When I started this blog I never imagined that it would go on for so long. And it is not just clocking year after year. Songs of Yore is perhaps the only place where you will find a comprehensive series on Arrangers and Musicians, the people who embellished the songs with various instrumental preludes, interludes and postludes, but who remained behind the curtain. The series started in January 2023 and after 14 articles has come to a close in April 2024. Our familiarity with names like Sebastian D’Souza, Van Shipley, Anthony Gonsalves, Goody Seervai, Manohari Singh etc. may not have been more than just knowing their names. The series helped us know more about them and also connect famous songs they were associated with. We can’t thank enough the guest authors Piyush M Pandya (Gujarati original) and Ashok M Vaishnav (English translation) who wrote the articles in the series. They so fittingly titled each article as “The Sculptors of Film Music”. Our indefatigable DP Rangan turned out a number of guest articles on a variety of themes.
SOY heralded the new year 2024 by celebrating Rafi’s centenary year with his solos from A to Z. He was the undisputed most versatile singer. As Rafi’s birth centenary falls on 24 December 2024 there would be articles year round. Some SOY regulars are known as passionate fans of Rafi, such as Sivanandam Palamadai, and they have also paid their tributes to him as guest authors.
A. Rafi and Ram
If you lived anywhere in north India, you couldn’t miss the frenzy around Lord Ram’s Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya (22 January, 2024). I was on a planned vacation about that time down south, primarily to escape the biting cold of NCR, but I realised that, coincidentally, I was also away from the frenzy in my gated society, which was not such a bad thing.
Around that time I heard a beautiful bhajan by Rafi dedicated to Ram. Rafi was a deeply spiritual person, his devotion was transcendental. He has sung devotional songs for all faiths as well as several non-denominational songs, and if you look carefully he has sung many bhajans dedicated to Ram too. Very early in his career he had sung Jai Raghunandan jai Siyaram and Madhur Ram ka naam jag mein in the film Shri Ram Bhakt Hanuman (1948), composed by SN Tripathi. Some years later he sang Mere man mein hain Ram mere tan mein hain Ram in the film Pawanputra Hanuman (1957), composed by Chitragupta, SN Tripathi’s protégé. Incidentally, SN Tripathi played Hanuman in the film and the song was picturised on him.
1. Mere man mein hain Ram, mere tan mein hain Ram by Rafi from Pawanputra Hanuman (1957), lyrics Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’, music Chitragupta
B. Rashid Khan (1 July 1968 – 9 January 2024)
The year began with a very sad news about Ustad Rashid Khan’s demise. This was deeply shocking to me, because I had no clue about his ailment and the news came as a complete shock to me. I had been mesmerised by his full-throated voice which was melodious at the same time since I first heard his Karam kar deeje in Raag Desh long ago. Other legendary singers who passed away in the last couple of years were well past their prime; a classical singer flowers at the age of 55.
The leading torch-bearer of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, like any great singer he took inspiration from various gharanas. As a child he did not have much interest in studies or in music – his maternal uncle, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, had got him admitted to an English medium school in Mumbai, but he ran away to his home in Badayun. But there must be something in his destiny. When his maternal granduncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan, the doyen of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, was invited by Sangeet Research Academy, ITC Kolkata to join them as a Resident Scholar (Guru); he brought the boy Rashid along with him, made him his ganda bandh disciple and his training started in right earnest. In his early 20’s Rashid Khan was hailed as the future of classical music in India, and was sought after by great musicians of the time, such as Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Ravi Shankar etc. to hear him live.
There was a good deal of chatter in the media about his Aaoge jab tum saajna angana phool khile (Jab We Met, 2007). This beautiful song shows Rashid’s mastery across genres and universality of classical music. I had not given much thought whether he had sung any other songs in films when a friend, Abhijit Dasgupta, shared this song from the Bengali film Kadambari (2015), sung by Ustad Rashid Khan. I am posting Bhara baadar maha baadar shunya mandir more from Kadambari, with Abhijit’s equally beautiful comments.
2. Bhara baadar maha baadar shunya mandir more by Rashid Khan from Kadambari (Bengali, 2015), lyrics Vidyapati, melody Rabindranath Tagore, music arrangement Bickram Ghosh
Abhijit Dasgupta’s notes:
“Bhanusingher Padavali”
A collection of Vaishnavite Radha-Krishna theme-based poems by an adolescent Rabindranath, all 16/17 years of age, used the delicately crafted language called “Brajabuli”. A mixture of Maithili and Bengali with a sprinkling of Sanskrit (for the pure Tatsam words), it was a rather artificial construct, adopted by a few medieval Bengali Vaishnav poets like Jnandas, who were inspired by Vidyapati of Mithila’s royal court.
The lady in Rabindranath’s poems was his sister-in-law Kadambari Devi, the wife of his third elder brother Sejda or Jyotida, Jyotinindranath Thakur.
