Songs of 1945 @ SoY :: Female Solo Songs – Other Female Singers [2]

As I started search for the Micro View of the Solo Songs of Other Female Singers in HFGK, it was evidently apparent that this will be last episode in so far as the  Micro View of Solo Songs of Female Singers for the year 1945.

Renuka Devi

Chhayi Ghata Ghanghor Gagan Mein, CharoN Taraf Andhiyari – Gulami – S K Pal – Bharat Vyas

Rekha Mallik

Gae Ja Tu Apana Geet, Chhod De AuroN Ka Sangeet – Humrahi – R C Boral – Munshi Zakir Hussain

Binota Bose

Hansi Chand Ki Nirali, Man Ko Bhulanewali – Humrahi – R C Boral – Munshi Zakir Hussain

Jigar Ke Daag Naye Gul Khilate Jaate Hai – Humrahi – R C Boral – Munshi Zakir Hussain

Din Hai Bahar Ke Aaye, Ek Naya Sandesha Laaye – Humrahi – R C Boral – Munshi Zakir Hussain

Shanta Patel

Mast Jawani Aayee, Ayee Anagadai To Main sharamayee – Ji Haab – Shreenath Tripathi – Pt. Indra

Mori Atariya Pe Chamake Bijuriya, Chamake Bihuriya – Ji Haab – Shreenath Tripathi – Pt. Indra

Koi Bol Raha Hai Kaya Man Mein… Ek Saloni Chhabi Muskai – Ji Haab – Shreenath Tripathi – Pt. Indra

Binapani Mukherjee

Abad Dil Ki Duniya Barbaad Hui Hai – Mazdoor – H P Das – G S Nepali

Begum Akhtar

Main Raja Ke Apne Riza Ke Rahungi – Panna Dai – Gyan Dutt – D N Madhok

Fasl-e-Gul Aayee, Hamien Yaad Teri Aayee Nahin – Panna Dai – Gyan Dutt – D N Madhok

This is part II  of Fasl-e-Gul Aayi, Hamein Yaad Teri Satane Lagi – Panna Dai – Gyan Dutt – D N Madhok

Meenaxi

Mand Mand Chale Hawa Mera Dil Naach Raha – Panna Dai – Gyan Dutt – D N Madhok’

Nirmala Devi

Kisane Diya Hai Ham Ko Sahara – Piya Milan – Firoz Nizami B A -M Naseem

Ga Ga Re Manwa Gaa, Geet Khushi Ke Gaa – Piya Mialn – Firoz Nizami B A -M Naseem

Suna Do Muhabbat Ke Nagame Suna Do – Piya Mialn – Firoz Nizami B A – Tanveer Naqvi

Ro Raha Hai Aaj Koi Muskarane Ke Liye – Piya Mialn – Firoz Nizami B A – Tanveer Naqvi

Uidentified Singer

This is the song for which HFGK does not identify the singer, but YT clip does have the singer identified.

Yeh Ranj Judai Ke Uthaye Nahi Jaate Hain – Gazal – Naseem Akhtar – Gyan Dutt –

In our next episode I plan to sum up My Top Female Solo Songs for 1945.

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – June, 2017

Welcome to June, 2017 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

It is a great pleasure to open the curtains of June 2017 post of blog carnival series with Songs of Yore completes seven years that presents what has by now been a well-established tradition of presenting some quite unusual songs and songs of some unique personality form the world of music on the occasion of celebration of the birth anniversary of this blog. Master Madan is the case in point this year.

We will now take up the posts on the anniversaries or eulogies:

‘Not very beautiful but vivacious’: How Nargis was cast in her breakthrough movie ‘Taqdeer’ – Kishwar Desai –  June 1 marks the birth anniversary of Nargis, one of Indian cinema’s greatest actresses. Nargis had appeared in a few films in small roles before Taqdeer, which was directed by Mehboob Khan. She was 14 at the time, and was paired with Motilal.

