Best non-film songs

Hemant Kumar’s Non-film Songs

Concluding the series of centenary tributes to Hemant Kumar (16 June 1920-26 September 1989) with his non-film songs

Hemant KumarMy introduction to the last post by Ashok M Vaishnav on Hemant Kumar’s solo songs under the baton of other music directors conveyed that that rounded off his centenary celebrations. But it rankled me that his centenary celebrations would be incomplete without a post on his non-film songs. Fortuitously, a slot made itself available in the calendar year, enabling me to fulfil my desire and round off the centenary celebrations with my favourite non-film songs (NFS) of Hemant Kumar.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The real mesmeriser Talat Mahmood: His best non-film songs

A tribute to Talat Mahmood on his 95th birth anniversary (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998)

Talat MahmoodNever before could a reader foretell what I would write on nine months in advance. But like anything in old film music, nothing can be said in absolute terms about SoY. In May last year, a new reader Harpreet, commenting on DP Rangan’s guest article, Talat Mahmood: A Mesmeriser, requested to do a post on Talat Mahmood’s non-film songs. I gave a courteous reply that I have noted his request. N Venkataraman, with his sharp analytical mind and observation, read it up as, there will be a post on Talat Mahmood on 24 February 2019, and that it would be on his non-film songs. Thus the date and the theme got written in stone, and it was futile for me to make any efforts to read down the conversation and seek some latitude for myself.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE