies as a chhayavadi poem – it has romanticism, spiritualism, universalism and humanism in near perfect balance. Impressed by the VM created by 17-year-old Anshula on this ethereal song, Vijay Kumar pens a short deconstruction of its lyrics and draws connections with other immortal songs.
Tum apna ranj-o-gham is a song that breaks the mould, creating a defining moment in the portrayal of women in our films. Shirish Waghmode explores the immortal song written by Sahir from a woman's perspective.
Some songs stay on with us as golden memories of childhood. Rachna Rajesh recalls the madcap song Meri bhains ko danda kyun maara and how it resonated with her early schooling days.
Srinjoy Banerjee reminiscences about how Lata Mangeshkar's music became a guiding factor in every step of his life, right from his toddler days.
There are songs we love. And then there are songs that impact. And then there are songs that stay on as an integral part of life and memories that we love to revisit time and again to relive those cherished moments. Rachna Rajesh writes about one such song, Jewel Thief's Yeh dil na hota bechara.
Shirish Waghmode analyses the romance and beauty of the famous ghazal Tasveer teri dil mera behla na sakegi, written by Faiyyaz Hashmi, composed by Kamal Dasgupta and sung by Talat Mahmood in 1944. Shirish also pens an ode to Talat, the silken voiced singer.
Lata Mangeshkar's matchless music impacted countless souls over 70 years and her passing away into eternity led to the entire nation mourning the loss. Ganapathy Subramanian, who likes to call himself an "acolyte of Lata Mangeshkar" pens an emotional piece as a photo feature tribute to his idol.
This new album Rough and Rowdy Ways can be seen as the fourth in Dylan's gospel series, though some may not agree, and has to be played after listening to Slow Train Coming, Saved, Shot of Love, to make up a quartet.
Ai mohabbat tere anjaam pe rona aayaa - a Shakeel ghazal is one of the best on the point of failed love, rendered timeless by Begum Akhtar's gaayaki. Vijay Kumar translates it into English.
Mehdi Hassan was a thinking singer. Undaunted with the decline of film music, he used his moorings in classical music and experiences with film composers to develop his music that had nothing to do with films. It is this dimension that separates him from his contemporaries.
Rajinder Krishan could pen songs for all seasons, his repertoire was huge and varied. Born on 6th June 1919, he was not only a song writer but also a successful story and screenplay writer and dialogue writer. In a tribute to one of the greatest lyricists in Hindi film songs, I pick one song that has stayed nearest to my heart forever.
A cab ride on a wintry morning left me smiling at the cab driver's passion for music and his deep understanding of the essence of "music made from the soul".
One of the most quoted poets in Urdu, the legendary Mirza Ghalib’s poetry was mostly in the form of ghazals. Ghazal enthusiast Niraj Shah takes you through a mesmerizing journey of not only Ghalib's poetry but also shades of his life, his sorrows, his famous wit and his muse, stringing along a garland of oft-quoted shers, lesser known ghazals and misquoted shers as well.
The remarkable collector Sunny Mathew has over 1 lakh (100,000) rare records, including records in their earliest form and about 260 gramophones/record players/phonographs of different varieties in his self-built Discs and Machines Museum, in Kottayam, Kerala. It is a shrine for music lovers and students of history of sound recording. M Dharma Kirthi, Sundeep Pahwa and Rocky Abraham find themselves transported into a mesmerising world of discs, gramophones and record players, painstakingly collected, archived and preserved by an unassuming, retired Forest Officer, Sunny Mathew. Dharma Kirthi chronicles this amazing journey of discovery as Sunny Mathew takes the visitors through his collections and creations with passion, energy and enthusiasm.
Peeyush Sharma recounts an anecdote music maestro Anil Biswas had shared about Lata Mangeshkar's early days of practice with him as a special feature on The Nightingale's birthday.
Majrooh Sultanpuri's immortal songs came to life along with an eclectic selection of his literary ghazals at the Rooh-e-Majrooh evening presented by Ibaadat Foundation.
Rabindranath Tagore’s association with the recording industry began in 1904. An exploration of the sound recordings of Tagore and Rabindra Sangeet by Sounak Gupta.
The instinctive singer Geeta Dutt, who sang from her heart and soul, left an indelible mark in her swan song, the film Anubhav. Piano-accordionist Sammy Reuben recounts some cherished moments with the legendary singer in a conversation with Pakanati Lakshmi Priya.