The early biography of Rabindranath by Prabhat Mukhopadhyay, written in his lifetime, briefly touched upon the relationship between him and Kadambari Devi, describing it as one of “Priti” (a halfway-house expression connoting a feeling somewhere between mere affection and a deeper attachment). In comparison, modern biographers are less restrained. They declare it as a relationship of Love. Rabindranath’s intensive, tender and nostalgic recollection of the time spent in Kadambari’s company and his long grief and sense of personal loss on her death support this hypothesis strongly. His grief over the death of his own wife, who also died very young, figures nowhere in intensity. Kadambari continued to be his Muse for decades.
There was some suspicion and speculation about the exact reason why Kadambari took her own life. Rabindranath married Mrinalini in December 1883, Kadambari took her own life in April 1884, just after 4 months. Was she mortally heartbroken after his marriage with Mrinalini (a name given to her by Rabindranath after marriage) or by her husband Jyotinindranath’s infidelity (Kadambari knew he had kept a mistress secretly in another house)?
She also felt miserable that she was treated shabbily as a person of a poor and lowly background as her father was an employee of the Jorasanko Thakur household. She remained depressed that her husband didn’t give her any time at all, as he was busy in his various activities like theatre, Swadeshi work and his so-called business ventures like a shipping company (to ferry people of East Bengal to Calcutta) which crashed totally.
Kadambari could not conceive, though she was quite desperate for a child. In the Thakur household, she was branded as a woman who was infertile, ‘banddha‘. As per prevailing social norms those days, the lady was considered incapable, not her husband. Under the circumstances, she found that her young brother-in-law Rabindranath was her only company, her sole comfort zone. But with Rabindranath’s marriage, she realised the futility of their relationship. There was a total emptiness in her life with nothing worthwhile for her to look forward to. The talented girl ended her life, a relentless tragedy, feeling abandoned by everyone around her. (In the film ‘Kadambari’ with Konkona Sen Sharma in the eponymous role, the final nail in the coffin prompting her to take her own life has to do with her husband. – AK)
After she committed suicide, there was unsavoury talk of a dark deed in Jorasanko Thakurbari. It was widely believed at that time that Rabindranath’s father Maharshi Debendranath Thakur bribed the English Civil Surgeon not to certify Kadambari’s death by suicide as an unnatural death. The body was quietly cremated without any autopsy and post-mortem and, of course, without any more fuss.
This song gave me goosebumps and led me to browse Rashid Khan’s more Bengali songs and Rabindra Sangeet. It is a treasure trove. One that especially floored me was Ke boshile aji hridayasane bhuvane in Raag Kafi. Many doyens of Rabindra Sangeet have sung it, but Rashid Khan’s interpretation is exceptionally good. This is sung in tappa style, which sounds more spiritual than thumri, but I should think tappa would be abhorrent for Rabindra Sangeet for Bengali sensibilities.
3. Ke boshile aji hridayasane bhuvane by Rashid Khan, lyrics and music by Rabidranath Tagore
A site gives its translation by Anjan Ganguly as:
I am unable to recognise you, O Lord of the earth,
Reveal on the throne within my heart, my Master,
You arouse a stupendous aura, O Lord of the heart.
Unbelievably arid tree starts blossoming,
Nectar trickles down the rock.
C. Rediscovery of the tune of Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun
I recently heard this unheard Hemant Kumar song from the film Shart (1954).
4. Mohabbat mein meri tarah jo luta ho, mere saath wo bhi gale milkar ro le by Hemant Kumar from Shart (1954), lyrics SH Bihari, music Hemant Kumar
Shart is famous for the eternal twin song by Hemant Kumar/ Geeta Dutt, Ne ye chaand hoga na tare rahenge, magar hum hamesha tumhare rahenge, and also Hemant Kumar-Lata Mangeshkar duet, Dekho wo chaand chupke karta hai kya ishaare. I found uncanny similarity between the tune of Mohabbat mein meri tarah jo luta ho and Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun by Mahendra Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar from Dhool Ka Phool (1959).
5. Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun wafa kar raha hun wafa chahta hun by Mahendra Kapoor and Lata Mangeshkar from Dhool Ka Phool (1959), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music N Datta
Since the latter song came five years later, my first thought was that it was inspired from Hemant Kumar’s earlier song. But somehow I felt that both these songs may be inspired from a third stock tune. My friend, Brijeshwar Singh, confirmed my hunch and shared this ghazal by Malika Pukhraj, as the main inspiration for Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun.
6. Are maygusaaro savere savere, kharabat ke gird phere pe phere by Malika Pukhraj Ghazal by (Abdul Adam?)
Maygusaro refers to persons given to drinking and kharabat means tavern. These words are used in a mystical sense. Perhaps the sense of the ghazal is, O you drinkers! You who hang around the tavern from morning are the blessed ones as you lose all sense of reality! Knowledgeable readers may please help in meaning of the ghazal.
Since the year of Malika Pukhraj’s recital is not known, my search is not yet complete. It is quite possible that all the three songs/ghazals are inspired from a pre-existing traditional tune. And I would not be surprised if one of the SOY stalwarts posts a traditional tune of antiquity.
