On the fantastic occasion of Shreya having won her fourth National award, I'm compelled to "open" a couplet from the ghazal I wrote for her. This is the maqta (concluding couplet) of my ghazal:
अगर दिल वज्द में आया, तो धड़कन शोर कर देगी
ज़रा दिल थामकर "मोहित" सुनो आवाज़ श्रेया की
Literal meaning:
Sentence 1: If the heart goes absolutely wild in rapture, its heartbeats will be so loud and heavy that they'll cause noise.
Sentence 2: Restrain your heart, and then listen to Shreya's voice.
More detailed explanation:
Shreya's voice always makes the heart go absolutely wild in rapture. Therefore, one always craves to listen to it. However, on listening to it, one's heart becomes euphoric. Consequently, the heartbeats become very loud and heavy, which causes noise and is a hindrance in the process of listening to her voice. Therefore, restrain your heart, and then listen to Shreya's voice.
I wanted Shreya to read my ghazal first, though :( And all arrangements had been made, too. However one day I just woke up and found myself in Redmond. Ah but I'll be back. Try and try until you don't need to try anymore.
जो तमन्ना बर न आए उम्र भर
उम्र भर उसकी तमन्ना कीजिए
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Shreya ghazal ready
Ah but my ghazal on Shreya is ready now. And quite obviously, I'd like her to be the first person to read it before it "opens to public." Tall order, that. Lemme see whether/how that can be arranged. Where there's a will, there's a way. (And if your name features in the will, you can have *your* way.) [Note to self: oh, well, no trivial stuff here, Mohit...use another blog for it...]
If/after Shreya reads my ghazal, I might post it on this blog with elaborate translations in English.
Had Roshan not been correcting my verses, probably I'd have been ready with a *book* of couplets on Shreya by now. [And that's probably true when you are writing *any* ghazal because by the time you have the *final versions* of your couplets ready, you'd have tried enough number of themes and enough permutations and combinations within those themes to have sufficient content (size-wise) to create a book out of, unless, of course, you're too talented and can think up the verses "monolithically."] Though the quality of those couplets would obviously have been nowhere (as in, *no*where) close to being as good as my humble final 7 couplets. That, of course, is only a relative assessment. On an absolute scale, gaining competence in ghazal writing is as long and far away for me as a moon roundtrip. Ah but then at least I'm on my way.
I've also been thinking about how I should be spending the free time that I get. Free time is like gold dust now. I'm not young enough anymore to just change my occupation and get into something I like more. So my free time better be well spent. Though I don't want to jump the gun by sounding the death knell for this blog yet. The point I was trying to make is that I must just put my head down and fight my way into the music industry so that I give myself a chance to compose for Shreya someday. Wouldn't it be lovely to be on the "other side of Twitter" for once? Meaning that wouldn't it be great if Shreya someday wrote a tweet saying something like "Recorded a song with Mohit today. The fellow creates hopeless music, really, but he wouldn't let me out of the studio until I dubbed his song."
If/after Shreya reads my ghazal, I might post it on this blog with elaborate translations in English.
Had Roshan not been correcting my verses, probably I'd have been ready with a *book* of couplets on Shreya by now. [And that's probably true when you are writing *any* ghazal because by the time you have the *final versions* of your couplets ready, you'd have tried enough number of themes and enough permutations and combinations within those themes to have sufficient content (size-wise) to create a book out of, unless, of course, you're too talented and can think up the verses "monolithically."] Though the quality of those couplets would obviously have been nowhere (as in, *no*where) close to being as good as my humble final 7 couplets. That, of course, is only a relative assessment. On an absolute scale, gaining competence in ghazal writing is as long and far away for me as a moon roundtrip. Ah but then at least I'm on my way.
