Mastery over chorus : Shanker-Jaikishen's compositions

By: Shashi Hegde

It seems to be becoming a repetition always- Think of something special in Hindi film music and you cant think of anyone before Shankar Jaikishan.

Have you anytime thought about the role of Chorus in film songs? It is such an important thing in film songs which in addition to suit the situation and picturisation in the film, adds to the beauty of the song. It is a part of decorating the song as Shankaralways said.

I would like to remember a few songs among innumerable S-J songs where the choral singing was redefined. It is amazing how S-J handled the chorus. Their choice of the number of singers in a chorus, the composition of male and female singers was impeccable and it is impossible to find fault with the chorus in an S-J song- even if you are a S-J critic!

1.Barsaat mein – Lata & Chorus-Shailendra (Barsat): The ‘Omkara’ in choral singing – the first ever song to make use of chorus in real grandeur. The use of male and female chorus separately and the ‘Tak dhina din’ mark the beginning of glorious S-J saga in choral singing. (I also mention Patli kamar hai from the same film)
2.(a)Tere bina aag / Ghar aaya mere pardesi – Lata , Manna Dey & Chours- Shailendra (Awara): Another pioneer in Hindi films, being the first dream song. How well S-J gave life to RK’s dream with their tune and superb choral singing.
(b)Naiyaa teri mazdar- Rafi & Chorus- Shailendra (Awara): Just note the co- ordination between the male and female choral singing and that of Rafi- brilliant!
3.Jhanan jhanan-Lata & Chorus-Hasrat (Aah): The romance of RK and choral singing continued. A brilliant dance number with superb female chorus.
4.Gul muskura utha-Lata & Chorus-Shailendra (Badshah) : Compare the all male Chorus of this song with the previous one and you will know why S-J were genius!
5.Rat gayi-MannaDey, Asha & Cho- Deepak (Boot Polish): The use of high pitched female and base male chorus is too good for not mentioning it.
6.Holi ayi pyari pyari-Rafi, Lata & Cho-Shailendra( Pooja): The spirit of Holi emerges in full colour thro the chorus joinin Lata and Rafi.
7.Tu pyar ka sagar hai-Manna Dey & Cho-Shailendra (Seema): What can I say? The use of female chorus for singing mukhda and Manna Dey joining them in interlude makes it the best bhajan where chorus is used. (Any way, it is the best bhajan ever created with or without chorus!)
8.Ramayya vastavayya-Lata, Rafi, Mukesh & Cho: By this time it was clear that the RK film should have a chorus number and what a magic S-J have weaved to make this greatest theme song immortal.
9.Rajhath: Out of the 11 songs in the film, 6 songs have chorus! I think it is a record as far has Hindi films are concerned. The male chorus in the war song Chale sipahi; the female chorus in Aaja aaja nadiya kinare, Nache ang ang, Pyare babul se bhichadke, Nadiya kinare phiroon are as good as S-J use of chorus get.
10.(a) Pawan ganga with Tarana-Lata & Cho-Shailendra (Patrani)
(b) Rang rangeela paghiya-Lata & Cho- Shailendra(Patrani)
I don’t think the choral singing can get any better than these two classics. The tunes of both the two songs are based on centuries old traditional music. Masterpieces in true sense of the word!
11. Bol mere malik-Lata & Cho-Hasrat (Halaku): Chorus in Mukhda and interludes is Outstanding.
12.(a) Panchi banoo-Lata & Cho-Hasrat (Chori Chori): Use of Manna
Dey’s voice along with the chorus makes it the first of its kind.
(b) Us par sajan-Lata & Cho-Hasrat- A very unique use of chorus in a
unique song.
13.Na bure na bhale-Lata & Cho-Shailendra (Kismat ka khel): A brilliantly written song composed in rock and roll style. The song begins with chorus and the chorus (both male and female in terrific co-ordination) gets as much importance as Lata.
14. Nakhrewali-Kishore & Cho-Shailendra (New Delhi): Take out the chorus and imagine the song- incomplete, Right? Brilliant use of chorus in a song the like of which can never be created again! (5 out of 10 songs in this film have chorus)
15.(a) Aaja rat beeti jaye-Usha Khanna, Kishore & Cho-Shailendra (Begunaah): A brilliant, brilliant song with unparalleled use of chorus. S-J leave us gasping for their sheer imagination in this composition.
(b) Nazar kahe aaja-Lata & Cho-Shailendra (Begunaah): The female chorus
makes this already sweet composition even sweeter.
16.Bol ri katputli-Lata & Cho-Shailendra (Katputli): Guess what? S-J came up with Chorus as Counter melody! The chorus is as brilliant as the composition itself.
17.Meri jaan meri jaan-Lata & Cho-Shailendra (Yahudi): Note the interactive use of Chorus with Lata.
18.(a) O berehem tere sitam-Manna Dey, Lata & Cho-Shailendra( BaaghiSipahi)
My personal favourite! The use of Opera style Chorus found a grand
entry in HFM courtesy, S-J. A breath taking composition!
(b) Choona lena mujhe-Manna Dey, Asha & Cho-Shailendra( Baaghi Sipahi)
The Mukhda is reserved for the chorus in this song which is 24 carat
pleasure.
19.Ab kahan jaye hum-Manna Dey & Cho-Shailendra( Ujala): S-J took off where
they had left in Baaghi sipahi. The opera style chorus with the normal male chorus defies words for description. Use of chorus as countermelody makes you wish this song never ends.
20.Hum hai to chand aur tare-Mukesh & Cho-Hasrat (MNMH): Note how the chorus was used to suit Mukesh.
21.Dil se dil takraye-Rafi, Geeta & Cho- Shailendra(Love Marriage): Like before, note the novelty in the chorus and the effect it has with the trumpet, accordion and the deadly combo of Rafi and Geeta Dutt.
22.Ninteen fifty six-Manna Dey, Lata & Cho- The song rocks even today and how well it is ornated by the Chorus that only S-J could put in.
23.(a) Hum bhi hai-Lata, Geeta, Manna, Mahendra, Mukesh & Cho-
Shailendra(JDMGBH) : the film had to have this as it was an RK film.
b) Aa ab laut chale-Mukesh & Cho-Shailendra( JDMGBH): If it was
MannaDey with the chorus in Chori chori, it was Lata’s turn now.
The subtle chorus singing in tandem with Lata’s part gives one an
idea of the depth in S-J compositions.
24.Nee baliye-Mukesh, Lata & Cho-Shailendra (Kanhaiya): Outstanding use of
Chorus makes you realize the composition is not as simple as it sounds.
25.Ajeeb dastan hai yeh-Lata & Cho-Shailendra( DAPP): The subtleness of the opera style chorus makes you wonder if the voice is real or virtual!
26.Yeh to kaho kaun hot tum-Mukesh & Cho-Shailendra (Aashiq): A trade mark S-J Chorus with words and phrases that stump you everytime you listen!
27.Ek sawal mein karoon-Lata, Rafi & Cho-Shailendra (Sasural) : The use of chorus is in line with the lyrics that only Shailendra could write!
28.Ab char dinon ki chutti hai-Rafi & Cho-Hasrat (Aas ka panchi): A fine qawwali style composition with apt chorus
29.Dil ek mandir hai-Suman, Rafi-Hasrat (Dil ek mandir): The chorus in the prelude and interludes is mindblowing.
30.Dil ka kanwal denge-Lata, Cho-Shailendra (Zindagi): The chorus is there and seems as if it is not there in this gem of a song! Only S-J could create this virtual choral effect.
31.NACHO GAO NACHO-Chorus- Shailendra( Amrapali) – Sometimes silence
speaks more than the words. For this composition, I remain silent coz I don’t have words to describe it!

shashivh@yahoo.co.in

NANHE-MUNNE BACHCHE TERI MUTTHI MEIN KYA HAI

NANHE-MUNNE BACHCHE TERI MUTTHI MEIN KYA HAI ? MUTTHI MEIN HAI TAQDEER HAMARI!