D. Ameen Sayani (21 December 1932 – 20 February 2024)
Ameen Sayani was not a singer, or a music director or an arranger or a musician. Yet there is not one fan of old Hindi film music who is not aware of him. That kind of celebrityhood for a radio announcer is unique. His asset was his baritone voice which established a connection with the listeners with his opening, ‘Behno aur bhaiyo’, and his deep knowledge about and affinity with Hindi film songs. Born into a Gujarati Muslim family and educated in an English medium school, Hindi was not his natural language. He converted this constraint into an asset by speaking in a simple accessible language. That language became the lingua franca of the nation, and Hindi film songs a unifying factor of our diverse country with many languages and cultures. The man who ran a sponsored songs countdown programme for 42 years every week, who compered and presented thousands of other programmes, who had cameo roles in some films as a radio announcer, who coined words like payadan, sartaj, and who was the voice the nation waited for week after week – I pay my tributes to this great man.
I end my anniversary post by thanking all the readers, and friends who are not active on the blog who enlighten me with new musical information.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
The song links have been embedded only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog claims no copyright over them which vests with the respective copyright owners.
{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
Many congratulations, AK, and may your blog continue to entertain and enlighten for many more years.
Madhu,
Thanks a lot for your greetings.
AK ji,
Heartiest Congratulations on completing 14 years.
Here is wishing you many more years of SOY.
-AD
Arunji,
Thanks a lot for your good wishes.
AKji,
Congratulations and may the blog continue for many more years.
With Best wishes
NVR
Will go through the post at leisure.
Venkstaramanji,
Thanks a lot for your greetings. Do come back after reading the post.
Congratulations and wishing many more years of blogging.
Rafi, with Asha and chorus has sung
Jai Raghu Nandan Jai Siya Ram…in
GHARANA.
Ameen Sayani, part of all our growing up years, appeared as an anchor in the movie
BHOOT BANGLA
introducing the character of Tanuja before the song..
O mere pyar aa jaa… .
Dr Shetty,
Thanks a lot for your greetings. Ram-Rafi has many songs. Jai Raghunandan jai Siyaram is one of the most famous songs. This was at the top of my recall.
Hearty congratulatins for completing yet another year of entertainment and good reading stuff your blog is providing with appreciable participation of members through their postings and comments.
I am immensly enjoying going through your blog almost daily.
Keep up your good work and hope the blog scale new heights.
Mr Vasudevan,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and generous words of appreciation. Every thing has ‘Use By’ date. Some day it would have outlived its welcome.
AK ji,
Hearty Congratulations on yet another year of musical journey. Over the years, the blog has become an important stop for checking and verifying many facets of hindi film and classical music.
Thanks and wishing you many more years of entertaining music lovers.
mahesh
Mahesh,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and your nice words.
Heartiest congratulations on the occasion of 14th anniversary of SoY.
It’s because of your innovative ideas, your passion and your continuous efforts that you have achieved this.
It’s very very difficult to continue a blog continuously for 14 years. Not a joke at all!
Being a blogger myself I know how difficult it is.
You’ve to enthusiastically continue your posts.
Congratulations again and thanks for this informative post.
Anup
🙂
Anup,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and nice words.
AK Ji
Hearty congratulations for completing 14 years of blogging. Truly SOY is an encyclopaedia on old Hindi film music. Best wishes to you for continuing the great work.
Sivanandamji,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and good wishes. Also special thanks to readers and contributors like who have played a great role in carrying the flag forward.
Ak ji
Hearty congratulations for completing 14 years of blogging. SOY has become an integral part of daily routine and hardly a day passes when I haven’t read an article on the blog.
Wishing you many more years ahead of blogging.
Mr Muli,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and appreciation.
AK,
Fourteen years! Congratulations and a bow to your consistent effort.
Good luck for the years ahead.
You have mentioned how you remembered a Ram bhajan sung by Rafi, very early in his career, incidentally last week I remembered a Ram bhajan that Rafi sang a year before he passed away.
From Sargam Ramji ki leela hai nyari.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31rZoOsXiik
Mumbaikar8,
Thanks a lot for your kind words. You have been an important part of this journey.
Ramji ki leela hai pyari is my favourite song. Thanks for posting it.
Hearties congratulations to SoY for completing 14 years.
Over the years SoY has qualitatively grown with wide diversity of subjects, content and, of course, the contributors.
AKji deserves all the credit for enriching SoY so much.
We look forward to more enlightening material on SoY platform in so far as HFM of Golden Era Period and before.
Ashokji,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and appreciation. You have been one of the mainstays of the blog.
AKji,
Heartiest Congratulations for completing 14 years of SoY. Its not easy to post such enriching and enlightening posts consistently. A great achievement!
Look forward to many more years of such high quality posts!
Adding a song on Rafi and Ram
Jai Jai Ram Jai Shree Ram – Hanuman Vijay 1974
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6GfrtLoQmI
Dr Deshpande,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and good wishes. Rafi-Ram song is very nice. It is obvious there can be a separate post on his songs for Ram. He was himself a deeply devout person. Same intensity of devotion he brought in his songs for bhajans, naats, songs for particular gods, songs for non-denominational Supreme Being or God.
AKji,
Heartiest Congratulations on achieving another milestone.
May this blog continue to provide excellent content and keep us entertained.
Great going Sir !!
Siddharth,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and good wishes.
It is very heartening to note that the SOY has completed 14 years. It has all along entertained us with its exclusive contents and selection of songs. My congratulations for this achievement to all concerned !
