folk songs vs Mainstream cinema

Aarohi |

16 | September 19, 2007 at 10:15 pm | 44 views | Music| Share

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There Are 16 Responses So Far. »

Qalandar 19 September 2007
10:39:17 pm

What a wonderful and passionate post! As an aside, while not strictly speaking folk I liked the whiff of a more traditional scent that was imparted to the song “Eye Gori” in Delhi Heights, and I have a great weakness for it…

Qalandar 19 September 2007
10:40:36 pm

Though I think the author does not give enough credit to songs like “Namak Ishq Ka”, which in a sense have to “serve two masters”, i.e. not only the folk tradition but also the tradition of Hindi film music (which cannot be slighted)…

Aarohi 20 September 2007
02:36:29 am

Q: Did you catch Amir Khusro’s “Jihal-e-miskin” in the comments. Although I couldn’t understand most of it, it sounds so poetic.

IIRC, Hairat-e-ashiqui from Guru is also inspired by some Amir Khusro song, right?

Qalandar 20 September 2007
07:04:42 am

I didn’t know about Hairat-e-Ashiqui, although the “Jhin Min Jhini” song from Maqbool certainly is (the “Aaj Rang Hai Ree Maa” poetry is from Khusrau; a Nusrat rendition of this is one of my alltime favorite Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan tracks).

We had a thread on Zee haal miskeen on NG 1.0…

Qalandar 20 September 2007
07:07:32 am

Aarohi: btw, I don’t know if you know ths but there is a great website on Amir Khusro, and it features translations too. I paste the one for Zihal-e-Miskeen below:

“Zehal-e miskin makun taghaful, duraye naina banaye batiyan;
ki taab-e hijran nadaram ay jaan, na leho kaahe lagaye chhatiyan.
Shaban-e hijran daraz chun zulf wa roz-e waslat cho umr kotah;
Sakhi piya ko jo main na dekhun to kaise kaatun andheri ratiyan.
Yakayak az dil do chashm-e jadoo basad farebam baburd taskin;
Kise pari hai jo jaa sunaave piyare pi ko hamaari batiyan.
Cho sham’a sozan cho zarra hairan hamesha giryan be ishq aan meh;
Na neend naina na ang chaina na aap aaven na bhejen patiyan.
Bahaqq-e roz-e wisal-e dilbar ki daad mara ghareeb Khusrau;
Sapet man ke waraaye raakhun jo jaaye paaon piya ke khatiyan.

Do not overlook my misery by blandishing your eyes,
and weaving tales; My patience has over-brimmed,
O sweetheart, why do you not take me to your bosom.
Long like curls in the night of separation,
short like life on the day of our union;
My dear, how will I pass the dark dungeon night
without your face before.
Suddenly, using a thousand tricks, the enchanting eyes robbed me
of my tranquil mind;
Who would care to go and report this matter to my darling?
Tossed and bewildered, like a flickering candle,
I roam about in the fire of love;
Sleepless eyes, restless body,
neither comes she, nor any message.
In honour of the day I meet my beloved
who has lured me so long, O Khusro;
I shall keep my heart suppressed,
if ever I get a chance to get to her trick”

Aarohi 20 September 2007
07:25:37 am

Q: Thanks for the link. I wasn’t aware of this one.

ARR said in an interview that he was fascinated by an Amir Khusro song/poem “Sharbat-e-aashiqui”. And, Hairat-e-aashiqui is an inspiration.

Iam not sure about thenAmir Khusro part, but the original was Sharbat-e-aashiqui.

Aarohi 20 September 2007
07:32:29 am

Sorry Q, niw I know the name is Khusrau not Khusro.

Qalandar 20 September 2007
07:44:56 am

Aarohi: that’s just how they are spelling it, and maybe in Farsi that’s how it is pronounced, but in the sub-continent everyone always pronounces it khusrO, so I think you’re golden there!

Qalandar 20 September 2007
07:49:42 am

My other favorite Khusro poem (and another Nusrat favorite rendition) is “Chaap Tilak sab cheeni re mose naina milaike”…Kailash Kher has done a beautiful job on this too, changing the tune quite a bit from the one we usually hear, making for a mellower, less energetic but soulful version…

Aarohi 20 September 2007
07:52:24 am

I love Chaap Tilak from Kailasa Jhoomo Re.

btw, Saathiya’s Naina Milaike is also inspired by Chaap Tilak.

rks 20 September 2007
10:11:10 am

I like Sharda Sinha’s songs but My favourite folk song in a film is “chalat musaafir moh liya re pinjhrewaali muniya” by Manna Dey in teesri Kasam.

Q: Have you heard this song “Phulowri Bina Chutney Kaise Bani”.

Qalandar 20 September 2007
10:15:12 am

I haven’t heard it…

The Manna Dey song is amazing, so wonderfully evocative even though I am not sure what it all means…

In recent times, I liked the version of “Agle Janam Mohe Bitya Na Kijiyo” in UJ…