Much more than a musical genius, Mohammed Rafi is a name that became synonymous with the very art of playback singing. A voice that slipped into any mould, flawlessly rendered every conceivable nuance and transformed many ordinary tunes into memorable masterpieces.
"A dark girl sits by the river – she misses the tunes of the boatmen. The birds don’t give her accompaniment. Yet she sits. Hums – tunes of an era she wishes to visit – tunes that stir her soul, the rhythm that arouses her nerves."
Geeta Dutt's matchless melodies in her native Bangla have never ceased to move listeners. Sounak Gupta lyrically traces the rise of the skylark from the banks of the Meghna, who continues to enthrall music lovers with her dulcet voice, long after dusk has settled and the river has broken its banks.
Geeta Dutt (Roy's) niece Tapati Dutta recounts her fond memories of her 'Geetu Pishi' in a heartfelt tribute to the Queen of Bhaav Gayaki.
On the auspicious day of the bard's birth anniversary celebrations, my humble homage to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and his mystical melodies.
On Rabindra Jayanti today, Learning and Creativity brings you a glimpse into how Rabindranath Tagore and his creations impacted the life of Kanika Bandyopadhyay, his best known prodigy and a singer par excellence.
S D Burman used his solid grounding in classical music and his wide exposure to folk music most effectively to create compositions that broke traditions and became hugely popular with the mass audience. His style of singing and quality of voice was his own, unique and unmatched. “Such is the youthfulness of his tunes that he seems a live presence even today. Age-wise, he may have belonged to the first generation composers but his tunes have a contemporariness that puts him ahead of the fourth generation."
Anand Bakshi, the most prolific lyricist of Hindi cinema lived a life which in itself is an inspiring journey of faith, dreams, success and humanity.
From Aurat in 1940 to Ram Leela in 2014, Holi songs of Bollywood have added colour, energy, music and dance to films through the decades. From the mellow and richly classical Holi songs in the 50s to the fun songs in the 70s, the flirtatious songs of the 80s to the power-packed, rigorous dance sequences in the new millennium, Holi songs have seen a gradual but marked change in style of music and picturisation.
Enjoy the songs.... and have a Happy and Safe Holi!
Enjoy the songs.... and have a Happy and Safe Holi!
What indeed puts the Queen of Thumri Shobha Gurtu in a class by herself are not merely the unique qualities of her warm sensuous voice which blends strength with suppleness and vigour with grace but also the associated aesthetic delight. She constantly communicated through music, by creating a joyful identity with nature and with the cosmos itself.
Samina De (Urmi), a noted classical thumri singer and a devoted disciple of Shobha Gurtu pays a heartfelt tribute to her 'Guruma' on the occasion of the legendary thumri exponent's birth anniversary today.
My poetic rambling and humble tribute to my favorite singer, Geeta Dutt on the auspicious occasion of her birthday, November 23
Was there ever a playback singer who conveyed feelings better? On her death anniversary today 20th July, we pay a humble tribute to this ethereal singer who had a short lived career but left an indelible mark in the world of music.
The song is marvelously penned down in a broken dialect (of Sanskrit, Hindi, Maithili, Brajabuli and Bangla) and allows one to find resemblances with Bhanusingher Padabali.
Sahir Ludhianvi was one of those rare talents who not just maintained the vulnerability of Urdu in his lyrics but also perfectly captured the essence of the situation.
Sahir Ludhianvi is probably the only songwriter in Hindi films whose poetry was accepted in its purest form. So great was his stature as an Urdu poet that he never had to mould his poetry to suit the demands of film songwriting; instead producers and composers adapted their requirements to his poetry.
Majrooh could write any kind of lyrics tailor-made for the situation in the film.
On master melody maker Khayyam's birthday, L&C presents some of his memorable creations.
If 'abhi na jao'… is an argument about the value of being together, 'accha ji main haari'… is equally sensuous argument about how difficult life can be without your partner.
Out of his large repertoire, Manna Dey's had his own favorite Hindi film songs and for particular reasons.
Manna Dey, the last of the male golden voices of the 50s, 60s and 70s took classical and popular playback music and modern “adhunik” songs to great heights.
Film songs perhaps have been the best vehicle of conveying romance and passion in a society where on-screen permissiveness was taboo till recently.
It is amazing how Lata Mangeshkar has for more than 70 years maintained her tremendous musical capabilities, right from 1942 till today
Kalyanji-Anandji’s music had a distinct flavor of its own. It stayed away from the so-called “inspired” takeoffs on western hits, and lent a delectable folk flavor to the songs.