KB,
Thanks a lot for your greeting and appreciation.
AK ji,
Congratulations on completing 14 years of relentless blogging! I have learnt a lot and enjoyed your posts as well as the incisive comments of the readers. I look forward to many more lovely posts in the years to come!
Best Wishes,
Anita
Anita,
Thanks a lot for your greetings and good wishes.
Dear AK Ji,
Congratulations and many, many thanks for persisting. The blog is a testimony to the labour of love that it is for so many of you. I have for many years been a silent participant, discovered many gems here, learnt a lot, went on multiple nostalgic trips. Here’s wishing you many more years of enriching everyone’s lives through music.
I look forward to this yearly post for its amazing discoveries. This year getting to know Ustad Rashid Khan’s Bangla songs. One more of his recent film gems, a traditional bandish, am sure you must have heard it:
https://youtu.be/xCTcvpBhT-8?si=3o0yjKpF3K57guY2
Keep writing, wishing you great health and happiness!!
Best wishes,
–malyada
Malyada Govardhan,
Welcome to Songs Of Yore and thanks a lot for your generous words. It is gratifying that SOY Anniversary post encouraged you to shake off your hesitation and visit it with very substantive comments. Rashid Khan’s Marwa is beautiful. it is a meditative raag, does not lend itself to film screen. But Ustad Rashid Khan and the composer’s talent makes it very delightful, accessible to amateur listeners too. Which film?
AKji,
Enjoyed going through the songs and write-up presented in the anniversary post. And I am back to share my thoughts.
As you rightly said, the highlight of the bygone year was undoubtedly the unique and comprehensive series on musicians and arrangers of the HFM. I join you in extending my word of appreciation to Piyush Pandyaii and Ashok Vaishnavji for their great effort. Ashokji and Ranganji have provided the necessary support as able coalition partners last year. They too deserve to be appreciated.
Fourteen years is a long time, we are into the fifteenth year. You have repeatedly stated on many occasions that readers are the strength of SoY. Their composition might have changed over the years; many have come and gone, SoY marches ahead under your leadership with the support of old timers and with the infusion of new members.
Over the years, SoY readers must have observed that you usually utilize the occasion to pay tributes to some notable personalities, to share certain topics of interest, some special songs etc. which you could not accommodate in your regular posts. This year too is no exception in this regard. Besides the customary introduction, you have presented the anniversary article in four interesting parts. Let me take up each section one by one.
Coming to the first part, RAFI AND RAM , an appropriate topic presented at the right time – Rafi’s centenary year and the year of Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya. Rafi Saheb with his soulful rendition of Chitragupt’s composition and the fitting lyrics, has invoked the divinity of Ram in the minds of the devotees. The song writer is Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’ and not Swadesh Kumar ‘Deepak’ (must be a typographical error). A few readers (Pradeepji, Mumbaikarji and Rajeshji) have posted devotional songs on Ram by Rafi. Thanks to all Rafi Bhakts and Ram Bhakts. Jai Shree Ram.
But, with the change in the scenario , it seems we will be hearing “Jai Jagannath” and may be chants of “Govinda Govinda” more often. I think it would not be inappropriate to post a song on Lord Balaji in the mellifluous voice of Md. Rafi, not very often heard. This too was penned by Saraswati Kumar ‘Deepak’ and composed by P Nageshwar Rao.
“Hey Tirupati Nath……….
Narayan ki isi murti se hoga dharti ka udhar
Dasho disha me gunj uthegi
Govinda ki madhur pukar Govinda ki madhur pukar
Govinda jai Govinda govinda jai Govinda
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07K98qgEmBg
The mention of Jai Jagannath, reminded me of a song rendered by Vidushi Sunanda Patnaik, a renowned classical singer of Gwalior gharana, hailing from Orissa. She was the disciple of Pt. Vinayak Rao Patwardhan. She shifted to Calcutta in 1983 and stayed here till her demise in January 2020. The song is actually a Stotram ,” Shree Shree Jagannatha Ashtakam” penned by Adi Sankaracharya. It was set music by the said artist. Here she has rendered the 1st three and the 6th and 8th stanzas.
To be continued………….
कदाचित् कालिन्दी तट विपिन सङ्गीत तरलो
मुदाभीरी नारी वदन कमला स्वाद मधुपः
रमा शम्भु ब्रह्मामरपति गणेशार्चित पदो
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन पथ गामी भवतु मे ॥१॥
भुजे सव्ये वेणुं शिरसि शिखिपिच्छं कटितटे
दुकूलं नेत्रान्ते सहचर-कटाक्षं विदधते ।
सदा श्रीमद्-वृन्दावन-वसति-लीला-परिचयो
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन-पथ-गामी भवतु मे ॥२॥
महाम्भोधेस्तीरे कनक रुचिरे नील शिखरे
वसन् प्रासादान्तः सहज बलभद्रेण बलिना ।
सुभद्रा मध्यस्थः सकलसुर सेवावसरदो
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन-पथ-गामी भवतु मे ॥३॥
परंब्रह्मापीड़ः कुवलय-दलोत्फुल्ल-नयनो
निवासी नीलाद्रौ निहित-चरणोऽनन्त-शिरसि ।
रसानन्दी राधा-सरस-वपुरालिङ्गन-सुखो
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन-पथगामी भवतु मे ॥६॥
हर त्वं संसारं द्रुततरम् असारं सुरपते
हर त्वं पापानां विततिम् अपरां यादवपते ।
अहो दीनेऽनाथे निहित चरणो निश्चितमिदं
जगन्नाथः स्वामी नयन पथ गामी भवतु मे ॥८॥
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp88acbxVN8
Venkataramanji,
Thanks for coming back with your expected scholarship. Balaji’s abode is a very musical place, mainly because of Shri Venkatesh Suprabhatam. MSS is obviously supreme, but in any voice it is evokes the same piety and beauty. A film song cannot match it.
