A VOICE THAT RESONATES LIKE THE TEMPLE BELL AND REJOICES LIKE THE DISCO LIGHT !

A VOICE THAT RESONATES LIKE THE TEMPLE BELL AND REJOICES LIKE THE DISCO LIGHT !

How do we define the ebullience of a free flowing river ? How do you gauge the depth of a silent, pacifying sea ? How do we elaborate the innocence in the laughter of a small child ? How do we characterize the seduction in a newly wed couple ? How do we even get through to know the piousness in the light gleaming in front of a God's statue in the early hours of the morning ? We do have an answer to all of this.. one voice with all its ebullience makes us understand the depth of these questions, albeit innocently through the ways of seduction yet in a very pious way.. one voice named ASHA BHOSLE !

Her voice has been a witness of practically every emotion of our lives.. it softens to a lullaby as it grooves to an item number.. it soothes the paining heart as it races the heartbeats.. it purifies the emotions as it bewitches them.. it touches the deepest chords of the soul as it strums a song out of them.. it dances in the rain and cries in it too.. it is a truly a voice that threads two hearts together, two worlds together !

Be it the seductiveness of 'Aaiye Meherbaan..', or the pathos of 'Justaju Jiski Thi..', she dealt with it effectively. The playfulness of 'Bhanwra Bada Naadaan Hain..', countered the mysteriousness of 'Parde Mein Rehne Do..' perfectly well in her voice. The romance of 'Chura Liya Hain Tumne Jo..', the anxiety of 'Piya Tu Ab To Aaja..', the patriotism of 'Sabarmati Ke Sant Tune..' or the tipsiness of 'Aao Huzoor Tumko..', every emotion sounded real and true in her singing. She could appease in 'O Mere Sona Re..', but had a pride in 'Mere Mehboob Mein Kya Nahi..', she had the maternal ardor of 'Chanda Chupe Rehna..' but the glamorousness of 'Jawani Jaan-e-man..' was no less. Her tantalizing 'Dum Maaro Dum..' was as perfect as the devotion of 'Deva Ho Deva Ganpati Deva..' Deeper expressions and emotions like peeve in 'Tum Kitne Din Baad Mile..' or persuasion in 'Pyar Ke Mod Par Chhodoge Jo..' were made to sound easy in her voice. She was the party-hopper in 'Jaan-e-Jaa O Meri Jaan-e-Jaa..' but connected to the melancholy of 'Khali Haath Shaam Aayi Hain..' with aplomb. Her demure shyness in 'Nahi Nahi Abhi Nahi..' was drastically different than the carefreeness of 'Yaayi Re.. Rangeela Re..'. She rebelled in 'Saare Niyam Tod Do..' but became reflective in 'Yeh Saaye Hain Yeh Duniya Hain..', became a competition in 'Aa Dekhein Zara..' but finally did becoming the guide in 'Jhukake Sar Ko Poocho..' ! Her exuberance, her effervescence, her excellence, her enchantment, her emotions have all exemplified her extraordinary expertise in her craft.

Decades passed, generations followed, choices changed, techniques developed, listening ears transformed.. this voice saw it all and yet remained fresh as a flower and as a true as a prayer.. tireless, relentless, ageless ! This voice that made our lives worth living, itself faced a lot, it made us understand the worth of our emotions but itself understood it the hard way.. but there was nothing to stop the undying spirit with which it continued stamping and stomping its mark over everyone ! 69 years ago a journey started which increased it speed with every passing year trespassing the barriers of language, region and at times even the country !

Today, when it enters the 80th year of a delightful life which has always been a chapter in living, an inspiration, an institution, a source of energy and positive undaunted will and spirit.. I am sure, on looking back on the hard, arduous struggle done all through the life will reiterate there words to itself.. She gave everyone a lot but probably at the expense of losing a part of hers..

गीत कितने गा चुकी हूँ इस सुखी जग के लिए,
आज रोने दो मुझे पल एक अपने भी लिए..

रो रही थी बीन और सुन कर सुखी संसार था,
नाचती थी उंगलियाँ और काँपता हर तार था..

आज टूटा तार मेरी बीन का आघात से,
आज कुम्हलाया कुसुम मेरा अधिक बरसात से..

साज़ धोने दो नयन के अश्रु खोने दो मुझे,
कल सुनाऊंगी मधुर कुछ आज रोने दो मुझे..

(Lyrics are by Bharat Vyas and the music composition is by Nikhil Ghosh.)
geet kitne ga chuki hoon
AshaTai ki zindagi mein wo madhur geet sunanewala kal hamesha aata rahe..
she has given us a reason to live through her songs, through her music.. its time to say that we are indebted, but this is one debt, I am sure, everyone would love being in all through their lives ! Thank you AshaTai for being the incandescent light juxtaposed with the undaunted fervor that you spill around.. I bow down to you for just being there !