I've also been thinking about how I should be spending the free time that I get. Free time is like gold dust now. I'm not young enough anymore to just change my occupation and get into something I like more. So my free time better be well spent. Though I don't want to jump the gun by sounding the death knell for this blog yet. The point I was trying to make is that I must just put my head down and fight my way into the music industry so that I give myself a chance to compose for Shreya someday. Wouldn't it be lovely to be on the "other side of Twitter" for once? Meaning that wouldn't it be great if Shreya someday wrote a tweet saying something like "Recorded a song with Mohit today. The fellow creates hopeless music, really, but he wouldn't let me out of the studio until I dubbed his song."
Monday, November 2, 2009
My Shreya ghazal coming soon
In case you are wondering whereto I disappeared: I've been taking some time off from the commentary writing and working on a ग़ज़ल I'm writing on Shreya's voice. (Remember my bit about writing my own verses on her?) Have put my heart and soul (and the entire weekend) into it. Have around five couplets ready. A few more, and we are good to go :) I must give innumerable "stars" to Roshan for correcting my verses.[I and my close friends have a concept of "giving stars," just the way judges give marks or grades to contestants in reality shows. Whenever any of us likes something another did, he says something like, "तेरेको (and not तुझे) मेरी तरफ़ से हज़ार stars!!!"] I'm also planning to give a detailed exposition in English on each couplet. (Though the couplets are quite simple, really.)
I'm going to send the ग़ज़ल to Shreya after it's ready. To be (read and liked by Shreya), or not to be: that is the question.
Time (and later I) will tell.
I'm going to send the ग़ज़ल to Shreya after it's ready. To be (read and liked by Shreya), or not to be: that is the question.
Time (and later I) will tell.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thought I'll upload a Shreya pic...
I'm back to quoting others :) Poets are indeed prophets. Faiz wrote this before Shreya was born, but I suspect it was written for her :)
साया-ए-चश्म में हैराँ रुख़-ए-रौशन का जमाल
सुर्खी़-ए-लब में परेशान तेरी आवाज़ का रंग
Looking at the image, do you disagree?
Bairi Piya
Any thoughts I may have had about the future of this blog in terms of whether I'll be able to keep myself motivated to write right till the end of (my) time have gone out of the window and down the drains. SHREYA GHOSHAL replied to my message on Twitter saying she'll keep checking the blog whenever she can. I didn't even know how to react when that happened. I just tore around my house in euphoric delirium. THANKS, SHREYA!!!
Coming to the song for this post. It's Bairi Piya from Devdas. I hadn't heard this song until yesterday. (I'd kinda obscurely "known" the song, but not "heard" it.)
BTW, please excuse any funny tone that creeps in at times. This is not intended to be a humorous blog, and my endeavor is absolutely nontrivial and very serious and sincere.
I'm probably going to exhaust all known adjectives in this post. Shreya in Bairi Piya is as good as anything I've ever heard. Now that's making a REALLY bold statement because "anything I've ever heard" includes Koi Humdum Na Raha by Kishore saab, Tarun Aahe Raatra Ajuni by Asha ji, Paara Paara Hua by Ghulam Ali saab, Dil Dhadakne Ka Sabab by Madam Noor Jahan and many other INEFFABLE renditions. But I'm helpless, and am compelled to add this song to that list.
इशssss
इशssss
बैरी पिया बड़ा बेदर्दी
इशssss
JUST LISTEN to the 1st "इशssss." Have you seen gold disperse? I haven't either, but I could not come up with better-sounding imagery. Goodness. I swear, that "इशssss" can kill a man. And I swear to God it half killed me. The song's just begun, and I'm already floored. Now listen to "बड़ा बेदर्दी." HOW can anyone sing like that? I think Shreya was 16 then if I'm not wrong. If anyone ever sang with expressions in one's voice, then this is it folks. Your search ends here.
हो बैरी पिया बड़ा बेदर्दी
The second "बड़ा बेदर्दी" tops even the first one. I think if she'd even hummed that the exact way she sang it, without uttering the words, it'd still have sounded like "बड़ा बेदर्दी."