Shree Jagannath Ashtakam is beautiful. And in the voice of Sunanda Pattnaik it is divine. Jai Jagannath and Govinda Govinda have already served their purpose you are alluding to.
It seems there would be another part of your comment.
And thanks a lot for correcting the typo.
AK Ji,
The movie is Me Vasantrao – Vasantrao Deshpande’s biopic where his grandson Rahul Deshpande has played the titular role and composed the music too. A treasure trove of amazing classical songs and a superb ghazal too. Do check it out, you will love it.
Venkataraman Ji – Thanks for Sunanda Ji’s version of Shri Jagannatha Ashtakam, these are the gems that bring me back to SOY time and again.
If I have to rate one particular blog-entry that really blew my mind off, it was the one on Vande Mataram published a few years ago on SOY. Finally getting to thank you for that..
Malyada Govardhan,
Thanks a lot for the information. Now you have made me richer by this information. What was holding you back for so many years?
AKji @ 34,
Yes, there may be more than one, since I may not be able to do it in one go. I am glad that you enjoyed Sunanda Patnaik’s rendition. And that serves my real purpose.
In the 80s, I heard Sunanda Patnaik live. Besides Jagannatha Ashtakam, I remember two more songs that she rendered that day. One of them starts with the line
“बृंदावन में धेनु चरावे, धेनु चरावत तुम्ही हो”,
and the other one a Shiva Stotram
“प्रभुमीशमनीषमशेषगुणं गुणहीनमहीश गराभरणं,
रणनिर्जित दुर्जय दैत्यपुरं प्रणमामि शिवम् शिव कल्पतरुम्”.
I am unable locate them. Waiting for somebody to upload them someday.
Malayadaji @ 35,
Happy that you enjoyed listening to Sunanda Patnaik’s rendition of Jagannatha Ashtakam.
Vandya Vande Matram; I posted it long time back, four years ago. Thanks for your appreciation.
I cannot thank you enough for sharing “Marwa” by Rashid Khan and Sourabh Kadgaonkar. Both the song and the film were new to me. Last night I listened to all the songs of this film that were available on YT. The film too is available on YT, quiet a long one. 2 hours and 47 minutes. Will watch it soon.
Thank you once again
AKji,
BTW, I remember you posted a song by Vasantrao Deshpande from the film Chacha Choudhry in the post ‘ Best Songs of 1953.
Venkataramanji,
I must say you have a fantastic recall. YT has yanked off that link. But I could find an alternative link. We can understand the reason why it was not listed as a song in HFGK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37yqYD_xwQw
This has also set me on a Vasantrao Deshpande trip. Thanks a lot.
Ak ji, Venkatraman ji and Malayada ji
I was fascinated by your interactions regarding Vasantrao Deshpande. He is a household name for we Maharashtrians and was known to be rebel for his presentation of classical as well as theatre songs. This has been very lucidly explored in the biopic. Rahul Deshpande ventured into acting for the first time in this film and delivered a great performance.
Here is Vasantrao Deshpande’s Ram, albeit in a lighter vein.
Ram bhajan kar lena – Awaghachi sansar- Vasant pawar
https://youtu.be/LZGn8601vw4?si=hAHwT__s6l3pyxMK
Mr Muli,
Thanks a lot. I had heard Vasantrao Deshpande’s songs earlier without registering his name. I am referring to O mrignayani chandramukhi from the film Rang Birangi. Now with all this information I cannot forget his name. Your link led me to Aali sakhi aali piya milna from the same film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06s4XLzqTEc
YT browsing led me to this light-classical piece which charmed me immensely.
Bindiya le gayi hamar re machhariya
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxoRUQA118A
AK Ji @36 – Just lethargy I suppose. I have commented here and there over the years but mostly been enjoying the posts silently. Its been an immense pleasure and succour during anxious times.
Venkataraman Ji @37 – You are most welcome, Vandya Vande Mataram deserves a much wider audience, I keep coming back to it every Independence/Republic Day.
Muli ji @41 – I am a huge fan of Marathi classical singers, SOY introduced me to Marathi film music through Ghanashyam Sundara, I still remember vividly when and where I heard that song first, it is that mesmerising.
I think the learned SOY community should do a series on great film songs from other languages – Marathi/Bengali/All South Indian languages – there are innumerable gems hidden there.
