Top Ten South Asian Pieces of Music

Whaat?????

No RabindraSangeet???!!?? All you bourgeoise!! Shame on you!

Man people on Chowk have such classy tastes in music. I`m very impressed. I do know the song you refer to by Kishore Kumar, quite by accident ofcourse, and like it a lot.

My fav desi music is anything that involves Amitabh Bacchan. (I can feel the groans going around, but please bear with me). The Gen Xers of South Asia are kids of the 70s and 80s. Amitabh was king. Okay he was not a singer himself, but the songs he got in movies were great.

The one song I know he sang was in Mr Natwarlal. ``Challa ja raha tha....`` But also Silsila, Shaan, Sholay, Kaalia, Amar Akbar Anthony....all great movies with great songs.

Also, and yes this is bringing in a populist touch to a hitherto elitist discussion, who can forget Nazia Hassan? Currently, I like the guy who sang Billo dey Ghar, Abrar. He`s more earthy and son of the soil type than Junoon shunoon. Immitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Abrar should be very flattered from the response across the border from India.

P.S.: This is such a nice topic. A sincere request to all Chowkies (myself included) to please not bring Kashmir, religion, politics in this board. There are many other boards that can be soiled.

South Asian music and no place for Ustaad Karim Khan, Ustaad Nazaakat Ali Khan,Salaamat Ali Khan,

Lalguddi Jayaraman,Amjad Ali Khan,Ustaad AliAkbar

Khan,Pandit Ravi Shankar,Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia,Ustaad Amir Khan,Ustaad Umrao Bundu Khan,Ustaad Sultan Khan,Parween Sultana,Roshan Aara Begum,Begum Akhtar,Girija Devi, Farida Khanum and Ustaad Allah Rakha.

Intrestingly,there were a few interactors with

Iqbal Bano and a single interactor for Bhimsen Joshi.Probably,its all a matter of taste and the

taste changes with the passage of time.

Regards.

HN #20

Yes, I too enjoy the songs which has good lyrics to it. But they mostly belong to the melodious variety. For dance, excersice or just simple fun one needs more peppy music and there the lyrics dosn`t matter.

Besides Hindi/ Urdu songs their are some English songs as well with great lyrics like ``You fill up my sense``, ``Love Story``, ``Evergreen Tree`` and so may more.

But one must agree that even great lyrics with bad music just does not appeal.

Mona

AJ NABI, is that really your name or is it just a moniker (ajnabi?)

I am confused you keep narrating your experiences in Peshawar and Rawalpindi and then you are nostalgic about your childhood in INDIA?

Anyway, are you going to put these songs up on some web-site to be downloaded? Maybe, on morpheus so all of us can share your tastes.

IMO, appreciation of music is like enjoying a flower garden or a sumptuous feast, in that the wide variety available enhances the special beauty of a few.

For instance, apart from the large variety available in Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, Begum Akhtar is just wonderful in `Woh jo hum me tum me qaraar thaa` and DV Paluskar in his bhajans, and Saigal in his `Baabul moraa naihar chooto`, and Yesudas in his Ayappa devotionals, etc but items like traditional folk music and `boondo`n se baathe`n` have their place too.

So I suggest you run with your whole collection :).

Hmmm....must go see if I can find some of those, since the ones I knew I liked.

But you left out MS Subulakshmi! Have you heard her? Her traditional carnatic style stuff is absolutely wonderful (do not accept her attempts at hindi bhajans, where her light unfortunately does not shine as it should).

Sameer, like any other matter you show extreme patience in music too. Well, I kind of like the songs which last for five minutes or so. While I also like Malika Pukhraj`s `` Abhi to main jawan hoo`` I like all the light oldies from Hindi movies along with the heavy ones. Some of them would be ``Ek chatur nar bare hoshiaar`` (Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar) from Parosan, ``Meri pyari Bindu, Meri Sinduri Bindu`` by KK from the same film, ``Hum Kale Haito Kya Hua Dilbale Hai`` by Rafi in Gumnam, ``Hum jindegi ki sath nivata chala gaya``, ``Dil ka bhamar kare pukar`` of Rafi.