Debut Movie of Shankar-Jaikishan BARSAAT (Review)

In-depth Review of Barsaat (Debut Movie of Shankar-Jaikishan)/ संगीतकार के रूप में शंकर-जयकिशन की पहली फिल्म, राजकपूर द्वारा निर्मित 'बरसात' का रिव्यू
Title Music
Barsaat, as all RK Films, starts with Prithviraj Kapoor performing Shiv poojan & chanting the mantras.
Before appearance of titles, there is a brief shot of rain clouds with gentle beat of drum (dhol) and violins. The titles start scrolling on screen with the immortal tune & interlude of the song ‘Barsaat mein hamse mile tum…’ based on raag Bhairavi.
Is the title music just there for the sake of being there? Well! It speaks volumes. In the same tune, one gets to listen to various shades of the raga Bhairavi. Initially it transforms the audience into a mood of celebration but as the violins suddenly take a U-turn, the audience’s mood is transformed to that of pathos.
And with this introductory MAGIC (music), among others, history is written - as two names appear on the screen for the first time as Music Directors - SHANKAR-JAIKISHAN (S-J).
The title music itself raises one’s expectations from S-J. And did S-J fulfill them!? Well! No point in elaborating it! The HFM lovers across the globe still don’t miss any opportunity to listen to the score even if they have already done so thousands of times.

TO READ MORE PLEASE CLICK

http://sj-barsaat.blogspot.com/

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)

Photos taken on the ocassion of a musical evening 'Remembering Melody Queens with Mubarak Begum' organised by Rafi Lovers Circle, Kolkata on 25-10-09

All photos Courtesy : Rafi Lovers Circle, Kolkata

An Evening with Melody Queen Mubarak Begum by Rafi Lovers Circle, Kolkata

It was on this day, 87 years back , the most complete composer of all time in the Indian film industry was born

Article : http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com/

Head-title : shashivh@yahoo.co.in

TODAY is Shankarji’s b’day-15th October….and hasrat, jaikishan, shankar, shailendra and raj capturing all, lest they run….yes, they went one by one…shailendra started the way to heaven, followed by jaikishan, shankar, raj kapoor, hasrat….their remains are there in all corners of India in the form of immortal songs.
Nehruji wished that his ashes be spread all over Himalayas and other mountains….but our panch-parmeshwar reached every nook and corner of not only India but many parts of the world thru their music…..agewise Shankar was second after Hasrat….THEN THE TRIO.
WE REMEMBER WITH GLORY, Shankarji, for what he gave to hindi film music which others cud not give…..To recall his birthday, i wud like to mention a hillarious incident when Shankarji had to keep his watch to ”Dhondu Bhelpuriwala” at choupatti, after eating Bhelpuri by all the four, S-J,S & H…incidentally, nobody had the money in their pockets, and everybody thought, that someone will pay for the Bhel…..By this time Barsaat had already released….They saw each other’s face..and ultimately, Shankarji had to take his old watch and handed over to Dhondu……
Then came the busy time… after Barsaat, came ”Nagina”..and by this time Shankaerji was the owner of a car….When after few month, he was passing the choupatti way, he remembered his watch he ransomed to Dhondu…. Shankarji offered the payment and asked the watch back….By this time he came to be known by the hindi film world…..Dhondu, on his part, recognizing Shankarji, said, ”Achchha to aap he Barsaat ke music director the”…and treated him like a guest, but refused to hand over the said watch…He said ”ham samjha lafanga log hoga…..woh ghadiyal to aapun zindagi bhar apne pas rakhega…aap hazar rupaiya bhi dega to wapas nahin dega”.
Later he came to know less as Dhondu bhel puri walla, but Shankarji’s watch walla……MUSIC CAME, MUSIC STAYED, MUSIC GONE BUT THE MUSIC SCORED BY SHANKAR JAIKISHAN IS THE GREATEST LEGACY OF THE HINDI FILM MUSIC, WHICH HAS COME TO STAY.
and WHAT ROMANTICISM, SHANKARJI HAS STARTED WITH ”PYAR HUA IQRAR HUA” in Shri 420, carried on to CHORI CHORI as ”yeh raat bheegi bheegi”, ”jehan main jaat hoon”, and Jai’s” Aaja sanam”, was followed by their disciple Dattaram in ‘Parvarish’-”masti bhara hai saman, aakhon mein aa ja”, by Kalyanji Anandji ”mere dil mein hai ek baat” and Madan Mohan ”vo chand muskaya, sitare sharmaaye, hamara bhi dil na machalane lage”…and may be more…as Shankarji’s romanticism stayed…..LONG LIVE S-J’s LEGACY

HASRAT JAIPURI

Raja of romance

Rajiv Vijayakar

He was the uncrowned king of romantic numbers. But Hasrat Jaipuri, whose 10th death anniversary fell on September 17, was also much more than that. And perhaps he never got his due in a milleu where flowery shaayari ruledHasrat Jaipuri was the underdog of the legendary Shankar-Jaikishan-Hasrat-Shailendra quartet that ruled from their joint 1949 debut Barsaat till the late ‘60s and is unanimously considered as the fountainhead of modern film music.
The legendary lyricists can be broadly split into three groups: the kavis, the Hindi-based writers whose work often had deep philosophical insights, the Urdu-based shaayars whose special strengths were romance, the craft of flowery verse and later even cynicism, and those who balanced Urdu and Hindi with equal felicity. Among these, Hasrat Jaipuri was a bit of a rebel - he never wrote high-flown Urdu, nor was he into philosophy. And so he suffered. His supple romantic numbers seemingly stood low in comparison to the depth of a Shailendra.
And yet a Doctorate from the World University Round Table and the Josh Mahilabadi award from the Urdu conference for his literary work seemed to be vindication enough for Hasrat’s all-round calibre along with the Dr Ambedkar award for the song Jhanak jhanak tori baaje payaliya from Mere Huzoor, written in a blend of Hindi and Brijbhasha for a Muslim social! But when one of his eminent contemporaries wrote him off as a mere tukbandi karnewala (a cheap rhymester), one bristled at the injustice.

Hasrat Jaipuri’s real name was Iqbal Hussain and he had acquired taalim in Persian and Urdu from his grandfather Fida Husain in hometown Jaipur. It is said that romantics are born, and Hasrat was just 20 when he fell in love with a girl called Radha and wrote the poem Yeh mera prem patra padhkar that was immortalized by Shankar-Jaikishan, Mohammed Rafi and Raj Kapoor in Sangam.
Hasratsaab never discriminated between religion or languages. “Hindi and Urdu are like inseparable sisters!” he would say. And about Radha, he said eloquently, “It is not at all necessary that a Muslim boy had to fall in love only with a Muslim girl!” Hasrat’s struggle in Mumbai ended when Prithviraj Kapoor heard his verse at a mushaira and introduced him to son Raj Kapoor at the Royal Opera House
canteen where the former would stage his plays. The result was Barsaat. But Hasrat continued with his job - as a bus conductor! - even though Raj Kapoor predicted that both Hasrat and Shailendra would be flooded with work. “Rajsaab had more confidence in Shailendra and me than we did in ourselves!” the lyricist had told me. “What he said came true!”
Hasrat wrote over 2000 songs in over 350 films in a career that lasted 50 long years. He worked very infrequently towards the end because of a combination of factors - the lack of need to work (because he was financially comfortable) and also because he was not called to write often by the new breed of music directors (which included his nephew Anu Malik) and filmmakers. “I did not have to run after music companies or anyone else for work!” said the master-lyricist. Saazish (Jatin-Lalit) and Sher Khan (Bappi Lahiri) were his last releases in 1998. His last memorable songs were Rahaa jo dil mein (Mohabbat Ki Arzoo/ Laxmikant-Pyarelal) and Paas woh aane lage zara zara (Main Khiladi Tu Anari/Anu Malik).
Such was the volume and range of S-J’s work with Shailendra and him that Hasrat Jaipuri’s work outside them was restricted due to practical aspects. And yet he hit towering highs under other composers from the biggest to the smallest names, among them being films like V.Shantaram’s Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (Vasant Desai), Sehra and Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne (Ramlal), Ziddi and Tere Ghar ke Saamne (S.D.Burman) and Bhoot Bungla (R.D.Burman) and landmark songs like Aansoo bhari hain in Parvarish (Dattaram), Aisa na ho ke (Aakhri dao/Laxmikant-Pyarelal), Samaa hai suhana suhana (Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani/Kalyanji-Anandji), Jiske sapne hamein (Geet/Kalyanji-Anandji), Tu mere saamne hai and Tumhi to meri pooja ho (Suhagan/Madan Mohan), Mohabbat aisi dhadkan hai (Anarkali/ C.Ramachandra), Sun sahiba sun (Ram Teri Ganga Maili/Ravindra Jain) and many more.“I worked with the most number of composers,” revealed the poet. “From Khayyam and Sajjad through O.P.Nayyar and all the way till Jatin-Lalit I did films with them all. But there was no one to beat the four of us - Shankar, Jai, Shailendra and I - for 20 long years!”