The Spontaneity of Nutan That Rose Above ‘Acting’ – Antara Nanda Mondal pays a tribute to the legendary actress Nutan with a brief journey through some of her immortal songs – in which she essayed an amazing variety of roles. Her spontaneity and versatility made her rise above the accepted norms of ‘acting’ in mainstream cinema.

Nutan speaks about Bimal Roy is recently added by the Youtube channel WildfilmsIndia which features many videos of a geographical, historical and cultural nature.

KA Abbas, ‘biggest bulk buyer of tickets’ of his own films and eternal dreamer – Juhi Saklani– The medium was always the message for Khwaja Ahmed Abbas (June 7, 1914-June 1, 1987), the celebrated writer, filmmaker and columnist.

Chaar Rahein – K A Abbas at the junction between tradition and progress – is one of the most structurally interesting Hindi films of its time, with separate stories coming together through the device of the crossroads and the personal journeys of the characters passing it. Two years earlier, Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s debut film Musafir had used a house and its landlord to link three discrete narratives. If the “makaan” in that film represents a society made up of many types of people, Char Dil Char Rahein is about the tradition-modernity conflict facing a nation; it is, literally and otherwise, set at the intersection between old roads and a new one.

Sajjad Hussain, the composer whose music has endured ‘with a tenacity that defies reason’ – Rudradeep Bhattacharjee – June 15 marks the birth centenary of the multi-instrumentalist and legendary composer of the movies ‘Sangdil’ and ‘Rustam Sohrab’. …Hussain’s work in the film, a historical titled Daiwayogaya (1959) (a Sinhala film), has largely escaped our attention. This, among other things, means that most of us have been bereft of the pleasure of listening to the spellbinding Adarayai Karunawai.

Sudhir, in his tribute post on Atul’s Songs a Day remembers Sajjad Hussain  thru’  Chali Pawan Purvaai, Chali Pawan (Dharam, 1945; Singers – Naseem Banu, Ratanbai).

Gaddeswarup Blog adds Sajjad Hussain: A biography and his perhaps most popular song…

Ye Hawa Ye Chandani Teri Ek Nazar Ka Khumar Hai – Sangdil (1952) – Talat Mahmood

The June 2017 episode of Fading Memories, Unforgettable Songs was dedicated to V Balsara, known probably more for his mastery in playing different musical instruments.

Here are posts on other subjects as well:

Documentary retraces the journey of the woman from Faizabad who became Begum Akhtar – Nandini Ramnath – Nirmal Chander’s visually sumptuous (documentary) ‘Zikr Us Parivash Ka’ is a cradle-to-grave account of one of India’s most celebrated classical music artist.

Two snake dances from S.D. Burmam and one from Naushad

O Pardesiya..Pyar Ki Bahar Leke, Dil Ka Qarar Leke… – Bahar (1951) – Shamshad Begum – S D Burman

Serpent Dance – Guide (1965) – S D Burman

Snake Dance – Dastan (1950) – Naushad

Film Songs Based on Classical Ragas (12) – A morning with Asavari/Jaunpuri in which the guest author Subodh Agrawal decodes the similar ragas Asavari, Jaunpuri and Dev Gandhar with his characteristic clarity.

‘Roop Tera Mastana’ simply refuses to grow old – Arun Fulara  – ‘Aradhana’ director Shakti Samanta filmed the song in a single audacious take.

My Favourites: Memorable Scenes From Hindi Films, depicting many moods; scenes that, if you tell the name of the film, are the ones one will immediately recollect.

Before ‘Tubelight’, ‘Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani’ dreamt of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai – Nandini Ramnath – V Shantaram’s 1946 movie retraces the journey of Indian doctor Dwarkanath Kotnis from Sholapur to the Chinese battlefield.

