2015

Talat Mahmood by Naushad and C Ramchandra

Talat Mahmood, Naushad and C Ramchandra February 24, 2015

A tribute to Talat Mahmood on his 91st birth anniversary (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) There was every reason for Talat Mahmood to have a long innings with Naushad. Both coming from Lucknow, they represented a similar Urdu sensibility and cultural milieu. Talat’s entry into Bombay Hindi film music was spectacular with Ae […]

Read the full article

Film Songs Based on Classical Ragas (9) – Pilu

Raga Pilu February 15, 2015

Guest article by Subodh Agrawal (Pilu is one of the most popular Ragas in Hindi film music.  Naturally, many songs based on Pilu have appeared on SoY, and some interesting discussion has taken place about KL Saigal being mesmerised by SD Burman’s ‘Ami chhinu eka’, and speculating which of his song it was similar to.  […]

Read the full article

Kavi Pradeep: The singer of Message Songs

Kavi Pradeep February 6, 2015

A tribute on the centenary of Kavi Pradeep (6 February 1915 – 11 December 1998) Mumbaikar 8 has often complained, with some justification, that I do not give due credit to the lyricists. I believe a vast majority associates a song with the singer and the music director, and, generally, also remembers the name of […]

Read the full article

OP Nayyar’s quintessential Rafi

OP Nayyar and Rafi January 28, 2015

A tribute to OP Nayyar on his 8th death anniversary January 28 (January 16, 1926 – January 28, 2007) [Songs of Yore is now on Facebook.] I read a comment somewhere that OP Nayyar rescued Rafi from the staid classicism of Naushad. I ignore the sarcasm targeted at my favourite Naushad, but it underscores the […]

Read the full article

Multiple Versions Songs (20): Male Solo and Duet or Chorus

Multiple Version Songs January 20, 2015

Guest article by Ashok M Vaishnav (Ashokji is the originator of the mega series ‘Multiple Version Songs’, when he expanded the straight ‘Twin’ (male solo and its twin female solo) songs to other varieties of multiple versions. This caught on and, with the help of other guest contributors, expanded into similar version songs in Hindi […]

Read the full article

The Master of Musical Comedies C Ramchandra and his ‘Patanga’ (1949)

Patanga (1949) January 12, 2015

A tribute on C Ramchandra’s birth anniversary January 12 (12 Jan 1918-5 Jan 1982) In my simplified history of Hindi film music, when I move from RC Boral-Pankaj Mullick to Anil Biswas to Naushad, it would be quite unfair if I miss C Ramchandra. The Great Maratha (in the sense of one belonging to Maharashtra) […]

Read the full article

The Jewel in the Crown of Naushad: ‘Rattan’ (1944)

Rattan January 1, 2015

SoY celebrates 2015 as the Year of Naushad in the 75th Anniversary Year of his debut If I were to write the history of Hindi film music, it would go as follows. Once upon a time there were RC Boral and Pankaj Mullick. Then came Anil Biswas. He was followed by Naushad, who in a […]

Read the full article

Next Entries →