courtesy :http://www.screenindia.com/news/raja-of-romance/518260/

Posted: Sep 18, 2009 at 1429 hrs IST

Srigopal Shroty's tribute to Shailendra, Mohd Rafi & Mukesh

TODAY is Shailendra’s birthday, 30th august….it is coincidence when there are two friends, and something similar happens between them, which breaks the hearts…..Jaikishan and Shailendra….Jaikishan composed in 1971 ”maut aani hai aayegi ek din, jaan jaani hai jayegi ek din, aisi baaton se kya ghabarana, yehan kal kya ho kisne jana” and Shailendra wrote 5 years later ‘’sajan re jhooth mat balo, khuda ke paas jaana hai, na hathi hai na ghoda hai, vahan paidal hi jana hai”…..and see the irony, both went untimely, one after composing the song and another after writing the song….
Shailendra’s story is also like his many colleagues–from rag to riches….here comes the word ”genius” and it was not an easy go….it was like all sweating in rains…..then emerged the words from his pen ”raaten dason dishaon se kahengi apni kahaniya, geet hamare pyar ke dohrayengi jawaniyan”…yes when this came on the radio some 40 years back and now on tv after 53 years of its creation, the feet stops automatically and eyes on tv screen to see that grandeur created by his mentor Raj Kapoor and his colleagues Shankar Jaikishan with violins echoing the RIMJHIM of rains….then the mind goes to Shailendra to congratulate him on this immortal wordings ….Oh, but is he there? can we say ”happy birthday to you”? the question mark is the DESTINY.
Shailendra was poet by heart, who cud write ”dil pe marne wale marenge bhikhari, sach hai duniya walon ke ham hain ANARI”….He did not write these lines for Raj Kapoor, but for himself, otherwise he would not have ventured to produce ”teesari kasam”, despite persuation by Raj sahab and others who knew soft corner of his heart and his naive nature against producing a film, to avoid the project or let others take the production charge, secondly the name of the story by Renuji was coincidentally again heart-breaking ”MAARE GAYE GULFAM”…..nay, destiny wanted him near Jaikishan, in whose Gobind Mahal, he used to go daily at 10 am with cigarette in one hand….this was his routine….remember again his philosophy on the end of life in his own songs ”naiya teri majhdhar, hoshiyar”…”yaa gardish mein bhi aasman ka taara hoon”..”khamoshi ka yeh afsana reh jayega baad mere”,…… ”ke marke bhi kisikoyaad aayenge, kisi ke aansuon me muskerayenge”…….”der na karna kahin ye aas toot jaaye, saans choot haye”…”.ai mere dil kahin aur chal, gham ki duniya se dil bhar gaya, dhoondh le ab koi ghar naya”…..”tum se to patanga achchha hai jo hanste hue jal jata hai, voh pyar mein mit to jata hai per naam amar kar jaata hai”…..”bahut diya dene wale ne tujhko, aanchal hi na samaye to kya keejei”…..”jeena yehan marna yehan, iske siva jaana kahan”…..and ” ham to jaate apne gaon, sabko ram ram ram, apni ram ram ram…..”( A tribute with countless more songs from his pen)………

As versatile were S-J, so was the great singer Mohd Rafi, in hindi film music….he wud adapt to any type of song, serious, lori, light or other boisterous songs to be filmed on different heroes….therefore the image remains in mind of the hero who lip-synchronised his voice….he was God gifted singer and Shankar Jaikishan fully utilised his potential to the extent, that for them it was Rafi all around, besides Mukesh and Mannada.
I remember his lori in ‘beti bete’, ”aaj kak mein dhal gaya”, which he sang in so soft a voice that it was difficult for any singer to copy him….he excels Lata in voice, as she also sang the same lori in that film….how beautiful that time was when a song heavenly made was repeated in the male or female voice and that were Rafi and Lata. Rafi saab made many heroes immortal and when that song comes on radio, the hero’s image comes to mind….may be they are raj kapoor, dilip kumar, dev anand, rajendra kumar, bharat bhushan, pradeep kumar, mehmood, shammi kapoor, rajesh khanna, dharmendra, amitabh bachhan, rishi kapoor and many more. His tuning with S-J was great as recalls Shammi Kapoor….’’so distinct was his style when he sang for me….there were a number of songs which were not sung for me but i liked them very much…in fact i wud have loved to sing them! one of these is TERI PYARI PYARI SURAT KO. When Jaikishan composed the song, I said, ’stupid! u are giving that song to rajendra kumar to sing! next he is to sing it to B Saroja Devi! my god!”…”Then there was ‘baharon phool barsao mera mehboob aaya hai’. I wud say, my god, what are you doing, these are my songs! And there were other songs that were not made for me but came to me finally. For the film Suraj, there was a duet. Rafi sahab sang it, but Rajendra Kumar said, ‘nahin, it doesn’t go with this picture, I don’t like it’. Jaikishan was sitting at my place and we were having a drink. Jai said to me, ‘for the first time in my life, a song of mine was rejected’, ‘i said i would like to hear it’. It was lying in his car. he brought the song and i heard it and said ‘it’s mine! i have taken over’ I put it in Brahmchari. the song was -aaj kal tere mere pyar ke charche har zabaan par- that was the song i took from Suraj. it was a superhit song! and Rafi sahab hadn’t sung that for me.” Generally Shammi Kapoor was present at the recording of his songs by Rafi Sahab, but when he was busy in shooting, he wud phone to Jaikishan to request Rafi sahab to sing the song ”like this…and like that” and when he heard it later, it was hundred percent of his imagination that Rafi sahab turned it to his style…