दिल का दर्द ना जाने
सौदाई हरजाई ज़ुल्मी राम दुहाई
कैसे कहूँ कासे कहूँ हाय राम
दिल का दर्द ना जाने
ना जाने ना जाने ना जाने जाने जाने हाय
Listen to the breath control and planning in the long series of lines. (I mention this only because I read somewhere that this song was recorded in one go.) Notice also, the ease at which Shreya hits her high notes. And she's at equal ease with her lower notes (this is demonstrated better in some of her other songs, though.) Her voice seamlessly sails through all the three octaves with amazing consistency of texture. This is well demonstrated in the Dhanak Ka Rang song from Tumsa Nahin Dekha. (I could not not help but help but remember Kishore saab's Koi Humdum Na Raha in terms of the voice consistency.) Sorry, though, for being extraneous.
बैरी पिया बड़ा रे बेदर्दी
हो हो हो बैरी पिया बड़ा बे-इशssss
Shreya breaks the word बेदर्दी and after बे says "इशssss." Again, very well executed if the song was recorded in one go.
तू दूर जो था तो पास ही था
अब पास है तो दूर है क्यूँ
I have NO idea in the world how anyone can both laugh and sing perfectly in tune and carry it off so well. Shreya breaks into a short laughter and continues singing with the "तू दूर." What do you call this? An 16-year old singing this with THAT kind of vocal quality. She must literally have LIVED this song to have been able to put such awesome expressions in it. Hats off!
ना जाने जाने जाने जाने जाने
The "ना जाने जाने" series is also superbly sung.
तू दूर जो था तो पास ही था
अब पास है तो दूर है क्यूँ
हो हो हो पास तो आ
पहना भी दे
ये कंगना
ना सता
अब मान भी ले
ये कहना
Doesn't that "पास तो आ" sound like a REAL thing said by a girl to her lover? Doesn't that "पहना भी दे" sound like a GENUINE, HEARTFELT request in romance? The same goes with "ना सता, अब मान भी ले." I suspect all these emotions would have come out the way they have because for an 16-year old girl, that IS how the world is. Goodness, I'm so thankful to 1) Mr. Bhansali and 2) technology that we have Sherya's voice at that age recorded. At least my grandchildren will not disbelieve me when I describe to them how Shreya sounded at the age of 16.
Anyway, coming back to the song, let me tell you that the first time I was listening to this song, by now my eyes were shut, my watch had stopped ticking, time had stopped flowing and my heart had forgotten to beat. I was in a trance, devouring upon the voice of Shreya. And then what happens?
2:25 in the song
Suddenly I snap back into reality. The spell is broken. My eyes open. My watch starts ticking again. My heart starts beating again (thankfully, coz had it stopped beating for too long, I'd have died). And why do all these things happen? Absolutely out of nowhere, UDIT NARAYAN starts singing. Beat that. I mean not that I dislike Mr. Narayan (I quite liked his Jadoo Bhari Ankhon Wali from Dastak). On top of that, he just saved my life by waking me up! Jokes apart, the point is that I was expecting this song to be a solo by Shreya.
