Big B remembers Panchamda on his birth anniversary

Today is RD Burman’s 68th birth anniversary. Diganta Guha speaks to Amitabh Bachchan who had a great association with him.

When did you first meet RD Burman and what struck you? 
I think it was with Mehmood bhai. They were very close. It was Mehmood bhai 

People are right. His compositions in films with Dev saheb and Rajesh Khanna are legendary. They were pure magic.

They contain the subtlety, purity and aesthetic quality of Bengal, yet the exuberance of a modern world enveloped in the fantasised commercial Hindi cinema of Mumbai. I am fortunate to have had some very memorable hits from him, but his works with Dev saheb and Rajesh Khanna were far superior.

He had the great quality of mixing classical, folk and modern music at will. Today his music lives on with even greater gusto — a recognised quality of a genius.

What made RD special?
He had the great quality of mixing classical, folk and modern music at will. Today his music lives on with even greater gusto — a recognised quality of a genius. Some during his lifetime perhaps were unable to appreciate or fathom his talent.

Some are of the view that RD Burman surpassed SD Burman. Do you agree?
I disagree. SD Burman was divine. Pancham was more flamboyant and more youthful. I doubt if even Panchamda would have endorsed this. 

Five of your favourite RD tracks?
The ones with Hrishida (Hrishikesh Mukherjee), another with Basuda (Basu Chatterjee) and the Kaalia number Jahan teri yeh nazar hai. Very few know that this was a composition that he and I sat together on after I had heard a Persian tune and we worked to imbibe a few notes that we liked on that number.

You are in the Sholay remake and RD is no more. There must be a vacuum...
Yes, of course. The original will always remain a masterpiece.

One film where RD scored the music you would have loved to be part of?
Amar Prem with Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore and directed by Shakti Samanta...the remake of the Bengali film, Nishipadma. Incredible music. Everlasting.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/music/Big-B-remembers-Panchamda-on-his-birth-anniversary/Article1-232995.aspx

(pic: Shashank Chickermane)

साथ तुम्हारा पंचम

'छोटे नवाब 'से फ़िल्मी सफर शुरू करने वाले पंचम को पहला ब्रेक बतौर संगीतकार दिया उनके दोस्त और कॉमेडियन  महमूद ने ! और इसी  फिल्म में लता मंगेशकर ने पंचम के लिए  गाया  एक बेमिसाल गीत 'घर आजा घिर आये बदरा सांवरिया'...पर सफलता अभी थोड़ी से क़दम दूर थी जल्द ही मिली 'तीसरी क़सम' और फिल्म में एक अलग तरह का संगीत रच  दिया हमारे पंचम ने !शुरुआत के दिनों में  जो गीत काम्पोज  करने में  पंचम को काफी ख़ुशी महसूस हुई वो था 'ओ हसीना जुल्फों वाली  जाने जहाँ .रफ़ी और आशा जी का युगल गीत जिसे खुद गाने से पहले रफ़ी साहब ने कहा था की इसे गाने के लिए कम से कम ३
-४ रिहर्सल तो ज़रूर करनी पड़ेगी !

 

We have had posts wherein the composer is Lata.. we have had songs wherein the composer is Meena.. time for the third sibbling now.. the composer is the effervescent ASHA BHOSLE!


Ashatai composed for this album titled 'Aapki Asha' in 2002 which had IMO few wonderful songs and few mediocre songs as well.. but Asha being Asha made it sound wonderful in her silken voice. 'Na Marte Hum To Kya Karte..' is the most famous song of this album.. but today I am posting a comparatively lesser heard song from this album and my absolute favourite..


This album was a seamless blend of Asha's melodic association with both O.P.Nayyar and R.D.Burman.. her compositions tend to showcase how much an impact the styles for these two stalwarts had on her... here is the beautiful 'Uljhi Laton Ki Tarah..'

When terrible events occur, they occur in a bulk! This year has been probably one of those dreadful years in the music arena wherein the despair, gloom and agony just doesnt seem to pass by. By the time you are recovering from one shock, we are hit in our face with one more devastating setback. But somewhere today the heavens will be sounding heavenly in the real sense, with all the maestros celebrating a 'mehfil' there.. wish I was a part of the audience there, even if that means leaving this mehfil on this earth here..
USTAD SULTAN KHAN.. the pioneer of an instrument whose chords when struck feel as if someone is strucking the chords of your heart.. the man who made this extremely difficult to play instrument look extremely delicate with the sheer dexterity of his hand and unsurpassable passion for music... the connoisseur of music who travelled globally, collaborated internationally, expanded his horizons through the generations and musicians across generations.. the man whose music made the listener enter the zone of tranquility and trance.. the genius, the master, the legend, the stalwart.. all seems so distant today as we have lost him forever.
His was the one who gave Sarangi a global face.. and somewhere today that Sarangi is left stranded, faceless, alone in a corner.. its time to revive it, time to stand up and salute this impeccable personality with all the possible dignity, honesty and reverance! The innumerable blissful moments that he has embedded in our lives are all clustered today to bow down in memory and admiration of this legend. 
I have so much to say and so much to post, but somewhere by feet are stopping by this Bhairavi Jugalbandi with the eminent Sitarist Ustad Rais Khan and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee on the Tabla. 
'Shayad insaano'n ki is dharti par is sangeet sartaj ka ye aakhri paigaam hoga.'

We have had posts expatiating Ustad Ji's work in the classical domain, ghazal domain, non-film modern mix domain.. here is Ustad Sultan Khan in the Thumri domain of music and who else that the Thumri Samrangni Shobha Gurtu to join him...

A WINTER ROMANCE :)

The chills, the shivers, the cutesy weather, the rosy mornings, the sleeping late in the blankets, the hot chocolate (coffee or tea respectively for others according to their taste), the warmth exuded by your loved ones which seems a tad bit more, the early morning indolence, the long luscious evenings.. its a season to love.. its a season to feel cheerful about... it is a season full of soft, silken moments.. its WINTER!

मुस्काई सर्दी की धूप,
इठलाई सर्दी की धूप |

सरसों के फूलों सी खिलकर ,
पुलकाई सर्दी की धूप |

उचक -उचक कर, उछल उछल कर,
तुतलाई सर्दी की धूप |

कम्बल -जैसा संबल देकर,
मन भाई सर्दी की धूप |

पर्वत से लेकर आँगन तक,
घिर आई सर्दी की धूप |

(Geeta Dutt : Yeh hawa yeh fiza : Non film song)

Being the season of love.. of romance.. the soft waltzes.. the lingering moments... winter gives you all in a 'warm' cozy blanket!

(Romance in Winter - Wedding Piano Music by Miranda Wong)

(and who better than Beegie Adair to make you fall in love.. with the weather and with this lovely Jazz piece..)

and how about some Dean Martin with it talking about romance?!