Homes and Houses: Ten songs – Hindi cinema has done ample justice to the concept of ‘home’ and ‘house’, from songs like Ek bangla bane nyaara to films like Dastak, Biwi aur Makaan, Hamaara Ghar, Gharaunda and Tere Ghar ke Saamne. The author has picked pre-1970 songs of Homes that are envisioned, homes that are hoped for, homes that light up with joy because of the coming of a festival or the arrival of a loved one, homes destroyed. Here are a couple picks form the list:

• Saamne gali mein mera ghar hai (Mirza Sahibaan, 1947)
• Rehne ko ghar do (Biwi aur Makaan, 1966)

Cycle trails of Bollywood – After taking us through horses, tongas and steam engine, DP Rangan now logically takes us on a joy-ride of cycle songs. Along the way, he also writes a dissertation on its history.

Nain se nain from generation to generation

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan of Patiala – Raag Darbari

Raag Darbari fusion with rock music – composed by his nephews Wali hamid ali khan & Kamran Akhtar

Shah Rukh Khan’s Doodle Among Stunning Rare Film Collectibles, Stills, Artwork in Osian’s Auction –  Antara Nanda Mondal– Among the rare collectibles in the auction are a bunch of original artworks by renowned filmmakers Satyajit Ray and Mani Kaul. Besides there are original publicity-material art for Andaz (1949), Anari (1959), Guide (1965), Deewaar (1975) and others. A huge collection of rare posters, showcards, lobby cards, photographic stills from the golden 1950’s period to the era of Amitabh Bachchan to the current trinity of Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir Khan go under the hammer at the prestigious auction on 22 June, 2017.

SIKENDER. 1941 starring Prithviraj Kapoor in title role
Sepia toned Photographic Stills Mounted on Lobby Cards, probably used for early re-release publicity ({Pic: Osians)

In our series Micro View of Best Songs 1948 @SoY, we have commenced the detailed posts on Male Solo songs with those of Mohammad Rafi and Mukesh.

To end the today’s post with an article on Mohammed Rafi, I have zeroed upon an old post – Seven of My Favorite Rafi Songs– from Dances on Footpath. The author also has noted that these seven songs are not appreciated as Rafi songs go. Well, of the seven songs mentioned therein YT link 4 links have become dysfunctional. At least two songs do certainly would not be qualified as “unappreciated” So here are just two songs that stand out:

Nazron Ke Teera Maare Kas Kas – Do Ustaad (1959) – with Asha Bhosle – O P Nayyar – Qamar Jalalabadi

My Dearo Dearo Mummy Nahin – Nagina (1951) – with Shmashad Begum – Shanker Jaikishan

I trust you will always feel free to proffer your suggestions for making this series of posts more lively and informative….

Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music – October 2014

Welcome to October, 2014 edition of Carnival of Blogs on Golden Era of Hindi Film Music.

We have a discovery to report this month. It is a discovery on two counts – first one being that fact that I landed upon this blog only this month, though ought to have done so a little earlier, and the second one is because the blog itself is Back after a long hiatus!.

So, we will devote our beginning to posts on Songs, Stories, Books and More… Random Musings. However, we would pick up posts for the normal period of this edition and would find opportunities to delve into (relatively) older posts in the future editions of our carnival.

We have two posts on one subject, wherein both the posts have approached the subject from totally different angle. The subject is Lata Mangeshkar’s birthday (on 28^th September). The First one is Happy Birthday, Lata ji,… despite loving Asha Bhosle to the core, there are many Lata songs that I am very fond of…The volume and quality of work she has behind her is unmatched and unparalleled. And this is an Asha fan saying this.. And the Second Post is: The Swar-Saamraagyi and the the Sangeet-Maartand: Best of Lata Mangeshkar by Anil Biswas, as can be expected on any SoY post, doing full justice the selection of the songs from 123 songs that Anil Biswas – LataMangeshkar combination has provided from 30 films.

