There is nothing anywhere in the world like Hindi cinema. It is unique inimitable brand of cinema that at which has characters that break into song, dance laughter just as easily as they weep, laugh and express all their emotions! Romantic songs always take you in a dreamy world especially with the soothing tunes and the lovely lyrics that mingle so beautifully. For the past so many years, Hindi film songs have created and built notions and ideologies of romance across the country and even world. Right from Pyaar hua ekraar hua to kabhi kabhi aditi from jaane tu…hindi film songs have left no stone unturned in giving visuals and words to our imagination and to our romance. Songs like tera mera pyaar amar, aasman ke neeche hum aaj apne peeche, dekha ek khwab toh yeh silsile hue, hotoh se chulo tum, pal pal dil ke paas, chaudvi ka chand, pehla nasha, tu hi re, tere liye humhain jeeye and so many more songs have swayed us with their music. Romance and love have been the central theme of most films in Indian cinema. The frequent use of poetic Urdu words is fairly common in Hindi songs and this is what makes the lyrics of these songs so beautiful that you want to listen to it and hum them. Some of the uncommon yet very romantic songs have been beheka hai mann kahin from the film Chameli, Madhhosh dil ki dhadkan from the film Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai, bolo toh from the film Shabd, and recently tere naina from the movie Chandni Chowk to China. Romantic songs list is endless but it depends from individual to individual which songs are the ones that evoke feelings in them.
Archive for October, 2009
Romantic songs
Thursday, October 29th, 20091990’s Hits
Thursday, October 29th, 20091990s gave us numerous musical hits. This was the decade of melody and mellifluous song. Composers like Nadeem-Shravan, Anand Milind, Anu Malik and Jatin-Lalit etc gave numerous melodies in this decade. This decade belonged to singers like Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Abhijeet, Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamoorthy etc. the decade began with a bang with Mahesh Bhatt’s Aashiqui. Nadeem-Shravan announced their arrival this movie and so did Kumar Sanu. This movie also won his first Filmfare Award and thereafter he won 5 in a row. Astonishing indeed! Almost all the songs of this movie were huge hits but my personal favoruite is ‘Ab Tere Bin’.
Composers Jatin-Lalit considers this song as their best even today. Yes, I am talking about ‘Pehla Nasha’ from the youth-oriented movie JJWS (Jo Jeeta Wahi SIkandar). Truly a brilliant song, this number fired up romantic imagination of almost an entire generation. You will go to a different world listening to this song.
One of the most romantic songs of this decade was ‘Mujhe Raat Din’ sung brilliantly by Sonu Nigam. This song is still an underrated one and did not get its due. Had it been picturised on a top actor, sure it would have gained in popularity. Nevertheless, it retains its charm even today.
How can you forget ‘Tum Mile Dil Khile’ from the movie Criminal? I must admire underrated composer MM Kareem for this awesome composition. Rendered by Kumar Sanu, this one is a complete romantic song. The next in the list will surely be ‘Sandese Aate Hain’ from super hit Border.
90s was also the decade when Indian Mozart A R Rehman came into prominence. Just listen to his ‘Yeh Haseen Waadiyan’ from Roja and you will understand why he was proclaimed as one of the best thing that had ever happened to Indian music industry. Another Rehman composition that comes to my mind is ‘Nahin Saamne Tu’ from movie Taal. You just can’t get away from this Hariharan number.
Oldies Goldies
Monday, October 19th, 2009Talking about some old songs, how can we forget heart-stirring ‘Tujhse Naaraz Nahin Zindagi’ from Gulzaar’s Masoom? The maestro himself penned down lyrics and both the version of the song sung by Anoop Goshal and Lata were simply brilliant. Definitely a must have in any music lover’s list.
The movie ‘Wo Kaun Thi’ had this beautiful song ‘Lag Jaa Gale’ had best possible lyrics. Just go through the lyrics once again and you will know what I mean.
‘Humko Mili hain aaj yeh ghadiyaan naseeb se
Jee Bhar ke dekh leejiye Humko kareeb se’…What lyrics!
‘Aapki Aankhon me kuch’ from the movie Ghar had wonderful combination of Kishore-Lata pair at its helm. A great song indeed.
