Guest Authors

Star showers in Bollywood

Stars in the sky July 4, 2016

Guest article by DP Rangan (Full Moon evokes poetry, beauty and romance.  One would think its converse, Dark Moon, must be very depressing.   But think again.  That is the time when the stars come out in full glory. As with the moon, stars, too, have evoked wonder, admiration and myths. We see our seven ancient […]

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Moon and Mumbai (Bollywood)

Moon song May 20, 2016

Guest article by DP Rangan (After riding the high horse, Mr Rangan now explores the romance of moon.  I have earlier mentioned he is always bubbling with energy.   A seventy-plus going on seventeen, he is a great romantic – don’t be misled by his astronomical wanderings. This piece is another evidence of his zest for life.  Coincidentally, […]

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Tonga in the Tinsel World

Tonga songs March 5, 2016

Guest article by DP Rangan (DP Rangan has been a familiar figure in the comments section.  He recently debuted as a guest author with his piece on Bollywood’s love affair with horses.  I had introduced him as a member of the very senior brigade, who has the enthusiasm of a teenager.  The proof is this […]

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Multiple Versions Songs (24): Songs having versions across different films – similar initial lyrics in mukhada

Multiple Version Songs January 31, 2016

Guest article by Ashok M Vaishnav (The founder of the mega series Multiple Version Songs, Ashokji brings up another one from his inexhaustible storehouse of multiple versions on different criteria. The multiple versions so far have generally been from the same film. Continuing his series he brings up an interesting variety of songs which have […]

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Bollywood’s love affair with Horse

Song on horseback January 20, 2016

Guest article by DP Rangan (We started the New Year with our tiny friends – birds – introduced to us by a scholarly guest article by Shalan Lal. At the other end of the spectrum, the large species Horse has been even more integral to us through the history. And introducing these beautiful animals is […]

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An aviary of Songs

Bird January 1, 2016

Bird-watch in the Songs of Yore Wishing Happy New Year to all the readers with guest article by Shalan Lal (Once upon a time there were birds around us and they were a part of our lives, songs, mtyths and legends. When the crow cawed we knew it was advance intimation of a guest coming; […]

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Multiple Versions Songs (23): A Male / Female solo / duet or a Chorus – More than two versions of a song

Multiple Version Songs July 3, 2015

Guest article by Ashok M Vaishnav (Ashokji is coming to the end of his current enquiry into the songs that have a specific type of multiple version songs.  He has covered songs that have a male solo and a duet or chorus in two parts – MVS (20) and MVS (21), and the ones having […]

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Multiple Versions Songs (22): Female Solo and A Duet or A Chorus

Multiple Verssion Songs June 24, 2015

Guest article by Ashok M Vaishnav (Ashokji has been currently exploring a specific type of multiple version songs that have a solo and a duet or chorus versions.  In his last two articles, Multiple Version Songs (20) and (21), he explored those songs that have a male solo and its duet/chorus versions.  He continues the […]

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Multiple Versions Songs (21): Male solo and Duet or Chorus (Part II)

Multiple Version Songs May 14, 2015

Guest article by Ashok M Vaishnav (Ashokji has been recently exploring songs that have a solo version and a duet or chorus version.  In this series within the Mega series on Multiple Version Songs, he wrote on January 20, 2015 on songs that have a male solo and a duet or chorus version.  This guest […]

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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.  […]

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