कैसे कहूँ कासे कहूँ राम
कंगना कहना ना माने
ना माने ना माने ना माने
ये कंगना बड़ा बेदर्दी
हो ये कंगना बड़ा बेदर्दी
कंगना कहना ना माने
दीवाना आवारा संगदिल राम दुहाई
अब मान भी जाओ ना
ना ना ना ना ना
तुम पास तो आओ ना
हाँ हाँ रे हाँ हाँ
बहकी बहकी बातों में तेरी
धीरे धीरे आने लगी
जुगनू ने मुझसे कहा ऐसा है ये तेरा पिया
ले ही जाएगा तेरा जिया
हाँ प्यारी प्यारी बातों पे तेरी
चांदनी भी हँसने लगी
तारे मुस्कुराने लगे हवा गुनगुनाने लगी
आसमाँ भी झूम उठा
Just listen to Shreya's singing here. I just dunno what to say. All this might sound rather dramatic, but I ask you, my reader, are you not overwhelmed like I am? Am I overstating things? I don't think so. I wish Shreya's voice always stayed like that. But unfortunately all said and done, the poor girl's still a human being. The voice WILL change with time :(
कैसे कहूँ कासे कहूँ हाय राम
राम राम राम राम
पगला इतना ना जाने
ना जाने ना जाने ना जाने जाने जाने हाय
Listen to the "कैसे कहूँ" line and the series that follows until the "हाय." How many distinct emotions can you list there? Perplexity, innocence, amusement,..? What shades of emotion at display! I should prolly slap myself for having at times thought that the poet and the composer play a bigger role in the making of a song than the singer. What if the singer is Shreya?!
इशssss
इशssss
I'm sorry I was unable to provide comments on too many specific words/parts of the song. But the WHOLE of it was so unbelievable, that you probably wouldn't need specifics.
I'm going to let you in on a secret now. I haven't heard the rest of Devdas songs! I'm going to do that tomorrow. And if they are ANYTHING like Bairi Piya, back I come with another post!
Coming to the song for this post. It's Bairi Piya from Devdas. I hadn't heard this song until yesterday. (I'd kinda obscurely "known" the song, but not "heard" it.)
BTW, please excuse any funny tone that creeps in at times. This is not intended to be a humorous blog, and my endeavor is absolutely nontrivial and very serious and sincere.
I'm probably going to exhaust all known adjectives in this post. Shreya in Bairi Piya is as good as anything I've ever heard. Now that's making a REALLY bold statement because "anything I've ever heard" includes Koi Humdum Na Raha by Kishore saab, Tarun Aahe Raatra Ajuni by Asha ji, Paara Paara Hua by Ghulam Ali saab, Dil Dhadakne Ka Sabab by Madam Noor Jahan and many other INEFFABLE renditions. But I'm helpless, and am compelled to add this song to that list.
इशssss
इशssss
बैरी पिया बड़ा बेदर्दी
इशssss
JUST LISTEN to the 1st "इशssss." Have you seen gold disperse? I haven't either, but I could not come up with better-sounding imagery. Goodness. I swear, that "इशssss" can kill a man. And I swear to God it half killed me. The song's just begun, and I'm already floored. Now listen to "बड़ा बेदर्दी." HOW can anyone sing like that? I think Shreya was 16 then if I'm not wrong. If anyone ever sang with expressions in one's voice, then this is it folks. Your search ends here.
हो बैरी पिया बड़ा बेदर्दी
The second "बड़ा बेदर्दी" tops even the first one. I think if she'd even hummed that the exact way she sang it, without uttering the words, it'd still have sounded like "बड़ा बेदर्दी."
दिल का दर्द ना जाने
सौदाई हरजाई ज़ुल्मी राम दुहाई
कैसे कहूँ कासे कहूँ हाय राम
दिल का दर्द ना जाने
ना जाने ना जाने ना जाने जाने जाने हाय
Listen to the breath control and planning in the long series of lines. (I mention this only because I read somewhere that this song was recorded in one go.) Notice also, the ease at which Shreya hits her high notes. And she's at equal ease with her lower notes (this is demonstrated better in some of her other songs, though.) Her voice seamlessly sails through all the three octaves with amazing consistency of texture. This is well demonstrated in the Dhanak Ka Rang song from Tumsa Nahin Dekha. (I could not not help but help but remember Kishore saab's Koi Humdum Na Raha in terms of the voice consistency.) Sorry, though, for being extraneous.
बैरी पिया बड़ा रे बेदर्दी
हो हो हो बैरी पिया बड़ा बे-इशssss
Shreya breaks the word बेदर्दी and after बे says "इशssss." Again, very well executed if the song was recorded in one go.