‘Kya Hua tera Waada’ was sung by awesome Rafi Saheb. This song is so intense and full of longing and you never know some past events of your life might flash in front of your eyes. An amazing song in every sense of the word.
Remember the song, ‘Chaudvi ka Chaand’? Oh yes, how can you forget this all time romantic song.
‘Yaa Aaftaab Ho, Jo Bhi Ho Tum Khuda ki kasam Laajawaab ho……’ and you will be forced to thank incomparable Rafi Saheb for his music talent and singing prowess.
A romantic song that even bollywood badshah, Shahrukh Khan considers as his favorite is ‘Abhi na jao chhod ke’. Very few songs can claim to be as romantic as this one. Just check its lyrics;
Abhi na jao chhod ke
Ki dil abhi bhara nahi
Abhi abhi to aayi ho
Bahaar ban ke chaayi ho
Hawa zara mahek to le
Nazar zara bahek to le
Yeh shaam dhal to le zara
Yeh dil sambhal to le zara
Main thodi der jee to loon
Nashe ke ghoont pi to loon
Abhi to kuch kaha nahi
Abhi to kuch suna nahi
Abhi na jaayo chhodh kar
Ke dil abhi bhara nahi….
What lyrics and what rendition!
Last one in this list is ‘Chura Liya hain tumne’ from the movie Yaadon ki Baarat. Asha Bhosle made this song immortal and Zeenat Aman will always be known for this song. One of the best of all times.
collection of hindi songs
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009Hindi songs make an excellent gift for all occasions. This could be a collection of rare songs that were a one-time-hit and yet melodious. There are many songs that actually do not last on the charts and yet get nostalgic when you hear them after a long span. Gift your parents a collection of their time that was magical and pure in melody.
A compilation of ghazals is a treasured collection. There are various themes converted to moods of a ghazal. Like the hit from Pankaj Udhas goes Chandi jaisa rang hain tera is a catchy song which seems perfect for a light hearted entertainment. Many ghazals were also popular owing to its expression in Bollywood movies. These include the ghazal from Arth and other ghazals from Andhi are still a hit.
Western pop culture in Hindi songs was an experimental theory. This also gave rise to many musicians who were expert in Indinaisisng the pop culture. Using the right mix of modern instruments and Indian voice the musicians worked on pop, disco and characteristically western beats. This collections brings in memories of past.
The effervescent taste of modern Indi pop music is much popular with so many numbers from eminent fusion artists like A R Rahman and the peppy duo Vishal-Shekar. The magic of the songs of Shankar Ehsan Loy is a troika flavor inducing new trends with the theme belonging to the film and making it appealing to the audience.
One can actually do a concept of mix of collection of songs and arrange it accordingly. Downloading music is another easy way to keep refreshing the collection and making latest music available via simple downloads at the ease of your home.
Hindi songs
Monday, October 12th, 2009New Indian songs are more influenced from the western style of music and more often than not, they are a good blend of Indian as well as western music. These types of songs are categorized as ‘indi-pop’ songs and they sure belong to a specific genre. One can notice that the latest Hindi Bollywood songs are composed from a multiple tradition of classical, folk, and pop music culture. There many castes, languages and dialects in India which also have a direct bearing on its music. The infiltration of foreign influences like Persia, Turkia, Britain and Arabia has served to mould Indian music over several centuries. For most Indians, music is fundamental to the lives.
Indian songs are popular all over the world. The different manifestation of Indian songs such as qawalli, dadra, kirtan, ghazal, thumri, shabd, bhajan and gurbani are relished by music lovers all over the planet. Indian filmy songs cover a big platform in the form of popular pop music in the western world. New Indian songs are sometimes remixes of old popular Hindi songs. Individual pop artists have also taken to making individual albums, which are a hit all over.
Lata and Asha Mangeshkar were the star singers of Indian Hindi songs in the past decades. Many new singers like Alisha Chinai, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shaan, Kunal Ganjawala and Sonu Nigam have emerged on the music scene in India. In the era before Lata and Asha artists like Manna Dey and Ghalib sang lovely Hindi songs. Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh were also the well known contemporaries of the Mangeshkar sisters.