The voice that has no end…still when we hear Mukesh, the golden era comes alive…even there are thousands of youngsters fans of his voice.
We have not found a replacment for him..The imitators are many. But the sound of music and magic made by the original Mukesh endures as never before. HIS SONGS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. There was something languorously lingering about Mukesh’s voice. Humulity was his hallmark…It left him with an open ear to all composers, may be Shankar Jaikishan, Anil Biswas or Kalyanji Anandji. He cud adjust to all.
THIS IS MY HUMBLE REMEMBRANCE ON HIS BIRTHDAY i.e.22 JULY.MUKESH DETRACTORS WERE MANY. THAT too many top composers like C Ramchandra did not tune with him at all. But then Anil Biswas was C Ramchandra’s mentor and Anil B iswas presented Mukesh at his sonorous best, starting with Saigal-style ”Dil jalta hai to jalne de”(in pehli nazar). What a surpassingly resonant experience it was to hear Mukesh in ”tal mile nadi ke jal mein” (anokhi raat-Roshan).
Not for nothing did Raj Kapoor pick MUKESH up as the voice reflecting his Atma. Take Raj K apoor playing DIWANA (opposite saira banu). Take in that movie, Jaikishan’s ”Ai sanam jisne tujhe chand si surat di hai” and Shankar’s ”ham to jaate apne gaon, sabko raam raam raam”. The two compositions belong to the two antithetic genres – to two composers diametrically different in their tuning outlook even in the face of going by the label of the inseparable Shankar-Jaikishan. Yet Mukesh’s approach was exactly as indicated by Shankar for ”ham to jaate apne gaon”, exactly as required by Jaikishan for ”Ai sanam jisne tujhe”…….to continue

TRIBUTE TO SHANKAR JAIKISHAN-47-MUKESH
Posted by: gopalshroti on: July 20, 2009
In: shankar jaikishan's contribution to hindi film music

When the Filmfare Best Playback Singer Award was first introduced in 1958, both male and female singers had to compete for the same award. The competition was thus doubly keen in the years 1958 and 1959. Lata won the award in 1958 for ‘Aaja re perdesi’-Madhumati-Salil Chaudhary number. Next year in 1959, the Award went to Mukesh, who put all rival voices, male and female in the shade with the runaway hit by Shankar Jaikishan, starring Raj Kapoor……?….song ‘Sab kuchh seekha hamne na seekhi hoshiari’ film Anari.
-There was a spell during which Lata did not sing for Shankar. Yet Mukesh managed to persuade Lata to sing for Shankar in ‘Sanyasi’. This is inspite of the fact that his duets with Lata in the film offerred him little scope as a singer. Pl recall the Lata-Mukesh ‘SANYASI’ duet with which Lata began singing for Shankar again?…..”Sun baal brahmchari main hoon kanya kunwari’.
-A Mukesh number composed by Shankar came to be an all time classic which was filmed on Dilip Kumar. But Dilip wanted Talat Myhmood to sing it, while Shankar wanted Mukesh, since he has composed the tune for his voice. At the toss of a coin it was decided Mukesh wud sing the song……song and the film?….’ye mera deewanapan hai ya muhabbat ka suroor’-Yahudi.
-Mukesh has gone on record as saying that most of the themes songs of the Shankar Jaikishan duo were composed by Shankar. Yet there were three theme songs filmed on Raj Kapoor and sung by Mukesh that were composed by Jaikishan….songs and films? …’Awara Hoon’(Awara), ‘Main aashiq hoon baharon ka’ (Aashiq), ‘Mere man ki ganga’ (Sangam)…….

Srigopal Shroty's tribute to Shailendra on his birth day on 30th August 2009

TODAY is Shailendra’s birthday, 30th august….it is coincidence when there are two friends, and something similar happens between them, which breaks the hearts…..Jaikishan and Shailendra….Jaikishan composed in 1971 ”maut aani hai aayegi ek din, jaan jaani hai jayegi ek din, aisi baaton se kya ghabarana, yehan kal kya ho kisne jana” and Shailendra wrote 5 years later ‘’sajan re jhooth mat balo, khuda ke paas jaana hai, na hathi hai na ghoda hai, vahan paidal hi jana hai”…..and see the irony, both went untimely, one after composing the song and another after writing the song….
Shailendra’s story is also like his many colleagues–from rag to riches….here comes the word ”genius” and it was not an easy go….it was like all sweating in rains…..then emerged the words from his pen ”raaten dason dishaon se kahengi apni kahaniya, geet hamare pyar ke dohrayengi jawaniyan”…yes when this came on the radio some 40 years back and now on tv after 53 years of its creation, the feet stops automatically and eyes on tv screen to see that grandeur created by his mentor Raj Kapoor and his colleagues Shankar Jaikishan with violins echoing the RIMJHIM of rains….then the mind goes to Shailendra to congratulate him on this immortal wordings ….Oh, but is he there? can we say ”happy birthday to you”? the question mark is the DESTINY.
Shailendra was poet by heart, who cud write ”dil pe marne wale marenge bhikhari, sach hai duniya walon ke ham hain ANARI”….He did not write these lines for Raj Kapoor, but for himself, otherwise he would not have ventured to produce ”teesari kasam”, despite persuation by Raj sahab and others who knew soft corner of his heart and his naive nature against producing a film, to avoid the project or let others take the production charge, secondly the name of the story by Renuji was coincidentally again heart-breaking ”MAARE GAYE GULFAM”…..nay, destiny wanted him near Jaikishan, in whose Gobind Mahal, he used to go daily at 10 am with cigarette in one hand….this was his routine….remember again his philosophy on the end of life in his own songs ”naiya teri majhdhar, hoshiyar”…”yaa gardish mein bhi aasman ka taara hoon”..”khamoshi ka yeh afsana reh jayega baad mere”,…… ”ke marke bhi kisikoyaad aayenge, kisi ke aansuon me muskerayenge”…….”der na karna kahin ye aas toot jaaye, saans choot haye”…”.ai mere dil kahin aur chal, gham ki duniya se dil bhar gaya, dhoondh le ab koi ghar naya”…..”tum se to patanga achchha hai jo hanste hue jal jata hai, voh pyar mein mit to jata hai per naam amar kar jaata hai”…..”bahut diya dene wale ne tujhko, aanchal hi na samaye to kya keejei”…..”jeena yehan marna yehan, iske siva jaana kahan”…..and ” ham to jaate apne gaon, sabko ram ram ram, apni ram ram ram…..”( A tribute with countless more songs from his pen)………

M U K E S H (Shri srigopal shroty's tribute on Mukesh's birthday)

shankar jaikishan's contribution to hindi film music

MUKESH

by: gopalshroti

When the Filmfare Best Playback Singer Award was first introduced in 1958, both male and female singers had to compete for the same award. The competition was thus doubly keen in the years 1958 and 1959. Lata won the award in 1958 for ‘Aaja re perdesi’-Madhumati-Salil Chaudhary number. Next year in 1959, the Award went to Mukesh, who put all rival voices, male and female in the shade with the runaway hit by Shankar Jaikishan, starring Raj Kapoor……?….song ‘Sab kuchh seekha hamne na seekhi hoshiari’ film Anari.-There was a spell during which Lata did not sing for Shankar. Yet Mukesh managed to persuade Lata to sing for Shankar in ‘Sanyasi’. This is inspite of the fact that his duets with Lata in the film offerred him little scope as a singer. Pl recall the Lata-Mukesh ‘SANYASI’ duet with which Lata began singing for Shankar again?…..”Sun baal brahmchari main hoon kanya kunwari’.-A Mukesh number composed by Shankar came to be an all time classic which was filmed on Dilip Kumar. But Dilip wanted Talat Myhmood to sing it, while Shankar wanted Mukesh, since he has composed the tune for his voice. At the toss of a coin it was decided Mukesh wud sing the song……song and the film?….’ye mera deewanapan hai ya muhabbat ka suroor’-Yahudi.-Mukesh has gone on record as saying that most of the themes songs of the Shankar Jaikishan duo were composed by Shankar. Yet there were three theme songs filmed on Raj Kapoor and sung by Mukesh that were composed by Jaikishan….songs and films? …’Awara Hoon’(Awara), ‘Main aashiq hoon baharon ka’ (Aashiq), ‘Mere man ki ganga’ (Sangam)…….