October sets in… oh yes, Happy Birthday Asha Parekh… has chosen to present songs from Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon. Lakhon Hai Nigah Main, Zindagi Ki Raah Mein obviously draws a parallel with Jawaniyan Yeh Mast Mast Bin Piye  [Tumsa Nahin Dekha]. “Both songs are favourites though (I) prefer to watch the Tumsa Nahin Dekha song and listen to Lakhon Hai Nigah Mein!”

Gungunaoonga Yehi Geet Main Tere Liye – Remembering Sachin Dev Burman and Majrooh Sultanpuri is in memory of 108^th and 95^th birth anniversaries respectively. “Mohd Rafi .. happens to be.. favourite singer and I remember reading somewhere that Dada Burman wanted him to sing this song. He wasn’t in favour of Talat saab because of that tremble in his voice. But luckily for us, Jaidev (his assistant then) convinced Dada Burman to give Talat saab this song. Thank god for that. However much, I adore Rafi, no one could have sung this song better than Talat saab.”

We have a pair of very interesting posts on Asha Bhosle and Geeta Dutt on “Songs…and More”.

The recent one Chali Re Chali Re Main toh Des Parayee (Saranga, 1961) presents a haunting, plaintive number from film Saranga, one of the films that did make a very special space for Sardar Malik as quite an accomplished music director. The second one is w.r.t. Asha Bhosle’s birthday – Thank you for the music and memories, Asha ji! – which has picked up quite a melodious piece of Humming in Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), among other songs.

Geeta Dutt’s song Rut Phire Par Din Hamare was not there Pyasa.(1957), but has found its place here on account of “Thou shalt write a long post on at least one Sahir Ludhianvi song per week” policy. Rut Phire Par din Hamare Phire Na (Pyaasa, 1957) recollects the topic of this song in Nasreen Munni Kabir’s book (Conversations with Waheeda Rehman). According to Waheeda, this song had been filmed with her rowing in a boat and everyone had appreciated the picturisation. However Waheeda Rehman differed with the view and she apparently pointed out that having that song slows the pace of the story and is just boring. Guru Dutt had heard her criticism and after the first screening, had agreed with her observation (seeing people walk out for a bathroom or coffee break), had taken it off. Excerpts from this bok can be glanced at Excerpt | Conversations With Waheeda Rehman. The other one is Na Main Dhan Chahun Na Ratan Chahun (Kala Bazaar, 1960), This duet, by Geeta Dutt and Sudha Malhotra is said to have ben (actually) composed by Jaidev, the then assistant to S D Burman. This seems quite logical since “Jaidev’s bhajans from Hum Dono (1961) are remembered to the day – Allah Tero Naam, and Prabhu Tero Naam.”

Guru Dutt’s 50^th death anniversary brings in San San San Woh Chali Hawa – Kaagaz Ke Phool, 1959 ‘to remember Guru Dutt not as the melancholic, unhappy genius film maker but in happier times with a happy number! He was after all only 39 when he died.’

We have several other anniversary posts in the present episode of the carnival.

Happy 88th Birthday, Madam Noor Jehan! has clips of the entire ‘90s interview on BBC plus all of Noor Jehan birthday posts going back to 2009. A veritable treasure in on Noor Jehan, in one place !

On Begum Akhtar’s birth centenary, a musical tribute at her grave…..One hundred years after she was born, Begum Akhtar is being remembered and celebrated at the place where she was laid to rest.

How Begum Akhtar changed my life: a tribute on the singer’s 100th birth anniversary – Tisha Srivastav

“Now as a woman in my 40s, having lived life a little, the Begum is back in my life, as a modern-day primer to soothe me into understanding the subtext of experiences. Of love, shocks, surprises, loneliness, romancing life itself and laughing at one’s obsessions.”

The Lonely Ghazal Queen: Begum Akhtar , a legend in her lifetime, who achieved enormous fame at a very young age, and gave joy to millions of listeners of many generations, including doyens like Mehdi Hasan, Talat Mahmood, Madan Mohan, Pt. Jasraj and Pt. Ravi Shankar, Begum Akhtar’s own life seems to be full of sorrow, pain, abusive relationships, betrayal by people she loved and a deep melancholy.