Nostalgic Moments
Saturday, October 10th, 2009Hindi music lovers can find wonderful songs in every decade. This time, let’s take a look at some of the beautiful songs of yore. It is hard to just name few songs because of umpteen numbers of mesmerizing songs but then you are free to provide us your choices.
‘Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Me’ from YashRaj banner movie ‘Kabhi Kabhi’ starring Big B is all time favorite of many people. Great Mukesh had rendered voice for this wonderful song and even today, it has not lost its eternal appeal. I remember, listening to his song one fine morning and it was hard to ignore its evergreen appeal and impact.
‘Chhokar Mere Man Ko’ from the movie Yaarana is another evergreen song. Starring Amitabh Bachchan once again, Kishore kumar made this song immortal. Lyrics are quite simple and yet so meaningful. One of the best songs of composer Rajesh Roshan.
‘Mere Naina Saawan Bhaado’ from the movie Mehbooba starring Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini is another great hit. Song came in both male and female version but I guess, I will be slightly biased towards male version. It has got this haunting feel that will stay with you and will make you yearn for more.
‘Ek Haseena Thi’ from Showman Subhash Ghai’s super hit Karz has not lost its touch even amongst youngsters of today. Recently, Himesh Reshamiya tried his hand at this song in a new form but old is always gold. The guitar work is splendid and composers Laxmikant-Pyaarelal have done an incredible job. They deservedly won Filmfare award for Karz. I could just mention few songs and article is about to end. You can’t help but wonder at number of evergreen songs given by Hindi music industry.
competitive shows
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009Inspired by happenings on the entertainment sector, television is capturing the essence of live singing competitions. There are various levels and categories judged by respected musicians and singers. There is a fair chance to exhibit, improve and present the talent for winning the hearts of the audience. With downloading of songs made much easier, the songs are forever available via reputable sites.
Mp3 or direct links are also enable for us to capture the songs of the olden era and the vivacity present in the disco days. Every song that was a thing of a past is now brought back alive in the original format. For people who love the fusion mix, there is wide choice to learn the exploring available in the remix versions. This is an art by itself and has to be learnt with caution and sincerity.
The shows are also based on celebrity judging but the real judge is the Indian audience who is esteemed the most. The panel judges give their opinion about the singing or presentation and openly suggest changes or improvements. This is shared openly and aired by the channels so also to generate a public opinion. The poll system is a great way to assess the viewership and excite interest of the public.
The shows based on childrens music also are available for open participation irrespective of the region or regionality. The children are coached and also allotted mentors who make a substantial improvement in their personality. There are a lot of elements in the competitive singing competitions. This is a mix of presentation, musical understanding, age and maturity in the concept. Downloadable music played on palm tops, organizers, mobiles is a refreshing way to understand the various levels in music and learn from the same.
Hindi Bhaktis and Bhajans
Thursday, October 1st, 2009During the reign of the Moghuls in India, the Bhakti movement in music gained momentum. One of the salient features of this movement was the singing of devotional songs popularly known as Bhajans. Indian culture holds a significant place for Bhajans mainly because it comprises of songs in appreciation of Gods and Goddesses. Most Bhajans were composed in Hindi and also in common regional languages of India such as Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Sanskrit etc. Bhajans helped masses of the India to come close to one another. It gave people a way and an approach to connect with God directly.
Most Bhajans recite an anecdote through words that are composed and fitted to a tune. These words preach the teachings of saints. Some of the popular saints that have advocated the use of Bhajans are Tulsidas, Kabir, Chaitanya, Haridas, Soordas, Mira, etc. Their songs are still sung today and they form an integral part Hinduism as a culture. Another word that is related to Bhajans is Kirtan. In Sikh language, these devotional songs are called kirtans. Kirtans recite the mantras in a musical tome from the rich Indian Vedas. Bhanjans have also been influenced from the Qawwalis which are devotional songs sung by the Sufi singers.
The musical instruments used in Bhajans are Tabla, Kartal (wooden clappers), Ektar (one-stringed lute), Nal (barrel-shaped drum), Dotar (two-stringed lute), Manjira (small hand cymbals), Dholak (barrel-shaped drum), Harmonium (hand-pumped organ) and Sitar (long-necked lute).