Can go on forever, this is the most favorite topic of mine. While I work, musicIndia on-line is always at the back playing..... How I wish we exchanged gazal, not golis. Remember the song of Rafi set at Kashmir? ``Ai Phulo ki Rani, Baharo Ki malika, tera muskarana gazab ho gya``......Now the films are shot at New Zealand, Switzerland, Alaska... Does not feel the same.

A pleasant collection. I liked the piece very much too. Can I add to Ras` concern for The Shah of Chicago.

Some of the pieces are so difficult to get hold of. Your Kishore song...have not heard of that. Can you give some more details...of that song.

Little to add on music though. Wonder if Sameer and others here can give me some explanation of this particular concern of mine. As far as film music is concerned...i have felt that i relate to the lyrics more than the music. That might be the reason why i have not enjoyed a lot of western music.

Any insights...similar-dissimmilar experiences...

aj nabi,

whatever happened to the shah of chicago?

Ras Siddiqui,

``Anyway for a quick input here:

1) ``Mujh Say Pehli Si Mohabbat``: Madam Noor Jahan

2) ``Allah Hoo``: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan``

........now that`s music to my ears:)

dost-mittar #14: Here are some gems which come to my mind, not in any particular order:

1. Pathana Khan-AsaN talub sayeeN de naam dee

2. Alam Lohar-Ley tuN wekh jadola bar da-Mirza SahibaaN

3. ReshmaN-Heer aakhdi jogya jhoot bolaiN-Heer

4. Bare Ghulam Ali Khan-SayyaN gaye Pardes-Dadra

6. Noor Jehan-Mujh se pehli si mohabbat-Faiz

7. Mehdi Hassan-Dekh to dil ke jaaN se-Mir

8. Malika Pukhraj-Abhi to maiN jawan hoon-Hafeez

9. Shamshad Begum-Bare mushkil se dil kee beqarari

10.Lata-Bachpan kee mohabbat ko dil se na juda karna

11. Kishore Kumar-chingari koi bharhke and pal pal dil ke pass

12. Manna Dey-Yeh hichkee sharab kee naheeN hey dosto

13. Pradeep Kumar-Pinjrey ke panchee rey

14. Dilshad Akhtar-Dil wich wasna aeN, rehnaN haiN akhian tuN dur wey

15. Malkit Singh-Jugni

16. Nusrat F. A. Khan-Rabba lakh lakh shukr manawaN, je kadi mera yaar mil jaye

Top Ten South Asian pieces of music - that`s just top ten in Hindi/Urdu guys. There are at least twenty other South Asian languages from which to pick the top ten.

Its a bit like Don Bradman picking seven Aussies in his dream team.

hmmm where I live we dont have earthquakes but constant annoying fire-alarms. So next time I am instructed to ``head to the nearest exit, donot use elevators ...`` and walk down X # of floors will listen to these !! Well someone`s attempting to cook(??) AGAIN so got to go ! thks -

The write up is so cute.. I agree with most of your choice, except that my list would *have * to include Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. What are your thoughts on him?

I do not understand why Mr. KumarGandharva is called `bad boy`of Indian classical music. Can anybody explain the remark of writer. I have heard his music on musicindialine.com and one of the most spiritual music and very touching. Sure he is not a singer travelling on beaten path. He is unique in his interpretation of notes and mastery of vocal cords. He is one of few singers of Indian classical who can be sweet without all support of background music.

Due to Internet I am able to listen to many new very good classical musicians. I do enjoy Rashid Khan and Ulhas Kashalkar of young Indian Musicians. In Pakistan Indian classical music (Hindustani) is dead practically. I feel good that Indians have kept alive classical music and progressing. I was told indian classical music was on `oxygen` for some times after freedom of 47. (Due to loss of support from princely states). I tried to get CDs -Mr. K Gandharva`s songs on cd or casset but could not. (In Karachi we have all hindi film music ,here I think mostly old well to do people of old India enjoy classical music- vanishing tribe, not consumer base for pirating) .

I will be grateful if somebody can give E-address to buy Mr. K.Gandharva`s music CD. My children in USA can send me.

Lastly how old is above singer, his picture appears to be in early 50s. Does he sings `filmy` music?

Good day everybody.