Unfathomable greatness – Saleem Kidwai

The way [Begum Akhtar] would split words or combine them into musical phrases shows how comfortable she was with Urdu’s poetic idiom. This musical comfort level with the language also marked out some of her younger contemporaries like Mehdi Hasan, Iqbal Bano and Farida Khanum, and is sadly missing from most other singers.

Kishore Kumar’s duets by SD Burman : “With 115 songs, he gave Kishore Kumar more songs than any other (male) singer. Surjit Singh’s site indicates that out of this only 53 were solos, and 51 were Male –Female duets, 8 Male duets and 3 other songs. “.. and even die-hard opinionated person like me would very happily concede that quite a few of these pre-Aradhana duets did creditable justice to S D Burman’s marked preference to Kishore Kumar.

Geet Gaya Paththaron Ne – Rajakamal Studio is very passionate retrospective of films that have created a very respectable distinctive position for V. Shantaram. The post also carries link to a song each from Rajakamal Studio’s films from Shakuntala (1943) to Pinjra (1973).

My Favourites: Songs of Yearning – This ‘someone’ is a very hazy concept. We don’t usually know who, or how or when or where we will meet this particular person; we don’t even know that we will meet that special someone. And we do, perhaps – through choice, through circumstance, through fate. Or the someone we find becomes special. But in the meanwhile, we have our own hopes, dreams and expectations of finding that glorious love

Ten of my favourite string instrument songs, where it’s not an orchestra (Ted Lyons and His Cubs, anyone? Or The Monkees?), but a hero or heroine, not a professional musician, being the one ‘playing’ an instrument?

Radio Playback India has presented Raag Hansdhwani by Hariprasad Chaurasia.. I have especial fascination for Raag Hansdhwani, primarily because of Jaa To Se Nahin Bolun Kanhaiya , A Lata Mangeshakar – Manna Dey Duet from film Parivar(1956) , and then because of this song I landed upon this very famous Taranaa by Pandit Amir Khan Saheb Incidentally one of initial blog post is a compilation [Part I, Part II and Part III] of all that I could gather at that time on internet on Hansdhwani.

In our now a regular visit to Suresh Chandvankar’s articles, we have a topical article – When Bollywood maestros collaborated to put a Gandhi prayer to melody. The film musician Vasant Desai cut a disc of Gandhiji’s poem, sung by Manna Dey and Chorus. Gandhiji is credited as the lyricist .

How a goatherd and Mozart inspired the score for Bimal Roy’s ‘Madhumati’, is an excerpt, from Bimal Roy’s Madhumati: Untold Stories from Behind the Scenes by Rinki Roy Bhattacharya published by Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd..

Tamilnadus’ (ex)CM J. Jayalalitha was in the news recently. But we recall here ‘Four dance sequences from classic Jayalalithaa movies, of which one is from Hindi film Izzat (1967) – Jaagi Badan Men Jwala, Saiyan Tune Kya Kar Dala.

MANMOHAN KRISHNA SINGS FOR OP NAYYAR is one more post where we have very unique songs. Of the two non-film songs, both penned by Saroj Mohini Nayyar, the first one is Buje Diye Hua Andhera and the second one is Diya To Jala Sab Raat Re Balam. The latter song was also recorded in film Dhake Ki Malamal by C H Atma .

We round off this carnival edition with a post from Songs..Books and More – Sabhi Kuch Lutakar (Singer – Mohd Rafi, Movie Indrani, 1958) is a “wonderful romantic Hindi number was from an old Bengali film It is picturised on an unknown face. This man (a vagabond?) is strumming a guitar and singing this song. He is watched by Kumar and Sen – a just married couple – standing outside in the veranda of their house. Interspersed with Bengali dialogues, the mood of the song is indeed very romantic.”