Jaane kahan gaye voh din!

Re: # 49
DM and ZahraJ
It`s actually a pretty decent tune. It`s based on the raaga Shivranjani and it conveys pathos pretty well. There is also a tonal variation where a different note is used at one point. Very nice.

As Charles Ives said `` beauty in music is too often confused with something that lets the ear lie back in an easy chair.``

DM, I have a great fondness for Vanraj Bhatia as I have for Khayyam.

Re: # 50

Swarrier - Poetry, Music, Movies, Art, Literature and other derivates are very taste specific. One person may worship anything sung by Tallat Mahmood, whereas another fellow may not be able to tolerate his voice. I am reminded of some elders who used to play this song at their leisure moment. I am sorry, but I truly dislike it :(

I have read Bahadur Shah Zafar growing up and the poem you have quoted is indeed pretty. I have not heard anyone sing or recite it besides my own self(who used to like reciting poetry once upon a time).

Having learned kathak, I am reminded of my instructor who used to make us practice on some classics. That`s my only memory of these classics. Poetry is definitely a pretty addition to one`s life. If it`s well sung or well recited (like Gulzar`s beautiful articulation), then it leaves you with a beautiful memory. If you do not like the tune of the song or the voice of the singer, then you develop a dislike for the poem or the ghazal or whatever.

Re: # 55
Zahra
[Swarrier - Poetry, Music, Movies, Art, Literature and other derivates are very taste specific.]

I`m tempted to say that this is true of Physics , Maths et al. I liked calculus and Electrodynamics and Quantum mech, but was never really enthused with number theory or mechanics. -)

What you say is true to some extent? But you know it takes some time and effort to appreciate any form of art. You might hate a Picasso or a Wagner at the first sight or hearing and then you might go back to look at them in a different light later, and begin to appreciate their creations.

I`m sure some of the elders (they sound like they come out of Tolkien) must have lightened up sometime and romped to ``Aana meri jaan meri jaan , Sunday ke Sunday``... -)

The Bahadur Shah Zafar verse in the film Lal Qila was sung by Rafi and the music was by S N Tripathi. It`s been done by a whole lot of other folks too.

Re: # 65

How on earth did this thing get posted twice. I`m begining to believe there are gremlins on the net. -)

Zahra
Thanks for the CD suggestion. I have not heard it and I shall definitely get a copy. I began to appreciate Hindi/Urdu later in life not being a native speaker.

Poetry in my first years in school was a dreadful subject. I always thought as a kid that a person called Anonymous wrote a lot of English poetry that he shouldn`t have.

Music was a different experience. I craved complexity in it. I suppose you could say music soothes the dumb beast. -)

RE: #59
GT
I know very little about Amir Khusro that is not common knowledge.

Re: # 66

swarrier - Interestingly I learned about Kabir by a learned Indian fellow on Chowk. He had just mentioned Kabir to me and I guess the same year I came across this CD and was pleasantly surprised. Besides all the fiascos on Chowk, that`s a good introduction to something very sweet.

Re: # 67

I have a CD with Kishori Amonkar singing some of Kabir`s work. I have not listened to it in almost 10 years but I must dig it up. It was titled after Kabir`s ``Ghat Ghat mein panchi bolta``. There is one bhajan by Mirabai too. I did not think that it was as good as her other works. She is my favourite Hindustani classical vocalist. Her live performances are something to savour.

I used to have strong opinions on Mukesh too. However there is some magic in his voice and one must sometimes sacrifice perfectness for expression. Otherwise I would never be able to listen to any western singer except the classical ones. A large majority of pop , rock and even jazz musicians cannot hold a note to save their lives.

Lata was different. Most music directors kept her singing in the upper register because few people could sing accurately at that pitch and secondly I guess they wanted the heroine to be the good little virginal girl who never grew up. Lata`s voice seemed to have some fo that quality at that pitch. Some of her non film songs that explore the lower registers are superb.

I liked some of Nur Jahan`s earlier works but the later ones were rather limited.

Re: # 55
Zahra
[Swarrier - Poetry, Music, Movies, Art, Literature and other derivates are very taste specific.]

I`m tempted to say that this is true of Physics , Maths et al. I liked calculus and Electrodynamics and Quantum mech, but was never really enthused with number theory or mechanics. -)

What you say is true to some extent? But you know it takes some time and effort to appreciate any form of art. You might hate a Picasso or a Wagner at the first sight or hearing and then you might go back to look at them in a different light later, and begin to appreciate their creations.

I`m sure some of the elders (they sound like they come out of Tolkien) must have lightened up sometime and romped to ``Aana meri jaan meri jaan , Sunday ke Sunday``... -)

The Bahadur Shah Zafar verse in the film Lal Qila was sung by Rafi and the music was by S N Tripathi. It`s been done by a whole lot of other folks too.

Re: # 62

Swarrier - While we are on the subject, for me it`s always the ``chemistry`` that has to go well :) I have been a calculus and chemistry person through and through. Physics was ok. Heat transfer and Design was where my passion lied once upon a time.

