|
|
| |
 |
| |
Indian
pop music special |
| |
| Before
Bollywood came calling and grabbed most of Indian pop's singers as
playback singers, there was some excellent music being made. In the
nineties, Indian pop music scene was actually very diverse and was
filled with melodic musicians. This week, we take a look at some of
those beautiful songs… |
| |
'O
Sanam'
Lucky Ali
Long
before Lucky Ali ventured into Bollywood as an actor and a singer,
he debuted on the Indian pop music scene with the album, Sunoh in
1996. And the breakthrough number, 'O Sanam' established him as
one of best singers of contemporary times.
'O Sanam' is an incredible song and there are two reasons: (a) Ali's
soulful voice that hit all the right notes and (b) the striking
melody of the song that thrives with the use of mélange of
instruments and created a very mystic feeling.
Lucky Ali is as striking as our pop superstar Atif Aslam. No one
can ever forget Atif's vocals because his voice is just that unique.
Same is the case with Lucky Ali. In other words, he is as different
as Atif. But he is more restrained and has yet to go off key. |
 |
| 'O
Sanam' is a love song and while it isn't exactly a ballad, it is not
a rock-pop song. It's got a rustic feel that comes through with instruments
like North Indian drums and with those romantic lyrics that go, "Mil
Ke Bichhurana Toh Dastoor Ho Gaya/Yaadoein Mein Teri Mazboor Ho Gaya/O
Sanam Teri Yaadoein Ki Kasam/Samjhe Zamana Ki Dil Hai Khilona/Jana
Hai Ab Kya Hai Dil Ka Lagana/Nazaro Se Ab Na Humkon Girana/Mar Bhi
Gaye Toh Bhool Na Jana" – one can't help but end up falling
in love with the song. So download this wonderful ditty now and if
you're at it, give Sunoh a listen to. |
| |
|
'Krishna'
Colonial Cousins
Bombay-based
producer and musician Leslie Lewis and classically trained Ghazal
singer Hariharan in 1996 teamed up on a fusion album, where Hariharan's
Eastern vocals met Leslie's love of the West. It was a very decent
album and afterward the two men split and are now threatening a
comeback later this year.
Off their debut album, one song that really struck a chord on the
music scene was 'Krishna' – a song that honestly paints the
repercussions of racial divide and lack of tolerance and respect
for religions.
Sung essentially in English with classical raags fused, the lyrics
ring true to our times more than ever before.
"Come back as Jesus/Come back and save the world/Bless all
the future of every body and girl/Come back as Rama/Forgive us for
what we've done/Come back as Allah/Come Back as anyone/Religion
is the reason the world is breaking up into pieces/Colour of the
people keeps us locked in hate/Please release us/So come down and
help us/Save all the little ones/They need a teacher/And you are
the only one/We can rely on to build a better world/Whether its
for children or for anyone."
Leslie and Hariharan wrote a fantastic song and it is a must-hear
for everyone.
|
 |
| |
'Ab
Mujhe Raat Din'
Sonu Nigam
He
is considered one of the greats in India today. In Bollywood,
there is no big actor who Sonu Nigam hasn't sung for including
Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir Khan. But before his success in
Bollywood, Sonu Nigam made quite a few pop albums. And his
song, 'Ab Mujhe Raat Din' remains one of his finest as a pop
singer after which he become totally commercial and eventually
entered Bollywood for good.
The song, a simple pop song that boasts of some soft acoustic
guitars magic, a haunting melody filled with subtle piano
in the background, the song is simply put a wonderful love
song. There is no other way to define it. And back then, Sonu's
voice brought an edge of freshness that never exited in the
Indian pop scene. |
 |
| |
'Piya
Basanti Re'
Ustad Sultan Khan and Chitra Singh
In the late nineties, Ustad Sultan Khan, a renowned
Sarangi player and singer from Indore Gharana and ghazal singer
Chitra Singh teamed and sang this beautiful duet single.
Fusing electric guitars with tablas, 'Piya Basanti Re' marked
the first merger between these two classically trained and highly
accomplished singers. While the music is contemporary with a
soft flute in the background, it the mixture of these two vocals
together that makes 'Piya Basanti Re' such a lethal song. The
lyrics are simply lovely as they go, "O baadal Ne Angdayi
Li Jo Kabhi/Lehraya Dharti Ka Aanchal/Yeh Patta Patta Yeh Boota
Boota/Chhede Hai Kaisi Yeh Halchal/Manwa Yeh Dole Jaane Kya
Bole/Maanega Na Mera Jiya/Tere Hain Ham Tere Piya/O Kaahe Sataaye
Aaja/Piya Basanti Re Kaahe Sataaye Aaja" and the inclusion
of instruments like sitar with drums is simply delightful.
|
 |
| |
'Zindagi'
Suchitra Krishnamurti|
She is an actress and a painter and even a singer.
But her music, the two albums, were not too impressive. Mostly
they were weak with a few striking twists in between. But when
she was married to filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, something interesting
happened. Her music sparked up. The song that she wrote for
Shekhar and even featured him in the video alongside her on
a beach is really something.
Unlike her contemporaries, Shweta, Anaida and Mehnaz, Suchitra
has a sweet voice but not the diabetic kind but more like honey
that can hit some seriously high notes without going out of
tune.
The song is a testament to her love for her then-husband Shekhar
and what comes across is a level of personal reflection and
honesty, which makes the whole song and its treatment stand
out. It's a darn shame that Shekhar and Suchitra divorced years
later. But then again, maybe that might bring this fine singer
back into the mould of music. But until that happens, give 'Zindagi'
a shot. After all, when music is personal, it sounds more pure
and that hardly ever goes wrong. |
 |
| |
'Pyar
Ke Pal'
KK
KK broke through onto the Bollywood circuit with Sanjay
Leela Bhansali's Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam back in 1999. The song
was 'Tadap Tadap' and it established this young singer as a
voice to watch out for. Now KK is yet another voice in the Indian
film music scene.
But before Bollywood happened to him, he teamed up with Leslie
Lewis and released the single 'Pyar Ke Pal'.
'Pyar Ke Pal' is one of the best songs to ever come out of India.
KK is neither as sweet as Sonu Nigam nor is he as harsh as Sukhwinder
Singh. He is somewhere in between which makes him a decent singer.
And Leslie Lewis, who has worked with most of India's once-thriving
pop singers, is a fabulous composer. This tune, which brought
these two together and the result was magic.
'Pyar Ke Pal' is a ballad but one that is nothing like what
we hear from Indian filmi music. It's soft, heartbreaking and
mostly it is a beautiful melody that instantly catches one's
attention.
The lyrics are slightly clichéd but then this is a love
song and that is to be expected unless the lyricist is Gulzar.
So give it a hear… |
 |
| |
|
|
