The Big Two

My musical reminiscences couldn't have possibly completed with out paying by obeisance to Rafi and Kishore.

So here it is:
Rafi: The Voice that Launched 1000 Romances
Kishore Kumar: The Man with the Golden Voice

Did you know that in the earlier days of Kishore Kumar's career as an actor, Rafi was the playback for Kishore? It feels very surreal when you hear Rafi's voice when Kishore is singing on the screen. You can see a few such songs on the Kishore Kumar webpage above.

By the way, if you wish to include a few of your own favourites please drop a line in the Guest Book in the webpage and I will include it.

Have fun listening and seeing.

Celebrating Lyrics

Quick! Name 5 lyricist from Bollywood. Go on ... I can hear you ... Gulzar, one. Javed Akhtar, two. Very good. Go on ... Hmmm. I see you are struggling. Oh ... oh ... Anand Bakshi, ..., yes ... this is so difficult. And yet the songs that you have appreciated over the years are so much about lyrics. As are all songs. A pity that lyricists are a neglected tribe.

One name we tend to overlook is that of Neeraj. He is essentially a poet. His poetry has been translated into many languages. And yet, unless you are a cognoscenti, chances are that you would not have heard of him. Though I bet you listen to one song of his and you will recognize the song straight away.

Here's a compilation of 17 of his songs => Neeraj: The Poet Who Strayed Into Hindi Cinema. Each better that the other.
Check out Devanand humming ...

Saason ki sargam, dhakan ki beena, sapnon ki geetanjali tu;
Mann ki gali mein mehke jo hardum aisi juhi ki kali tu.

I wonder if Juhi Chawla's mother was inspired by this song.

Did Amitabh Bachchan Kill Melody?

It is commonly assumed that rise of Amitabh Bachchan as the Angry Young Man in Hindi Movies is responsible for the death of melody in Hindi film songs. With a complete entertainment package like Amitabh in a movie, perhaps the emphasis on good music decreased. But is this impression really correct?

I have compiled some of the most memorable songs sung on Indian silver screen by Amitabh. The playbacks range from Kishore to Yesudas. Have a listen and let me know what you think of this collection.

The link => http://www.squidoo.com/amitabh-bachchan-and-melody