I suggest listening to Gulzar`s introduction to Abida Parveen singing Kabir. That`s the most magnificent work I have come across in ages. I do not ever share my CDs or music collection, but I gave that away to my father`s youngest sister (pophi jaan) who has the appreciation for the said verses and won`t have found them on her own in DC. That`s a huge step for me to part with something that meant a lot to me. I never missed that CD since I still have the cover and it gives me an impression that I still have it somewhere. I may not ever buy it again since I can get it on Rhapsody online. I felt like mentioning that CD since it brings artists from both side together to create magnificence.

People, like BJK, may come back to give me a sermon, ``ama zahra ji, how could you ever think of having kabir, india and pakistan in one sentence? We are all derivates of the same ancestors.`` And, he may have his own point in that :)

I like the cover and the message it conveys. Check it out if you haven`t already.

http://www.sonarupa.co.uk/itm00977.htm

Re: # 55
HN
You can almost picture yearning in those lines
Mora gora ang laile
Mohe shyam rang dai de
Chup jaaoongi hee raat mein
Mohe pee ka sang dai de
Gulzar is wonderful. Another person who enriched Hindi films was Shailendra. It`s a pity that formulaic Hindi films never went beyond the man meets woman formula for lyrics in those films to explore ideas other than yearning, love and all that jazz. I think more lyrics on social consciousness, poetry on contemporary themes would have been wonderful. Given more a chance for lyricists to explore.

Re: # 57

swarrier, DM:

Since we are onto this - folk, classical music, urdu, hindi etc. Would it be too much to ask you to get into Amir Khusro (Khusrau). No not an article on him, there are many. But sharing some knowledge, here on ``interacts``, which is not commonly known.

What can be more mysterious, spiritual and tittilating as:

``Chap tilak sab cheen .....``

swarrier#45:

I agree that Khayyam has not given completely classical music but, in my opinion, Sardari Begum`s music is also semi-classical and that is very much up Khayyam/s alley. As you would be aware, the inspiration for Sardari was Begum Akhtar and some of her best compositions are with Khayyam. I tried to search for her rendition of Ghalib`s ``Sab kahaan kuchh Lal-o-Gul mein numaaiyaan ho gaye`` with music by Khyaam but couldn`t find it. Try a listen if you can get hold of it.

Dost Mittar -

Hello! Hope you have been keeping well. As soon as I saw the title, I was reminded of the weird tune of this song. I am sorry I never liked the tune and the music behind this song. The lyrics are pretty, but it`s a very depressing tune. I understand that you have tried to compile the music of the bygone era and used the title to attract your audience. I never understood the reason behind our elders liking these melancholic tunes.

In any case, it was nice to see you back. Hope you had a nice break from Chowk.

Regards,
Z

Re: # 46
A good question why we long for melancolic tunes. I can not answer clearly but but tragic things touch our hearts much deeply and we remember distinctly than joyful things. The legend tells the Buddha was so much affected by sorrow he abandoned happy life.
If you think of all major plays we appreciate by shakespear ,Hamlet, Othollo,McBeth, Julious Ceasar and crowning all them is King Lear are all with Pathos . Classical Greek Drama is tragic only and destruction of men and women by orginal sin , which as basic character flaw. If you have listened to western music played at requium or Funerals is very touching. A very touching music is played in Dr. Zivago music when the child is at funeral of his mother and leaves flowers and starts going back with his uncle and the notes are haunting( there two more melancholic tunes for two more occasions in that movies) and they reverberate as they are melancholic. Or famous Turkish death march/ Vinnea is very great sorrowful majestic music. And you remember notes and they can be stunning. In old age we mature and past haunts and you can listen to meloncolic tunes natural to your mental disposition.
Good day.
Meloncoly is also part of sublimation of older mind and its bit with nostalgic ethos not so natural with young people.I feel as we grow old and our children move away on thier way we are left alone and we know we have to carry our cross its lonely path and on this path some thing, like young people bubbly couple gigling or old cat feebly walking you remember times gone and never to come one , or old cats gone charm just remainds you if you are sensetive.As we grow old one becomes , we note mistakes we made and there is pathos and so we old like meloncolic tunes.

swarrier#43:

Yes, I have these in my collection. Good songs. But I think that Khayam would have done a better job; also I would have preferred to see somenone like Vani Jairam or Shubha Mudgal instead of Arti Angalikar as the main singer for Sardari.

Re: # 44
I cannot make such a statement regarding composers that differ so widely in styles. I do not think Khayyam has given a completely classical score of this genre.
I have heard a lot of Aarti Anklikar since she is a purely classical singer and very little of Shubha Mudgal to compare the two. Vani Jairam is not entirely my cup of tea.

DM listen to these, you may have already hear them but they are lovely from Sardari Begum a film made in the 90`s

Ghar Nahin

Sanwariya

Huzoor

Raah mein