तू दूर जो था तो पास ही था
अब पास है तो दूर है क्यूँ
I have NO idea in the world how anyone can both laugh and sing perfectly in tune and carry it off so well. Shreya breaks into a short laughter and continues singing with the "तू दूर." What do you call this? An 16-year old singing this with THAT kind of vocal quality. She must literally have LIVED this song to have been able to put such awesome expressions in it. Hats off!
ना जाने जाने जाने जाने जाने
The "ना जाने जाने" series is also superbly sung.
तू दूर जो था तो पास ही था
अब पास है तो दूर है क्यूँ
हो हो हो पास तो आ
पहना भी दे
ये कंगना
ना सता
अब मान भी ले
ये कहना
Doesn't that "पास तो आ" sound like a REAL thing said by a girl to her lover? Doesn't that "पहना भी दे" sound like a GENUINE, HEARTFELT request in romance? The same goes with "ना सता, अब मान भी ले." I suspect all these emotions would have come out the way they have because for an 16-year old girl, that IS how the world is. Goodness, I'm so thankful to 1) Mr. Bhansali and 2) technology that we have Sherya's voice at that age recorded. At least my grandchildren will not disbelieve me when I describe to them how Shreya sounded at the age of 16.
Anyway, coming back to the song, let me tell you that the first time I was listening to this song, by now my eyes were shut, my watch had stopped ticking, time had stopped flowing and my heart had forgotten to beat. I was in a trance, devouring upon the voice of Shreya. And then what happens?
2:25 in the song
Suddenly I snap back into reality. The spell is broken. My eyes open. My watch starts ticking again. My heart starts beating again (thankfully, coz had it stopped beating for too long, I'd have died). And why do all these things happen? Absolutely out of nowhere, UDIT NARAYAN starts singing. Beat that. I mean not that I dislike Mr. Narayan (I quite liked his Jadoo Bhari Ankhon Wali from Dastak). On top of that, he just saved my life by waking me up! Jokes apart, the point is that I was expecting this song to be a solo by Shreya.
कैसे कहूँ कासे कहूँ राम
कंगना कहना ना माने
ना माने ना माने ना माने
ये कंगना बड़ा बेदर्दी
हो ये कंगना बड़ा बेदर्दी
कंगना कहना ना माने
दीवाना आवारा संगदिल राम दुहाई
अब मान भी जाओ ना
ना ना ना ना ना
तुम पास तो आओ ना
हाँ हाँ रे हाँ हाँ
बहकी बहकी बातों में तेरी
धीरे धीरे आने लगी
जुगनू ने मुझसे कहा ऐसा है ये तेरा पिया
ले ही जाएगा तेरा जिया
हाँ प्यारी प्यारी बातों पे तेरी
चांदनी भी हँसने लगी
तारे मुस्कुराने लगे हवा गुनगुनाने लगी
आसमाँ भी झूम उठा
Just listen to Shreya's singing here. I just dunno what to say. All this might sound rather dramatic, but I ask you, my reader, are you not overwhelmed like I am? Am I overstating things? I don't think so. I wish Shreya's voice always stayed like that. But unfortunately all said and done, the poor girl's still a human being. The voice WILL change with time :(
कैसे कहूँ कासे कहूँ हाय राम
राम राम राम राम
पगला इतना ना जाने
ना जाने ना जाने ना जाने जाने जाने हाय
Listen to the "कैसे कहूँ" line and the series that follows until the "हाय." How many distinct emotions can you list there? Perplexity, innocence, amusement,..? What shades of emotion at display! I should prolly slap myself for having at times thought that the poet and the composer play a bigger role in the making of a song than the singer. What if the singer is Shreya?!
इशssss
इशssss
I'm sorry I was unable to provide comments on too many specific words/parts of the song. But the WHOLE of it was so unbelievable, that you probably wouldn't need specifics.
