Chalo Tumko Lekar Chalein...

All right. This is my first blog entry ever. No wonder it took only someone like Shreya Ghoshal to compel me to write this (albeit unwittingly). It's surprising that I'm joining the Shreya fan club this late. All these years, I would get transported to a different world by listening to Kishore Kumar saab's songs. I hadn't the slighest idea that a modern singer could do the same to me. Therefore, probably, I had formed too strong an opinion against new singers. Shreya has made me change it now.

My endeavour here is to commentate elaborately on each of what I call Shreya's magical songs. Hope it'll be useful to fellow fans and students of singing alike. I'm limiting myself to her Hindi songs at the moment because I've not heard any of her regional songs. In fact, it's funny that I've heard a grossly limited number of even her Hindi songs. And even then I'm convinced I should take this task up. Coming back to the concept of Shreya's magical songs... Magic does not happen often. With anyone. Just that, with great artists it's oftener than it is with not-so-great artists. Magic did not always happen with Kishore saab. Or Lata ji. Or Asha ji. Shreya is no exception. I'm not a blind (deaf?) follower. Currently, out of all the Shreya songs that I've heard (which I reiterate are very limited in number), there are around five REALLY MAGICAL ones. I'm sure, of course, that I'll discover more of such as I listen to more of her songs.

Chalo Tumko Lekar Chalein from Jism.

This remains my favorite rendition of Shreya till date. I might change my opinion as I listen to more of her songs, though. So what is it that creates (ABSOLUTE) magic in this song? Observe Shreya's voice. Observe the liquid touch to it. Is it because she's almost singing this under her breath (most of it, at least, save the really high-pitched part)? Maybe.

चलो, तुमको लेकर चलें, हम उन फ़िज़ाओं में
जहाँ मीठा नशा है तारों की छाँव में

Observe the way she says "चलो" to start the song off. It's not a plain "चलो." It's a "चलो" that's inviting you to go with her. Now listen to "मीठा." The tune of the song leaves you with a very small time to pronounce the "मी." However, Shreya does her bit lingering on ever so slightly with the "मी" to maintain it's दीर्घ quality, lest the word sounds मिठा.

चलो, तुमको लेकर चलें, हम उन फ़िज़ाओं में
जहाँ मीठा नशा है तारों की छाँव में

She repeats the refrain. Listen to the playfully romantic utteration of the "चलें." (The same is found in the subsequent "मीठा" and "चलो.") The swaying and sweeping "नशा" aptly sounds intoxicating. Did you notice that her voice texture changes a bit when she says "नशा"? She has briefly used a slightly broader version of her voice to great effect (the same kind of voice she's used for singing "Yeh Dhuan Dhuan Sa Rehne Do" in Tumsa Nahin Dekha, though that was way broader.) Good lord, what a singer! What vocal repertoire to choose from! What subtlety!

चलो, तुमको लेकर चलें, हम उन फ़िज़ाओं में
गाती सरसराती इन हवाओं संग आओ पास मेरे आओ ना
सपनों का सफ़र है मेरे दिल का ये भँवर है इस में डूब जाओ ना

Listen to the innocence in the voice when she sings the first line of the first stanza. Listen to the EXQUISITELY controlled tremble in the "आओ ना." Observe, also, how she pronounces the आओ and the ना in quick succession. This is to ensure that it means "come" and not "don't come."

ज़रा सा लम्हा छिपा था अब मिल गया

Listen to how she effortlessy sings the jumping notes, which are difficult to sing in isolation and in an unconnected manner. The "अब" in "अब मिल गया" (and a similar word in the second stanza, more of which, when we come to it) takes the cake for me. JUST LISTEN to how she sings the "अब." Her voice, for the slightest bit, tantalizingly flits into false voice. It's not as if that note is the end of her upper range, and her voice automatically goes into false voice. Far from it. It's a DELIBERATE treatment. Who else in the industry can do this today? I don't think anyone can. It'll take Lata ji and Asha ji (of the 50s or 60s) to do this with the same kind of voice quality. I know that's a very bold statement to make, but I have sufficient conviction when I say this.

जहाँ मीठा नशा है तारों की छाँव में

Listen to the improvisation during the "में in "तारों की छाँव में."

चलो, तुमको लेकर चलें, हम उन फ़िज़ाओं में
मद्धम रौशनी है और चंचल चांदनी है चले आओ ना

Again the same innocence when she sings the first line of the second stanza. And again the आओ and the ना are pronounced in quick succession.

शबनम सी चुभन है और महका सा मिलन है दूर जाओ ना

Listen to the deliberate pause between the "जाओ" and the "ना." That was really needed so that the meaning is "don't go" and not "go."

सुहाना सपना तुम्हारा सच हो गया

A colossal repeat performance of the jumping notes and the flitting false voice similar to the first stanza. Here the fortunate word that gets the "flitting false voice" treatment from Shreya is the "सच" in "सच हो गया."

जहाँ मीठा नशा है तारों की छाँव में
चलो, तुमको लेकर चलें, हम उन फ़िज़ाओं में
जहाँ मीठा नशा है तारों की छाँव में

Phew! Wordsworth had said "My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky." I must say "My heart leaps up when I listen to Shreya." Excuse me for having to quote others until I write my own verses for her :)

I think Shreya herself would find it difficult to repeat/top this performance. (so we can safely forget about any other singer even remotely comtemplating of attempting this.)

Lemme know if and how you liked this entry. I'll write a commentary soon on another Shreya song that I find magical.