2011

My favourite happy songs of Mukesh

Thumbnail image for My favourite happy songs of Mukesh August 27, 2011

A tribute on his death anniversary August 27 I recently heard a joke on a reality show which went something like: Jo jeetega wo Singapore jayega, jo harega wo Mukesh ka gana gayega. I found the joke quite neat, though I did not agree with the underlying premise. I do not view a song as […]

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Forgotten Composers, Unforgettable Melodies (2) – Vinod

Thumbnail image for Forgotten Composers, Unforgettable Melodies (2) – Vinod August 13, 2011

The song La re lapaa la re lappa layee rakhda from Ek Thi Ladki (1949) always intrigued me. Its words (of mukhda) carried no meaning to me. Today I know it is based on a traditional Punjabi folk song, and these words indeed have some meaning. Then, the music director Vinod. Who was he? What […]

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My favourite Rafi – Lata duets

Thumbnail image for My favourite Rafi – Lata duets July 31, 2011

Remembering Mohammad Rafi on his death anniversary July 31 Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar were two colossus whose comprehensive domination in the golden era of 1950’s and 60’s made them synonymous with playback singing. They were what is described in marketing jargon as the brand becoming the product. What better way than to write on […]

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My favourite zulf songs

Zulf July 9, 2011

A common popular theme on the blog land is to put up a variety of favourite lists, such as ‘My ten favourite ??? songs’. This could be on a person (Mukesh, Naushad, Dev Anand etc) or a theme (birthday, holi, wedding etc.) or an object (train, rain, tonga etc.) Some creative bloggers have come up […]

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Forgotten Composers, Unforgettable Melodies (1) – Daan Singh

Thumbnail image for Forgotten Composers, Unforgettable Melodies (1) – Daan Singh June 20, 2011

A tribute on his passing away  I saw a small news item tucked away deep inside the Times of India’s today’s edition stating that music director Daan Singh passed away at his Jaipur home of liver ailment at the age of 78 on Saturday June 18. If you are not a keen reader or aware […]

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Songs of Yore completes one year

Thumbnail image for Songs of Yore completes one year June 7, 2011

  Today Songs of Yore completes one year, and like any new born in its first year, it has looked at the beautiful world of old Hindi film music with wonder and amazement, flitting its gaze from one beautiful sight to another spontaneously and randomly. My articles so far have been on themes which were […]

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New Theatres’ romance with Prem

Thumbnail image for New Theatres’ romance with Prem May 29, 2011

Best love songs of Vintage Era I have been in the New Theatres mood since I wrote my last post on Pankaj Mullick. BN Sircar established New Theatres in Calcutta in 1931, i.e. the same year the first talkie Alam Ara was released in Bombay. Music has been an integral part and a defining feature […]

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My favourite Pankaj Mullick songs

Thumbnail image for My favourite Pankaj Mullick songs May 10, 2011

A tribute on his birthday May 10 I became seriously acquainted with Pankaj Mullick several years after I had thoroughly absorbed KL Saigal. This would probably be the normal sequence for any non-Bengalee what with Saigal having acquired an iconic status, and generations of listeners having grown on a Saigal song every morning at 7.57 […]

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Some timeless songs of Jagjit Kaur

Thumbnail image for Some timeless songs of Jagjit Kaur April 24, 2011

I would have written on Jagjit Kaur at some uncertain time in future. That I am doing it now owes it to my friend Subodh Agrawal, a regular visitor to my blog. His glowing reference to Jagjit Kaur in my last blog on Subir Sen touched a chord in me – I am also a […]

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Best Hindi film songs of Subir Sen

Thumbnail image for Best Hindi film songs of Subir Sen April 12, 2011

When I did a post on Kamal Barot it was natural that I should do one on Subir Sen as well. One connection between the two was that among the most famous Kamal Barot songs is a duet with Subir Sen Dil le ke jate ho kahan. Another similarity would be that he was also […]

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