I'm going to let you in on a secret now. I haven't heard the rest of Devdas songs! I'm going to do that tomorrow. And if they are ANYTHING like Bairi Piya, back I come with another post!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Dedicating some of my old work to Shreya...
In my last post, I had mentioned about having to quote someone else until I write my own verses for Shreya. Though the second part of that sentence still stands, I thought I might want to pluck out something from my own previously written stuff. I'm posting two poems that I'd written some three years back. (This is the first time I'm posting them in an open forum; their total readership hitherto has probably been 7 or 8.) They were originally written for someone else, but I'm dedicating them to Shreya. Please excuse the incomplete conformance to the iambic pentameter; I had an insufficient knowledge of word-stress back then. (these are sonnets.) I shall make the necessary corrections soon.
Poem 1
A barren island may not know its worth
It still unknowingly rescues a boat
An orphaned newborn knows not that its birth
May turn a childless couple's antidote
A dying bankrupt might live if he sees
A blind and handless beggar laugh and roll
And famine-struck harvesters cheat decease
On watching inadvertent¹ raindrops fall
The yon unwitting² moon knows not, its gleam
Be what, the shepherd, from low valley warns
And suicidal men may fain redeem
On watching flowers bloom despite their thorns
Alike, your warbling voice protracts³ my fall
Yet! Kill me if it’s not me whom you call
¹ Inadvertent = Unintentional
² Unwitting = Unintentional
³ Protract = Postpone
(In celebration of the bird-like, mellifluous voice of …)
© Mohit Salgaonkar
February 26, 2006
Poem 2
The voice that rises from within a man
Is not the same that one hears from his mouth:
His throat first swallows all good words it can,
And lets through all that's graceless and uncouth
Ah! Next, his tongue captures this passing voice
And veers the way the words were meant to taste
And then, his palate exempts words of noise
But steals those that are melodious and chaste
Now, jagged teeth make this voice further shrill
By sharpening it into biting words
And depraved lips that open at their will
But make him sound like fitful, jarring birds
But, in your case, none such dare interfere
Thus! What your heart says rings out sweet and clear!
(The secret behind her beautiful voice!)
© Mohit Salgaonkar
May 25, 2006
BTW, I have no intentions of aberrating from the original task I had set out to do, so I'll be posting my next commentary soon.
Poem 1
A barren island may not know its worth
It still unknowingly rescues a boat
An orphaned newborn knows not that its birth
May turn a childless couple's antidote
A dying bankrupt might live if he sees
A blind and handless beggar laugh and roll
And famine-struck harvesters cheat decease
On watching inadvertent¹ raindrops fall
The yon unwitting² moon knows not, its gleam
Be what, the shepherd, from low valley warns
And suicidal men may fain redeem
On watching flowers bloom despite their thorns
Alike, your warbling voice protracts³ my fall
Yet! Kill me if it’s not me whom you call
¹ Inadvertent = Unintentional
² Unwitting = Unintentional
³ Protract = Postpone
(In celebration of the bird-like, mellifluous voice of …)
© Mohit Salgaonkar
February 26, 2006
Poem 2
The voice that rises from within a man
Is not the same that one hears from his mouth:
His throat first swallows all good words it can,
And lets through all that's graceless and uncouth
Ah! Next, his tongue captures this passing voice
And veers the way the words were meant to taste
And then, his palate exempts words of noise
But steals those that are melodious and chaste
Now, jagged teeth make this voice further shrill
By sharpening it into biting words
And depraved lips that open at their will
But make him sound like fitful, jarring birds
But, in your case, none such dare interfere
Thus! What your heart says rings out sweet and clear!
(The secret behind her beautiful voice!)
© Mohit Salgaonkar
May 25, 2006
BTW, I have no intentions of aberrating from the original task I had set out to do, so I'll be posting my next commentary soon.
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.
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.
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