Similarity of Songs in context of Shankar-Jaikishan

Jayaishwer Man Pradhan

In Indian Classical Music the great Bhathkahenda ji has divided ten parents of raga i.e. Bhiravi, Bhirav, Todi, Asavari, Khamaj, Marwa, Poriya, Kafi, Kalyanet.. All the ragas are based on the one of the above Thatथाट. So if any songs are composed in Bhiravi That it will sound like same melody.

However point to be noted that the team of Shankar-Jaikishen has composed hundreds of song in Bhairavi, that based, surprisingly they are not much similar when one listens same time. I think SJ could compose with permutation and combination of Bhiravi That थाट may infinite numbers of tunes. When I read in this site that "Tu Pyaar ka sagar hai.." is based on Darbaari(Asawari) I checked the notation by using instrument , yes it is theoretically based on Asawari. I was surprised how they created such tune based on Asavari which are very difficult to identify very much different to their darbari based song like Jhan ka Jhanaka Baje.., Radhikey tune bansi.... . So they are really genius of this century.

I think Vasanta Desai, also one of the ntemporary, who composed songs based on classical ragas. But I find his composition dull when I listen to them as a common/oridinary music lover. His two songs one from Guddi "Ham ko man ki shakti.." and one another ""Dara san dey ... by Mannadey and Asha are exactly are similar. If I listen as a student of classical music, they are really basically beautiful Bandish based on the Raga kedar.

I respect Naushad saheb as a great musician of India. I agree the version of some of the fans that his man tarapat .. is based on old bandish of Raga Malkaush. I have heard lot of Bhazan, songs ... in similar to malkaush.

SJ composed several songs based on Shiva ranjani like Baharon phool, Aáwaj de key, dil ke zharonkey....., Jane kaha gaye ... But when I listen top these songs, I find lot of changes they have made in and I don't feel that the songs are exactly similar. The rhythm of Dil key zharon key is quite typical, I think no music director has yet tried to compose with such type of rhythm. Similarly the antara part of rafi saheb has to sing in suddenly in high note then come back in low note , then comes beautiful piece of violin. I think these songs will be master pieces of Indian music history in future as Beethoven, Mozart.... composition, if media cooperates.

In Aawaj de key..... the Rhythm is Jhapa Tal 10 bits and it has combination of Saxophone (western instrument) and sitar combination. So beautifully arranged.

So I would like to conclude my views :

1. Songs are based on one of the 10 THAT (थाट)

2. If two or more songs are composed on based on same THAT (थाट) it will sound like similar.
3. It does not matter if they sound similar, but how the MD create different type of product with same That. (थाट)
4. SJ are only genious MD in India who did great job composing plenty of songs based on one THAT(थाट) which are very difficult to identify. That may be reason that though their songs are based on the classical ragas , they are great while composition of Nausad saaheb, Vasant Desai,...are some times dull for common music lover though theoretically they are of high standard.

I have heard the definition of light music from Pt. Jasraj that classical music is basically one has to perform with perfect gramme, while light songs the MD, singer has to entertain and impress common people in 3- 4 minutes given time. I think he has tried to explain that it is more difficult to create light music.

I am posting my view with elementary knowledge on classical music. Please correct me if I am wrong.

(jmpradhan51@yahoo.com)

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN-43 by: gopalshroti

SHAMMI KAPOOR

--Shreegopalshroti

”Hamne to pyar mein aisa kaam kar diya,pyar ki raah mein apna naam kar liya….pyar ki raah mein apna naam kar liya…AAJ KAL TERE MERE PYAR KE CHARCHE HAR ZUBAN PAR, SABKO MALOOM HAI AUR SABKO KHABAR HO GAYEE……mohd.rafi and suman kalyanpur…….SUMAN KALYANPUR had many hit songs under the S-J orchestration…..but few days back, in a local newspaper, her interview was published….i was surprised to know that she did not mention S-J’s name because of whom she became a household name in film music…..in the last she lamented, that a song was recorded in her voice, and next day she came to know that ”voh gana ek sangeetkaar jodi ne doosri gayika ki awaj mein record kar liya”….this was her disappointment…..may be because this was in the later years of S-J, WHEN A RIFT MIGHT be there between the duo……hard luck……but despite this, we heard the best songs in suman kalyanpur’s voice, tuned by Shankar Jaikishan and still her name comes with them on radios and we rejoice the tune, like the above i mentioned from ”Brahmchari”……

NOW I come to the super hero made by the duo, none other than Shammi Kapoor, on whom this episode is going on…..IT is very much evident that while some Shammi-S-J scores didn’t quite work their magic for the hit parade e.g. Janwar cud not do a Junglee and Prince was not certainly Rajkumar…..but their success story does not stop with still hit songs from Janwar and Prince…..Their spectacular successes made significant progress with” Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe”…..yahooooooo…however it is worth mentioning that though Usha Khanna’s Dil Deke Dekho in 1959 and OPN’s Tum Sa Nahin Dekha in 1957 did create a semi-stir, it was JUNGLEE that really and truly did the trick….Shammi sang his way into super stardom with ”mere yaar shabba khair” and ”ehsaan tera hoga mujh par”….Saira Banu got comfortably ensconced in the velvet folds with Lata’s ”kasmir ki kali hun main” and Mukesh and Asha Bhonsle had a ball rendering ”Nain tumhare mazedar o janabe-a-ali” for Anoop Kumar and Shashikala.
Then came Professor in 1962 in which Shammi got into a hairy situation with Lalita Pawar and which made a hillarious comedy and again with the younger leading lady Kalpana (who was the only heroine to have launched her career unsuccessfully against Shammi)….The numbers ”awaz de ke hamein tum bulao, muhabbat mein itna na hamko satao” (Lata-Rafi) and ”lal chhadi maidan khadi”(Rafi) earned Shankar Jaikishan their career’s fourth Filmfare Award……..to continue……gshroti@gmail.com