Sharing one of my favourite Vasantrao Deshpande pieces, a beautiful Thumri. He truly did enjoy his music, in all his videos he seems to be havimg so much fun.
https://youtu.be/cDSir69oT0c?si=kJJ1lGoaE9giJCb3
Malyada,
I can now understand your engagement with SOY, you are more involved than many vocal participants. Thanks a lot for your nice words. Marathi readers have done a great deal to enlighten us about Marathi songs and culture in general. I included you among those readers who have widened our outlook and awareness. Incidentally there has been a series on Hindi Film songs adapted from their Regional Language counterparts or vice verca – Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil/Telugu etc. Off and on the readers from different linguistic backgrounds have added some relevant songs.
Thanks a lot again for your serious engagement and now we hope for a more active participation.
AKji,
A week back I said @ 37 that I will be back with more comments, but I got terribly tied up and lost the thread. Skipping part B &D. I am straight off to part C – Rediscovery of the tune of Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun.
Akji you wrote,
“Since the year of Malika Pukhraj’s recital is not known, my search is not yet complete. It is quite possible that all the three songs/ghazals are inspired from a pre-existing traditional tune. And I would not be surprised if one of the SOY stalwarts posts a traditional tune of antiquity'”
Akji, I am sure you have the answer to your question.
I will give three links and I am sure the answer and the context will occur to you in a flash.
Dard mila hai tere pyar ki nishani (Lata, D N Madhok, Vinod) from Anmol Ratan (1950).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE7uXsFqdKk
Piya more baalak main taruni re, A traditional Vidyapati Geet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1oGlhaLq0
A traditional Purabin Dhun , Ustad Bismillah Khan & Vidushi N Rajam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD_jmYW1R7M
What a discovery thanks to you Venkataraman Ji. I had heard the Rajam/Bismillah Khan jugalbandi earlier and had always assumed they were playing tere pyaar ka asra. Its one of my favourite songs. Thanks a lot for the introduction to Vidyapati Geet, there seems to be a movie made in 1937 on Vidyapati with music by RC Boral and singing by Kanan Devi and Pahadi Sanyal. Excellent songs with decently preserved sound quality..Thanks a lot again.. Pahadi Sanyal was incidentally the person in whose house Pt Bhimsen Joshi worked as a servant after reaching Kolkata, and who had told a 12 year old Bhimsen that he had no future in singing 🙂
Thank you Malyadaji. But the actual credit shoul go to AKji. I am waiting for AKjis’s response.
Venkataramanji @45, 47,
With Vidyapati geet, now I surely have the answer. I had been familiar with the tune of Piya more balak main taruni re for decades, but the connection with Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun did not occur to me. N Rajam and Bismillah Khan’s piece I would have instantly related to Piya more balak. With this discussion and Malyada’s observation that she would have recognised it as Tere pyar ka aasra chahta hun, now the stock tune can be dated back at least to 14-15th century. I am patting myself for thinking on these lines, but you deserve all the congratulations and discovery. Mine was a conjecture, you gave the proof! Bravo!
Let us be a little grandiose, and give it a name – N Venkataraman’s Proof of AK’s Conjecture.
AK, congratulations to you and all friends for reaching the milestone of 14 years. I have been enjoying the top class stuff here for more than 11 years. You have as usual, presented an article with a difference for the occasion. Venkataramanji has added great information, so that it has become a double treat.
You have mentioned the Ram Mandir and Venkataramanji has mentioned Jai Jagannath as the new mantra of the govt in a sarcastic way.
A number of songs on the Ram Rafi angle have been added. But one to the films where there were multiple songs of this type has not been mentioned. This film was Tulsidas, which turned the career of Chitragupta. There were two songs and also some chaupais relating to Ramcharitmanas. I am giving one here depicting the bhakti of Tulsidas.The song is ‘mujhe apni sharan men le lo raam’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFk1qPuo0ik&t=161s
There were a couple of songs which were of a different colour, though they contained the name of Ram. One is ‘raam naam japna paraya maal apna’ from Suvarna Sundari and ‘raam raam japna paraya maal apna’ from Do Dil. These songs may not have the required element of bhakti, but they show a practical side of life. The pran pratishtha of Ram Mandir which you mentioned also shows this side as this was done to reap the harvest of votes. As mentioned by Venkataramanji now the call has changed to Jai Jagannath from Jai Shri Raam. So there is no harm in posting this song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ufr_UCSaXg&
Malyada @46,
Coming from that part of the country, I was always familiar with Piya more baalak main taruni re. I would have related Bismillah Khan and N Rajam’s dhun as Vidyapati’s song. But now I have the answer to my conjecture. Please see my comment @48.
Incidentally, I don’t recall film Vidyapati having any of the poet Vidyapati’s songs.
Hans @49,
Thanks for your good wishes. You have added a couple of excellent songs. The second song set me thinking of the sociology of Ram naam japna paraya maal apna. How did it enter as an idiomatic phrase or a proverb? A very interesting use was by Amitabh Bachchan-Kishore Kumar in Namak Halal in the song Buzurgon ne kaha..Pag ghunghroo baandh Meera naachi re.