”Those who say he was ‘besura’ do not know their job as composers…This is film music, not Beethoven’s symphony. We are peoples’ composers and Mukesh was the people’s voice.” The music director who said that composed the ‘mera joota hai japani’ and ‘ramaiya vastavaiyya’ numbers of ’shri 420′, as also, ‘Dil ka haal sune dilwala’ and ‘Pyar hua iqrar hua’ numbers. In the first two numbers, this music director employed the voice of Mukesh for Raj Kapoor, and in the latter two songs the voice of Manna Dey for Raj Kapoor….who was the composer, Shankar or Jaikishan…..indeed Shankar. and in ‘Dil ka haal sune dilwala’ the ”chu-chu” in between when antara ends,was from the tongue of Jaikishan….However when Jaikishan actually came into the scene of Shri 420, all songs were recorded by Shankar….Jai on his part composed the emotional Nargis dream song: ”O jane wale mud ke zara dekhate jana, munh pher ke to chal diye mujhko no bhulana”….2. There was a song in Aah, sung by Mukesh but also filmed on him……yes it was ‘Chhoti si ye zindgani re, chaar din ki jawani teri’.3. Once Jaikishan composed a tune for Mukesh. The singer sang in such style that Jaikishan felt it should be filmed on himself on the screen…..the song and film…?….’Ai pyase dil bezubaan, tujh ko le jaoon kahan’-film Begunah (1957)banned within a week of its release due to some reasons…Thanks God, I saw Jai lip-moving on piano.4. This song was composed by Jaikishan immediately after the Nargis-Raj Kapoor team had broken up. There was a taunting tone in Hasrat’s lyric, written for a film in which Mala Sinha played Raj Kapoor’s heroine. There is no way of knowing whether Mukesh, who sang it for Raj Kapoor approved of the sentiments expressed in it, in the context of Nargis-Ral split…….which song and film?…….’kisi nargisi nazar ko dil denge hum’ for ‘Main nashe main hoon’(1959), a song in which the accent was on the word ‘nargisi’
The voice that has no end…still when we hear Mukesh, the golden era comes alive…even there are thousands of youngsters fans of his voice.We have not found a replacment for him..The imitators are many. But the sound of music and magic made by the original Mukesh endures as never before. HIS SONGS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. There was something languorously lingering about Mukesh’s voice. Humulity was his hallmark…It left him with an open ear to all composers, may be Shankar Jaikishan, Anil Biswas or Kalyanji Anandji. He cud adjust to all.THIS IS MY HUMBLE REMEMBRANCE ON HIS BIRTHDAY i.e.22 JULY.MUKESH DETRACTORS WERE MANY. THAT too many top composers like C Ramchandra did not tune with him at all. But then Anil Biswas was C Ramchandra’s mentor and Anil B iswas presented Mukesh at his sonorous best, starting with Saigal-style ”Dil jalta hai to jalne de”(in pehli nazar). What a surpassingly resonant experience it was to hear Mukesh in ”tal mile nadi ke jal mein” (anokhi raat-Roshan).Not for nothing did Raj Kapoor pick MUKESH up as the voice reflecting his Atma. Take Raj K apoor playing DIWANA (opposite saira banu). Take in that movie, Jaikishan’s ”Ai sanam jisne tujhe chand si surat di hai” and Shankar’s ”ham to jaate apne gaon, sabko raam raam raam”. The two compositions belong to the two antithetic genres – to two composers diametrically different in their tuning outlook even in the face of going by the label of the inseparable Shankar-Jaikishan. Yet Mukesh’s approach was exactly as indicated by Shankar for ”ham to jaate apne gaon”, exactly as required by Jaikishan for ”Ai sanam jisne tujhe”…….
It was this firm commitment of his that made Mukesh such a favourite of Shankar Jaikishan….Shankar said that Mukesh alone cud give that special effect he needed in a theme-song like ”Dost dost na raha”….He further said that he certainly needed to work on Mukesh’s vocals, but the end effect wud be so telling that the listner came to discern there was a certain result that cud be got from Mukesh only.
It was Shankar who generally composed the title song or the theme song of a S-J film…..Therefore said Mukesh that he always made it a point to remain in Shankarji’s good books. From whom else cud he hope to get a ”Sajan re jhooth mat bolo”…..But does this mean Mukesh was any less keen when on the rare occasion, the title song done by Jaikishan….Not in the life….Take ”main aashiq hoon baharo ka”. this was done by Jaikishan. Do anybody find it less appealingly rendered by Mukesh for that reason?
Or take another ”bol radha bil sangam hoga ki nahin” . This was yet another title tune done by Jaikishan. And it was for a prestigious RK show like ‘Sangam’. Mukesh cud never think to differentiate with Shankar or Jaikishan. Shankar might have been his title-tune staple, his mainstay. Yet Mukesh kept his vibes going with Jaikishan too, for his tune he rendered in the beginning of their career, ”Awara hoon”. Mukesh humility excelled in dealing with other composers too. For example in other RK movie, RDB had to tune up on insistence of Raj Kapoor for Mukesh in Dharam Karam -”ek din bik jayega mati ke mol”…Dada Burman hardly took Mukesh, but when Kishore Kumar shied away to sing this song which was not on the lips of Dev Anand, the hero. Thus Mukesh came in with Dada’s warning that he wud cancel the number if he was not satisfied with the recording. This encouraged Mukesh to give the solo all he had….that is ”chal ri sajni ab kya soche” (Bambai ka babu)….still this falls most vibrantly on the ears….Why Mukesh was valid on Amitabh Bachchan in ”kabhi kabhi”-’main pal do pal ka shayar hoon’–is the poetry of Sahir enriched by the compositional artistry of Khayyam and in ”kabhi kabhi mere dil main khayal aata hai”….this was his humility, which rendered ‘’sawan ka mahina pawan kare sor” in Milan on Sunil Dutt (Laxmi-Pyare), and in Saraswatichandra ”chandan sa badan chanchal chitvan” (Kalyananji Anandji) and many more to recount.

COURTTESY: http://gopalshroti.wordpress.com/

Popularity of Music of Shankar-Jaikishen in foreign countries

POPULARITY OF S-J's COMPOSITIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES

There is a generalization that RK films made Indian films popular abroad. That is at one level maybe true, but the issue must be looked at on a deeper level.Probe and inquire into the fact concerning what RK/SJ films were having success and impact in which individual country, and for what reason.There are many questions to be answered; many big questions. Take for instance, let us not talk about Awaara in Russia, go to a smaller scale, Awaara in Turkey was a pretty good hit but not so in Iran...why?Whereas, Sangam was actually a very big hit in Iran and not so in Turkey... Why did people in Ethiopia like Sangam as much as Egypt? Israel liked all three films Awaara, Shree 420, and Sangam but Shree 420 edged out the other two quite a bit. Then of course, Russia fell in love with Awaara, less so with Shree 420 and Sangam--much less there.The former Czechoslovakia immensely took for Jagte Raho and of course in India it was a total flop. (non SJ) What was the impact of music in these movies in different countries.Russia and Eastern Europe had songs of Awaara and Shree 420 on their lips. Not so of Sangam songs. All of middle east in general were very fond of songs of Sangam. Israel also, but more towards the songs of Shree 420. Which film had what message and for what country it made more touching and meaningful impact...... ..etc Somewhat of a good topic for a sociology and economics as well as filmology dedicates. Some answers for our main questions might be lurking in these above queries. But coming back to the journalist question that was posed to Raj Kapoor, this was in the mid eighties before Ram Teri Ganga Maili. His answer was that America was made up of very individualistic people making up the society, lacking strong culture and tradition. His films were strong in culture, traditions, and also slow moving for Western society. He said there was no way it would have done well in US.

