1956

Best Songs of 1956: Wrap Up 3

The SOY Award for the Best Solo by the ‘Other’ Female Singers for 1956 goes to?

My Overview Post on the best songs of 1956 indicates ‘other’ female singers sang at least two and half times of solo songs than Lata Mangeshkar. Those songs include some everlasting songs; even a most biased Lata Mangeshkar-fan cannot ignore these songs. After the overview post, Wrap Up-1 about the best male solos of 1956; Wrap Up-2 about the best female solos of Lata Mangeshkar, it is time to post the Wrap Up-3 about the best solos by other female singers.READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Best songs 1956: Wrap Up 2

The SOY Award for 1956 for the Best Solo of Lata Mangeshkar goes to?

SOY regulars are aware of the reasons why I am doing year-wise reviews of the best songs of a Vintage Era year going backwards, and a Golden Era year going forwards simultaneously. Vintage Years backwards, because of the joy of discovering the unknown, going back to when it all started in 1931. That was suggested by some SOY regulars who are no longer active now. And the Golden Era, because the new regulars suggested it and that, too, I found quite rewarding.

If you contrast with the last post on the Best Female Solos of 1939, there was no Lata Mangeshkar then; I often make my favourite quip, there was no Lata Mangeshkar before Lata Mangeshkar. In 1956 she was at the top of her vocal prowess. She defined how the leading lady is supposed to sing songs of joy and dancing, of sadness, of festivals. To be sure, the other female singers sang many more songs than her, and some of them did sing everlasting songs in the year. For statistical analysis, I depend upon our resident statistician/scholar N Venkataraman. Borrowing from him with thanks, Asha Bhosle sang 215 solos which is 1.40 times the number of songs by Lata Mangeshkar.  There were a total of 19 female voices (other than Lata Mangeshkar) who sang 371 solos in 1956. Top performers were Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum, accounting for 86% of songs (of the other singers). The other ‘other singers’ accounting for a total of 14% included Mubarak Begum, Sabita Banerjee, Sudha Malhotra, Madhubala Jhaveri, Suraiya, Juthika Roy, Binota Chatterjeee etc. Thus, the other female singers sang many more songs than Lata Mangeshkar.READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Best songs of 1956: Wrap Up 1

And the SOY Award for the best male solo of 1956 goes to ?

The 1950s are an era of plenty. This was the period when all the greats of the Golden Era were going great guns, creating their best music. Having said that, Naushad, one of the greatest, was absent in the year, but others were active. We are moving in tandem with review of 1939 songs. While in this year nothing was known about the singers of 61% songs, in 1956 that kind of unknown is less than 6%. All the great male playback singers – Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Talat Mahmood and Kishore Kumar – were singing outstanding songs. Talat Mahmood is an interesting case. Among the great male playback singers, he faded the earliest. He shone like a meteor in the early 50s; and late 50s onwards, his best was over. In the year 1956, we find a number of his memorable duets, but his great solos are few and far between. Contrast this with his spectacular songs up to 1955. Mahendra Kapoor’s glorious period was yet to arrive.

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Best songs of 1956

And the winners are

Readers would be surprised to see this post, and I must say, some very pleasantly. Because for the last few years there has been a growing clamour that I should go forwards from 1956 onwards. The reasons given are: (i) It is difficult to relate to Vintage Era music, most people have a mental barrier the moment we go to music of the 1930s and 1940s, (ii) A large number of films and music of the Vintage Era are no longer in the public domain. All valid points, and I have decided to relent and here is the discussion on the Best Songs of 1956.

Why 1956? And I have to recapitulate the years when I started the year-wise review of songs. Some active members – no longer active on the SOY – suggested that I do year-wise review of years before the Filmfare Awards were instituted going back to when the talkies started. The idea was perhaps that Filmfare Awards were not a true measure of quality of the music and Filmfare Awards started from 1952 with Baiju Bawra. Later, I discovered there were gap years in 1953 and 1955. Hence the detailed coverage started for the years 1955, 1953 and 1951 backwards. The readers may read to appreciate the first post in the series, i.e. Best songs of 1955. Now that the beginning of the talkies 1931, when it all started, is in sight, I have pleasure in discussing the Best songs of 1956. So every year you would have two reviews – a Vintage Year, and a year from 1956 onwards.

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