AK,
The use of ‘raam naam japna’ by Anjaan in Namak Halal is very apt. The second song from Do Dil had also used this sapna thing in the second line, which goes ‘pyar mein humne dekha ye sapna’. The second antara in Jaagte Raho song ‘ki main jhoot boliya’ written by Prem Dhawan says
“raam naam japde te khande gaushala de chande”
I give that song here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0RRZ9xPHX0&
A very interesting use of Raam was made in Hare Rama Hare Krishna song ‘dekho o deewano tum ye kaam na karo,
raam ka naam badnam na karo’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGKFMGwFDwo&
It is very difficult to answer the second point about the sociology of this. It appears Raam, from the initial status of character from Ramayan or Vishnu Avtaar, over a period of time, became a second name of god, which was used by poets and others even in niraakaar form. In this phrase ‘raam naam japna; it seems to have that status. The phrase ‘moonh mein raam bagal mein chhuri’ also is in the same vein. Raam Raam became a common form of greeting for use by people of any age or gender. Raam Katha is popular in about a dozen countries of Asia in various forms and Ram Lila has been played since ages. Ramayan paath is must on some occasions. On the other hand, we have heard Mahabharat should not be kept in homes and Geeta is a must. These are paradoxes prevalent in our society. On the other hand we find that before 1992 there were very few Raam temples while there was a flood of Krishna, Shiv and Hanuman temples. In film songs too, except films based on the Ramayan story we find very few songs which invoke Raam as god, but Krishna songs are aplenty.
Even the Raam temple in Ayodhya which was started without completion in the hope of a huge vote harvest proved a non-starter for the ruling party which lost every seat around it. In my opinion people in UP have a deep religious connection with this issue and made lot of sacrifices for it. When they saw that for politics the temple is being desecrated by giving contracts to muslims, they reacted. A number of temples were also bulldozed in Ayodhya and Varanasi.
Hans @52,
You have given some interesting thoughts. Ram-Krishna would be an interesting mythological/ historical/ sociological analysis. I have briefly referred to the debate in my post on Krishnashtami songs. I would refrain from saying more because I don’t want to bite more than I can chew.
About your last para, I would refrain from giving my views, except to say that I completely disagree with you. I would earnestly request you not to further elaborate it. At some stage we all agree to disagree.
Juxtaposing Shri Ram with something unethical like thievery/lies/cheating is simply to show how to-the-depths immoral the person is – he not only steals, he does it along with taking Ram Naam – the one and only Maryada Purushottam.
How do you achieve this with Shri Krishna? He himself was a thief!! Also the ‘Balya Roop’ of Kanhaiyya is endearing to the feminine in all of us and reminds us of our children – the reason for his immense popularity. Having said that, we had a Seeta Ram Baba in Vrindaban. Everytime we said Radhe Krishna to him, he would exclaim – Narayan! Narayan! Kis chor ka naam le liya! Arre bhagwaan ka naam lena ho to Raam ka naam lo!!
AKji @48,
Yours was not a conjecture. You have given the proof, that too four years back. It seems you forgot. I would take the credit only for remembering it and for nothing more.
Please refer to your response (#22) to Ashwinji’s and Anitaji’s comment, in your article “The Unlucky Genius N Dutta: His songs for ‘other’ singers”. I should thank you for introducing me to Vidyapati Geet sung by Sharda Sinha. I also listened to Ranjana Jha. Both the artists were good.
While on Vidyapati, I would like to add a few line on ” Bhara baadar maha baadar shunya mandir more” and also on Rashid Khan.
Malyada @54,
I don’t know how to respond to you. Ram and Krishna are the two most famous avatars of Vishnu. They came in different yugas – Ram in Treta and Krishna in Dwapar. Therefore, as per the mythology they took human forms with different objectives. Ram was Maryada Purushottam and a Dheerodaat Nayak and he had come to the earth to establish Dharm on the earth and slay the demons who were out to destroy Dharm from the earth. In his time the villains were like Ravan, a scholar of shaastras, a shiv-bhakt, a person whose flaw in character was his unbouneden ahankar. In his captivity he never molested Sita, he always waited for her consent.
By Dwapar the villains had no limits to which they could stoop – trying to kill their cousins in lakshagrih, disrobe their family’s bahu in the open court, banish them in exile by deceit etc. Therefore, Pandav’s chief strategist Krishna devises means to prevail over evil. In this role despite his sermon on the battlefield (Geeta) he comes out as one who can himself adopt unfair means. The rationalisation was you are doing all this to punish the evil-doers. This is problematic – as if means justify the end, as also problematic is his dalliance with Radha or 16000 consorts, though you may see his makahnchor as pranks of a lovable child.
But think of it, also problematic from today’s gender perspective is Ram making Sita go through Agnipareeksha, or banishing her on the prejudices and bigotry of villagers.
But my point was why try to do पिष्टपेषण of mythology. They are grand stories of a society. I once wrote on Krishna and flute in which I tried to briefly summarise the origin and popularity of Krishna folklore in dance, literature and music. But I would again like to reiterate there are mythologists of various hues, and I would not like to bite more than I can chew.