Contributed by Shri chandrashekar

of shankarjaikishan group on Yahoo

The whole restaurant started singing & dancing

This incidance was narrated by Sachin Dev Burman on vividh Bharati during the special Jaymala programme for army

Courtesy : vivek puntambekar( vivek_puntambekar@yahoo.com)

In the late 50's during a film festival at Tashkand Sachin Dev Burman was also invited.One day while roaming he was reached a small village. He was despiratorly searching for restaraunt for a cup of tea.Atlast he found one & entered. Here everthing was strange.No one understood any launguage except Russian.Sachin Dev Burman was confused. With the help of sketch he was able to order a cup of tea.Atlast he met one person who was able converse in english. When the restaraunt owner came to knew that Sachin Dev Buarman is composer from Mumbai, he was thrilled. He had started the JUKE BOX & the record which he had played was PYAAR HUA EK RAR HUA & the whole restaurant started singing & dancing. Sachin Dev had further narrated that we compose tunes & these tunes are popular among our country but SJ were such magical composers that their tunes are popular in such interior village of Soviet Union.

I salute SJ.

Source: : http://us.mc508.mail.yahoo.com/mc/welcome?.gx=1&.tm=1247731654&.rand=7ihaup5vccvns#_pg=showMessage;_ylc=X3oDMTBucmhobGR0BF9TAzM5ODMwMTAyNwRhYwNkZWxNc2dz&mid=1_12534_AP0mvs4AARIuSl64Lgux0W%2FBN4Y&fid=Inbox&sort=date&order=down&startMid=0&filterBy=&hash=cfc288c57ebc5dce32774e0f7e5dad3e&.jsrand=1099217

Lata remembers Jaikishan

Lata remembers that Nargis, Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were present at the recording of Andaaz number Uthayeja unke sitam aur jiye ja`85. "After the recording, Raj Kapoor sent for me. A fair and handsome young man came to my house to convey the message. Seeing him, I remarked to my sister, ‘Just look at him Meena, even a messenger boy looks like a hero these days — looks like the staffers at RK studio are as handsome as their owner’." When Lata went to Raj Kapoor’s Chembur office to meet him, she was introduced to the handsome messenger. He was Barsaat’s composer Jaikishan. Shankar-Jaikishan, Lata says, had a ring of freshness to them. They lacked the classical touch of Anil Biswas and Naushad, but they knew their beat, were masters of rhythm and introduced a whole new style of orchestration.

Courtesy : http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20031004/windows/main1.htm

Masti Bhara Hai Sama -- Remembering Dattaram

article written by Dr mander at passionforcinema. com

Today, Dattaram Wadkar may not be a familiar name to many but this unassuming musician-cum- composer once played an important role in Hindi film music’s Golden Era. His own music in films like Ab Dilli Door Nahi, Parvarish, Kala Aadmi, Santaan and Qaidi No. 911 was quite popular in the 60s. As Shankar- Jaikishan’s long-time assistant and as an excellent dholak- player, Dattram participated in creation of many timeless melodies. On June 8, 2007 he breathed his last leaving behind a treasure of musical memories.

Writer-director Ashok Rane’s 1- hour documentary ‘Masti Bhara Hai Sama’ serves as a good primer to introduce Dattram’s impressive musical credentials to new generation. The only hitch being that it discusses more about his musicianship and his association with Shankar- Jaikishan, rather than focusing on his work as an independent composer. Whatever may be the technical and subject-material flaws of this documentary, it still manages to portray a neat sketch of a forgotten talent and that itself is its biggest achievement. The documentary’s main strength lies in Dattram’s crystal-clear recollections from the glorious past! Even in his dispassionate style, he manages to evoke nostalgia for that era when music-making was a labour of love!

Thanks to Pavan Jha, who so kindly presented the documentary’s DVD to me, I was able to note down some important excepts from the maestro’s recollections. I am sure that movie- music lovers would find them interesting!
So over to Dattaram.
The beginning:
“My family came from Goa to Sawantwadi and then in 1942 we moved to Mumbai’s Thakurdwar area. I was not too good in studies and my mother took me to Pandhari Nageshkar. On a Thursday, he tied ganda (black thread) to my wrist and started teaching me tabla. Latar Yashwant Kerkar also taught me tabla. It was he who first introduced me in film industry. He took me to music director Sajjad with whom I worked for a few months but then I lost the job.”
Meeting Shankar:
“I used to go to a gym where Shankar (of Shankar- Jaikishan- fame) also used to come. Once I was taking a bath after exercise, when I heard Shankar playing on the tabla that was lying unused in that gym. He was playing a ghazal- theka and I was really impressed. Immediately I came out of the bathroom and complimented him with ‘Wah! Kya baat hai’. Shankarji asked me if I was from a musical background. I said yes and then I played tabla for him. He was very pleased and told me to come and meet him at Opera House Theatre next day. Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theatres used to perform there and I joined them as a musician.”

Prthivi Theatre Days:
“In those days, during the drama- intervals there used to be live instrumental performances. In them, Ram Ganguly used to play sitar and Ramlal used to play shehnai. I started accompanying them on tabla. Earlier Shankar used to do that but later he delegated that responsibility to me.”

First Recording:
When Rajsaab gave Barsaat to Shankar- Jiakishan, I also became part of their team. I used to conduct rehearsals with the musicians before the recording. I used to wonder when I would get a chance to play in the actual recording. That chance came accidentally in Awara. Punyawan, who used to play dholak and who was also my Guru in that instrument, did not come for a recording. The musicians were ready, Lataji was ready but the dholak player was missing. At 12 Noon, Shankarji suddenly said, “Arre Dattu also plays dholak. Let him play today!” I was so happy to get an opportunity. The recording was okay in the first take and Shankarji and Lataji both praised me for my dholak- playing. That song was ‘Ik Bewafa Se Pyaar Kiya’. Then I started playing dholak regularly in songs like ‘Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat’, ‘Ichak Daana Beechak Daana’ and ‘Pyaar Hua Iqraar Hua’.

Making of classics:
While working on the music of Awara, once Raj Kapoor decided to take all his team to Khandala. There he explained a dance situation and asked Shankar- Jaikishan if they had a suitable tune. Jaikishan said that he did not have one ready but Shankarji said that he had one tune in mind. He started singing ‘Ramailya Vastavaiya, Ramaiya Vastavaiya’ Immediately Rajsaab asked – “Is there anything in this song after this repetitive line?” and Shailendra came up with the next line – “Maine dil tujhko diya, maine dil tujhko diya”!

Once Jaikishan was driving a car and I was sitting on the front seat. We were going through Chembur area and lots of new buildings were coming up. Repeatedly I was looking behind at those new constructions. Shailendra was sitting behind in the car and he asked me: “Arre Dattu, yeh baar baar mud mud ke kya dekh rahe ho?” Then an idea struck him and he wrote the famous song ‘Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh Mud Mud Ke’.

‘Ghar Aaja Mera Pardesi’ was recorded in different parts. The recording went on from 9 a.m. to next day’s 6 a.m.! There were almost 150 musicians and 40-50 choir singers in that recording. The actual song’s recording started at midnight but Raj-saab was not happy with the rhythm. He wanted something different. Then our flute-player Suman suggested him the name of Lala Bhau. He said that Lala Bhau had come from Pune and plays excellent dholki. I told Rajsaab that dholki is very effectively used in Tamasha. Raj saab then sent Suman to bring Lala Bhau. When that large, dark, sweaty man walked in, I was taken aback. But as he played his first hand on dholki, I instantly said- ‘Wah! Lala Bhau, kya baat hai!” He smiled and everybody was happy. After a rehearsal, Lataji was called and the song was recorded at 2.30 a.m.!

Shankarji had composed a tune for ‘Aye Mere Dil Kahin Aur Chal’ but Shailendra was not ready with the words. Shailendraji asked Shankarji: “May I borrow Dattaram for a while? He can hum the tune and I can write.” Shankarji agreed.
Shailendra took me to Hanging Garden, where we sat in shade working on that song. Smoking one cigarette after another, Shailendra kept playing with the words. When he finally got his inspiration, his pen was empty! So he picked up the cigarette stubs and wrote the words with them!

