A tribute to old Hindi film music. Songs of the 30s through the 60s.

Singers

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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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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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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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

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

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

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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Kamal Barot – A tangy flavour to music

March 21, 2011

When I started this blog I had not thought I would be ever writing about Kamal Barot. She was not one of the biggies like Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle. She was not one of the smallies who gave at least a couple of immortal songs which you instantly recall – in this category I […]

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Best of Mahendra Kapoor-OP Nayyar

January 9, 2011

Mahendra Kapoor was the favourite singer of BR Chopra Films, and Ravi was their favourite composer. BR Films-Ravi-Mahendra Kapoor combination gave a large number of well known songs. After Ravi, the only music director who used Mahendra Kapoor in a significant manner was OP Nayyar, apparently on rebound when he had some rift with Mohammad […]

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A Mahendra Kapur-Sahir Ludhiyanvi-Ravi classic

December 20, 2010

Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono If ever there was a song that could be described as the defining song of a singer, Mahendra Kapur’s Chalo ek baar phir se ajanabi ban jayen hum dono is one such song. Mahendra Kapur, who came to the film world through a singing talent […]

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