Venkataramanji @55,
Very kind of you to give me credit back. But credit should actually belong to Ashwin Bandarkar who mentioned the Purbi dhun. For me to connect it to Vidyapati Geet was no big deal because I come from that region and it would be very difficult not to notice the connection.
Incidentally, I carried forward the discussion with the friend who had mentioned the Malika Pukhraj ghazal. He made many scholarly points which are beyond the scope of this post. His sum and substance was that folk tunes have also evolved over the years and we can’t say for certain that Piya more balak‘s folk tune came into existence in the 15th century. I concluded the discussion with even if we ascribe late 19th century to the folk tune, it becomes the earliest inspiration for Tere pyar ka aasra. Thanks again.
Continuing from #55 – on part B –
Rashid Khan (1 July 1968 – 9 January 2024
Partings are always hard especially when they are untimely. It was an unreplaceable loss to all music lovers and particularly to his young son, Armaan Khan. You have mentioned and posted Rashid Khan ‘s sonorous voice, calling in Raag Desh “Karma Kar Deeje”, asking for Khwaja Moinuddin ‘s grace and benevolence. I wish & hope his prayers will be heard and his talented son will be able to raise above his personal loss and carry on his legacy forward. Armaan is carrying a huge burden of expectations on his shoulders. I joining you in paying my tributes to Ustad Rashid Khan.
Posting a clip where Young Armaan Khan attempts “Karma Kar Deeje” under the watchful eyes his father. Probably this was Armaan’s first public performance (April 2016).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BM2VGOOYXY
Subhankar Banerjee, accompanying on the Tabla in the above clip, was at his peak when he passed away in 2021, a victim of covid.
AK Ji – Apologies if I ended up offending your sensibilities. Sitaram Baba was a great Krishna Bhakt, he spent all his life in Vrindaban. I mentioned the anecdote as you had wondered about the etymology of the proverb Ram ram japna, paraya maal apna. He gave up the very throne which was rightfully his. Who am I to question what Lord Krishna did? All I meant to say was that juxtaposing unethical behaviour with Ram naam brings out the irony harder.
AKji,
The excellent writeup by Abhiji Dasguptaji on Bhanu Singher Padabali (BSP) and Rabindranath’s relationship with Kadambari Devi, and the song “Bhara Bhadara” rendered well in his unique style by Rashid Khan were a pleasant surprise. Thank you AKji.
A few line about this song; Rabindranath, along with Jyotirindranath and Kadambari, was visiting Chandannagar. They stayed in a garden- house on the banks of the Ganges in Telenipara. A rough translation from Rabindranath’s Chelebela, adhyay 13
” It was small two storeyed house. The monsoon has set in. The shadows of the clouds floated on the surface of the flowing river. Dark clouds gathered over the forest on the opposite bank. Earlier, on such occasions I have written and composed my own song. But it did not happen this day. Suddenly Vidyapati’s lyrics came up in my mind.
E Bhara Badar, Maaha Bhadara,
Shunya Mandira More.
I made it my own and set the lyrics to music of my own choice. It has stayed with me in my repertoire of monsoon songs”
Although, Abhijitji nowhere in his article has stated that the song “Bhara Badar” is part of Bhanu Singher Padabali (BSP), the heading and this song posted after his narrative, may make it appear that it is a part of BSP. And it is not so. Rabindranath has written in detail in the chapter on BSPin his book “Jeevan Smriti”. When BSP was first published in 1884, there were 21 songs and the song “Bhara Badara” was not among the 21. At present notations (Swaralipi) to only 10 are available. Out if this 10, one song was penned by Vaisnav Kabi Gobindadas.
Posting the song “Sundari Radhe Aowe Bani, Brajaramanigana Mukutamani” by Poushali Banerjee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wQYEtjRjPo
Venkataramanji @58,
I am with you in conveying my deepest condolences and best wishes to Arman. I hope he flowers into a great singer like his father. While at this I must also convey my deepest condolences to his mother, i.e. Rashid Khan’s wife. She is a Bengali so you might have come across her.
This clip took me to a video of Kaushiki Chakravarty with her young son who was giving her company. It was beautiful to see her patting her son with motherly affection. I am happy that she is also carrying her great father’s tradition.
Subhankar Banerjee must be very young. Passing away at such an age is too sad. The Covid have been cruel to some without reason.
@60,
Thanks a lot for the additional information about Bhanusingher Padabali and Bhara baadar. But your extract about the song, it seems we should credit Vidyapati as the lyricist of the song and music by Rabindranath Thakur?
Thanks a ton for Sundar Radhe Aawe bani by Poushali Banerjee. Vaishnav poet Gobinddas – No wonder it is sung in Keertan style.
Malyada @59,
Oh, no. No apologies needed, there was no question of my being offended. I am generally an irreverent person. My comment only expressed my general approach against viewing mythologies as absolute truth, and then hair-splitting to prove either their superiority or that they are rubbish.
AK ji,
Heartiest congratulations on completion of another great year. The last twelve months were full of lovely posts, included beautiful songs as part of posts and comments sections. The articles posted by yourself and the esteemed guest authors deserve to be preserved by us for reverting back time and again.
Best wishes and regards.
Tyagiji,
Thanks a lot for your greeting and good wishes