My films as composer:
“Raj Kapoor once told Shankar- Jiakishan that he was making a film on a small child, where he won’t be acting. They suggested my name as a composer for that film Ab Dilli Door Nahi, which was my first film as composer. Lataji sang the first song- a birthday song- ‘Jiyo Laal Mere Tum Laakho Baras’ and Ashaji sang the next song – ‘Yeh Chaman Hamara Apna Hai’. Then I had to compose a tune for a situation where Yaqoob is taking the child to Delhi. When I was playing that tune on harmonium, Rajsaab made me stop and said, “It is a hit song!” That was ‘Chun Chun Karti Aayi Chidiya, which was sung by Rafi-saab.
As soon as producer Mahipat Shah finished narrating the story of Parvarish to me, I suggested him to take Raj saab as the hero. Luckily Rajsaab also liked the story and suggested to take Mala Sinha as the heroine. Every song in this film was written by Hasrat. It had songs like Masti Bhara Hai Sama, Mama O Mama and Beliya Beliya. Each song had to be first approved by Raj-saab. When I composed a sad song- Aansoo Bhari Hai, he first made me present another tune but finally approved the first tune! Then he asked, “Who will be singing it?” I replied- “Of course, Mukeshji!”
Years later when I was working for Laxmikant- Pyarelal, Lataji met me in the corridor. She told me- “Dattu, do you know that I have recently recorded your song?” I was surprised. Because I had not done a recording in years! Then she told me that she had sung ‘Aansoo bhari hai’ (for her album ‘Shraddhanjali’ ).
*(Pyarelal says: This song is based on jhaptaal. At that time, there was an ongoing musicians’ strike and the song was recorded with hardly 7- 8 musicians who played out of friendship. Despite that it turned out to be a masterpiece! )
Qaidi No. 911 was S.P. Irani’s film. Here Nanda is playing a teacher, who sings the song- ‘Meethi Meethi Baaton Se Bachna Zara’ for Shaikh Mukhtar’s daughter Honey Irani. The small girl always tells her to sing a song but the teacher always refuses. The child gets angry and just as she is walking away the Aalap begins, making her stop in her stride and smile!

Dattu Theka- the magic on dholak:
I created a special rhythm on dholak, which came to be known in the film-industry as Dattaram- theka (Dattu-theka) . I had used it songs like ‘Chunchun Karti’, ‘Masti Bhara Yeh Sama’ and ‘Mera Joota Hai Japani’. Kalyanji-Anandji specially called me to play that rhythm in ‘Mere Dil Mein Hai Ik Baat.’
I played dholak in Salil Choudhary’s Madhumati- songs ‘Ghadi Ghadi Mera Dil Dhadke’, ‘Aaja Re Pardesi’ and ‘Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam Haseen’. Salilda just said- “I don’t need to tell you anything. You listen to the tune and play what you feel right!”
Once Roshanji called me for a recording as his dholak-player did not turn up at the last moment. I was sitting with a wrier when someone came to call me. He said that even Lataji was waiting. I immediately went there in a taxi and played for that song- ‘Saari Saari Raat Teri Yaad Sataaye.’ That song also proved very popular. Once I was admitted in a hospital at Dhobi Talaav and I heard a marriage band playing that song, I was so happy that half my illness was over there and then!
In ‘Mera Naam Raju Gharana Anaam’ we (Lalabhau and I) played Dafli with fingers. Today, they play such rhythm with sticks! In ‘O Maine Pyaar Kiya’, I used a folk rhythm. Rajsaab was so happy with that experiment!

The Shankar- Jaikishan equation:
Shankar and Jaikishan were equally good. There is no use of saying one was better than the other. They both understood the situation and mood and composed tunes accordingly. Shankar liked Bhairavai and Jaikishan liked Shivranjani. Shankar liked to compose for a dance-music oriented songs like ‘Jahan Main Jaati Hoon Wahin Chale Aate Ho’ and Jaikishan liked to compose romantic numbers like ‘Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein Hum’.
For Basant Bahar, director Raja Nawathe had suggested their names to Bhushan- brothers. Bharat Bhushan’s elder brother had first asked Shankar- Jaikishan whether they would be able to compose music for such classical music- oriented film. Shankarji said – ‘Why Not?’ They accepted that challenge and composed all semi-classical tunes, which became very popular, even before the film’s release!
I used to look after their rhythm-section and Sebastian used to conduct their orchestra or Melody-section.

Past Versus Present:
In yesteryear music, there was melody, that’s why old songs like ‘Baharo Phool Barsaao’ and ‘Aayega Aanewala’ are still popular. Today’s music is good for youngsters but it is too fast. You don’t even remember the song after ten minutes!

"Didi's songs for Shankar-Jaikishan are my favourites.

Radha Mangeshkar, the only daughter of music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar

Asha Bhonsle's children have tried and failed. Even Hridaynath Mangeshkar's sons had no abiding inclination for a career in music - it seemed there was no one in the third generation of Mangeshkars to take forward the tradition started by Dinanath Mangeshkar. But now an unlikely hero - make that heroine - is about to set that right. Radha Mangeshkar, the only daughter of music composer Hridaynath Mangeshkar, is taking her first steps into the world of professional music with the release of her debut album today. An overjoyed Lata - who is also Radha's Godmother - will be doing the honours.
"It's a Marathi album based on folk music. It's been composed by my father," says the 20-something, whose music training started when she was just nine under Hridaynath. "He isn't just my guru, he's my whole world," she says, her eyes brimming with quiet devotion.
Strangely, neither of her aunts - Lata and Asha - have any hand in her training though she's spent her entire life under the same roof with them. "Why is it strange? I was under the tutelage of a perfect teacher. I think neither of them thought there was any need for any extra inputs," she reasons. Interestingly, 15 years ago, she'd given her first public performance at Dinanath Mangeshkar auditorium - she was barely eight then. Today, it's where her first album will be unveiled.
A self-admitted homebody, Radha abhors socialising, though she's always enjoyedaccompanying Didi (as she calls her aunt Lata) to concerts and recordings. "It's as if she has already heard the song somewhere and knows exactly how it should be sung. Never more than a second take," she marvels. And while she's not averse to someday finding herself in a Bollywood song-recording studio, "Let's see," is all she commits.
Till now, live concerts with her father have been her forte - she just came back from one in Singapore. Any particular Lata song she likes singing at concerts? "Didi's songs for Shankar-Jaikishan are my favourites. I only sing her songs," she reveals.

COURTESY : http://www.musicindiaonline.com/n/i/top_stories/2975/

Rajendra Kumar's Loss, Shammi Kapoor's Gain

Tribute Series by Srigopal Shroti

a very polular song was already recorded by Jaikishan…because sometimes, when the tune was ready, he will ask Hasrat or Shailendra to write down the lyric…because in their heyday, i read that Jai used to make 20 to 30 tunes daily morning….and then selected 4 or 5 topper out of them. so in the same vein he recorded the beautiful song…..he was showing that song to Rajendra Kumar for his next film….hearing the song Rajendra Kumar did not like the song and asked Jai to compose other one. …As Rajendra Kumar went, Jaikishan was also ready to leave the studio…in the meantime Shammi Kapoor also came and met Jaikishan usually…Then Jaikishan in a dejected mood told Shammi Kapoor that in his life, for the first time his song was rejected…..Hearing this, Shammi asked Jai to let him listen the song….Jai went to his car and played the song and after hearing SHAMMI jumped loudly….’this is my song…thanks he has not taken it.”’…..Jai told in a normal way…u take it and he is sure that it will be a hit number……Shammi used it in Brahmchari and guess what was the song…….yes…;;AAJKAL TERE MERE PYAR KE CHARCHE HAR ZUBAN PAR, SABKO MALOOM HAI AUR SABKO KHABAR HO HAI”’….A MD cannot be wrong and no doubt, S-J MADE SOME SUBSTANDARD TUNES FOR CO-STARS MIXED WITH THE TOPS…AND AS RDB SAID ”SHANKAR JAIKISHAN WILL TELL ABOUT THEIR SONGS, WHICH WILL GO FOR HIT AND WHICH WILL BE LOWER”’, but well hummable….Such was Shammi’s enthusiasm and chemistry with SHANKAR JAIKISHAN.
ANOTHER incident i wud like to narrate…..the film ”PAGLA KAHIN KA” was in the making and their was a jail scene for which the set was ready and shooting was going on….somebody remembering David in BOOT POLISH, suggested that there shd be a song in the jail premises sung by the prisoners(half and full mad)…..Shammi was in the leading role. He immediately rang Jaikishan ”mujhe yeh gaana kal hee chahiye”…Jaikishan rang Hasrat Saab and fixed for next morning sitting and Shammi was duly informed…Next day all three sat….and looking out at the situation, Jai on the hand composed and Hasrat give words…ultimately the sond recorded was ”MERI BHAINS KO DANDA KYUN MAARA”….AND WITH time this became proverbial sentence in colloquial language…a humorous number.WHAT WAS THE BEST TUNE CREATED IN MINUTES…BY THE GENIUS MD….Shammi had no bounds to entrall and express his gratitude to his friend……….to continue….gshroti@gmail.com

JAIKISHEN'S STATUE UNVEILED IN HIS NATIVE VILLAGE

Friends

Here is another report of the trip - hopefully it adds some more details to the beautiful pictures
portrayed by Shastryji & Qamaalbhai!This is a fairly longish post. And it has been posted WITH PICTURES by Qamaalbhai on his blog at this address.
http://probollywoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/ek-but-banaoonga-tera-aur-pooja.html
Please do visit the blog post.

The proud residents of Vansada sing to Jaikishan - Ek But Banaoonga Tera Aur Pooja Karoonga!Hindi Film Music finally did itself proud! On May 21, 2009, the first ever larger than life statue of a Hindi Film Music Director was unveiled in Vansada - an obscure village of Gujarat, India."Jaikishan Dahyabhai Panchal" was engraved on the plaque - a man known the world over - as the latter half of the all time great duo named - Shankar Jaikishan!I took a train from Mumbai the previous day and reached Valsad in the thick of the afternoon. Dr.Padmanabh Joshi and Rajnikumar Pandya received me at the station. They had had a nice beer over lunch and I was in no mood to eat in that heat! Settled for some tea!A sedate, simple Gujju dinner and long conversations on SJ was the agenda for the night

We drove off for Vansada the next morning at 6.30 a.m. a journey that takes just about two hours!The name Vansada comes from Bansada - Bans which is the Gujarati word for Bamboo. This is part of a thick forested of South Gujarat and the was green even in that blistering heat!We reached the main ground in the heart of the city which was the venue for the function!An arch, banners in Gujarati with Jaikishan's photograph - an elegant mandap on the ground created a nice festive ambience. Clearly, it was a big day for the residents of Vansada! Sure enough in just about a hour the place was full of music buffs from all over Gujarat and animated conversations in Gujju filled the air!Our group members - Prashant Menon, Devendra Shastry and Qamal Mustafa were also en route and reached the venue exactly on time. Swami Sachidananda - the man who made this event happen arrived followed soon by Anandji and his wife. The function began and a large number of people were felicitated. The Maharaja of Vansada, Dr.Padmanabh Joshi, Rajnikumar Pandya et al. A quiet, very elegant looking woman in her 80s was felicitated too. She was Jaikishan's sister who lives in Vansada even today! I would have loved to hear her speak about her brother.And then came the speeches which thankfully were brief. With my limited knowledge of Gujarati let me report what I could pick up!

Swami Sachidananda made some telling points. He said many would wonder why is a Swami into Hindi Film Music! A Swami should sing bhajans and look down at Hindi Film Music! However, he added that times have changed and in today's world it is the music of the Golden Era which will keep the musical heritage of India alive!Swamiji was very forthright and stated that for over three years when he was in a depression and it was the music of Shankar Jaikishan that helped him overcome the depression! He also added that on a trip to Europe he was astonished by the way artists and their contribution was valued in society and how they remembered their heritage which was sadly lacking in India! He wanted to change this apathetic situation and what better beginning than to make a statue of a son of Gujarat his home state - and so Jaikishan! And this is just a beginning he added! In fact, he went on to mention that the next statue he was planning was in Billimora and the artiste he had in mind was another son of Gujarat - Mehboob Khan!

Rajnikmar Pandya's speech too was noteworthy. He told the residents of Vansada that their own Jaikishan had attracted so many people who are diehard music lovers and had travelled all the way! He mentioned some noteworthy folks like Prabhakar Vyas whose work on Radio Ceylon is simply mind boggling or Harish Raghuvanshi the co-author with Harmandir Hamraz of that consummate biography and song book of Saigal!The next part of Rajnibhai's speech gave us group members goose pimples! Rajnibhai mentioned that he was going to talk about something serious and said he would read out one SMS of a SJ fan, 'Revered Rajnibhai - it is a great thing that you are honoring Jaikishan but please do remember Shankar' - was the message! Rajnibhai said that this was a sentiment that all of us shared and how that message straight touched a chord in the heart! The audience responded with a thundering applause!

Anandjibhai spoke - in his own smiling, lighter vein. He wondered why all Music director Jodis had one fair partner and one not so fair partner! And why the fair partner departed first! He added that after he noticed this phenomenon he had made it point to bring it to the notice of Nadeem too! And Nadeem went off to London! Anandjibhai added that he knew Shankar Jaikishan right from their struggling days in Girgaon and how they would all get together in the day for a cup of tea in the grocery shop and in the night pull down the shutters, pull out the harmonium and play melodies through the nights! He also recalled how Jaikishan would speak in Hindi in Mumbai but when chided by Anandji would smile and slip to Gujarati!Dr. Padmanabh Joshi recounted some key aspects of Shankar Jaikishan. How both of them were creative geniuses who delivered consistently - he cited examples like how they scored two title songs for Hariyali Aur Rasta and both made it to the film. And also how they could create songs over night as in the case of Mere Bhains Ko Danda Kyon Mara! The Maharaja of Vansada spoke too - unfortunately I could not follow his speech and the only thing I picked up was he recalled the time he played cricket with Jaikishan!After that was unveiling time and the Vansada folks had arranged a stylish, rather high tech remote controlled unveiling! Anandji did the needful as starins of Dil Ek Mandir Hain filled the space and lo and behold a handsome, garlanded Jaikishan was looking at his home town! That was the big moment and everyone rushed towards the statue and it was the usual crowded photo opportunity time. Everyone wanted to be photographed with the statue and with Anandjibhai!Swamiji pointed out that lunch had been arranged for all and no one should leave the premises without having lunch! The Rangoli episode!Amidst all this a very touching event took place!Before he function began I noticed two young men carrying a beautiful Rangoli rendering of Jaikishan's photograph on a plywood plank! They placed it below the stage and it was admired by one and all! Someone in his enthusiasm tried to prop up the piece of plywood and whew - in a minute the entire creation was wiped out!"Excuse me, but did you guys take aphotograph of it?" whispered a vooice and Qamaalbhai and myself turned to see a flummoxed Manish the creator of the Rangoli portrait! "Of course we have" both of us chimed! We promised to send the photographs to Manish!Somewhere the little accident had a significance! Here was another artiste of Vansada proudly displaying his creation and in no time he had found it wiped out forever! Such a sad fate should never be the lot of any artiste or their creations! Somewhere Jaikishan's statue would certainly symbolize the beginning of such a time!

Courtesy : Shahrukh Khan (oshahrukhthegreat@gmail.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

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