My Musical Pot-Pourri

Eventhough life has been flat,stale and unprofitable these days, books and music help me ward off my blues.What with the best of my friends getting married and moving away,I don't seem to have much of an option.Marriage brings about a sea-change in the priorities of one's life.With a small group of friends,I'm the worst-hit of the lot.I'm practically friendless now! I,either log on to the net or read away the days with my constant companion of books.They last with me,atleast.

When last week became too unbearable,I started to hunt for some really good 'my-type-of-music' in the net and voila! I found a treasure trove of quality music-both filmi and carnatic.Getting them in YouTube was a bonus.These are the songs I've always enjoyed when being alone in the company of myself, the breeze and beautiful gypsy-thoughts which always make visitations to make me feel glad to be alive irrespective of my perennial state of restlessness.I think the music which one really loves is that present in our soul and in silence.

Each song I found is a gem in its own right.Somehow I shy away from songs which have bad lyrics,jarring music and lewd picturization.Poeple call me rigid.But it is hard for me to pretend to like certain very popular yet ones with a bad-taste.Most of my favourites are old hindi film songs and music albums with abstract messages or pure form of romance-unpolluted by vulgarity (which we find in most of the film songs these days)

Here are my choicest collections...
Isharon Ishaaron -One can die for Mohd.Rafi's and Lata Mangeshkar's mellifluous voices and the innocent courting of Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore.The young men and women of the present generation should get a lesson or two from such a beautiful song of courtship.Tareef karoon kya uski is another favourite 'tareef' song of mine.I'm sure no one can describe a woman's beauty as this song.I think tareef songs of yesteryears are THE best.Another which is close to my heart is Teri aankhon ke siwa.

Almost all such songs of the present day are NAUSEATING.There could be two reasons for my point of view.
a)I'm growing old and losing touch!
b)People have no other option.
c)There is a dearth of real classic talent.
d)They are REALLY bad-no explanations!

Of the relatively recent ones, I'm head over heels in love with songs like Ini naanum naan illai, Maalayil yaaro (for the lovely use of Suddha Dhanyaasi by Ilayaraja.This song always makes me hum the carnatic kriti 'Shree Paarthasaarathi' set in the same raagam) and Theendaai (raagam Sri) from Tamil. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the audio/video of these on the net.Still hunting.Ho Gaya hai tujhko, Saanwariyaa, Aao naa and Achchi lagti ho are the most romantic songs ever made-in terms of actors, locales,situations, lyrical quality, music and... beauty.

I LOVE songs which have a subtle carnatic feel to them like Kismat se tum from Pukaar.If I'm not mistaken, this lilting song is based on the raagam Abheri composed by none other than the genious of A.R.Rehman.Aahista Aahista from Swades (again by Rehman,rendered by Udit Narayan and Sadhana Sargam) is one of the most beautiful use of Charukesi in film music after TMS' Vasantha mullai poley vandu.

Though not well known by the general public,'Kindred Spirits' like me would die for such a composition.Sayonaara from Love in Tokyo (set in raagam Mohanam) is another sweetest solo that's ever been composed.I racked the net for another- 'Oh mere shahekhubaan' from the same movie,but couldn't get it.

There are some songs which create a deep impact in your heart and make you want to listen to them over and over again.Teri Deewani by Kailash Kher made me feel feel very queer after listening to it for the very frist time.I'm still trying to figure out the reason for such a feeling!Chamak Cham Cham (in Brindaavani, I think)by Yesudoss is a family favourite.This music album tells a mini-tale of a rustic belle running away from home to her urbane-sweetheart.The eloping part is portrayed beautifully that you wont feel that something underhand as running away from home is being done.Krishna nee begane is another melodious and 'academically interesting music album.The causes of the serious- issue of juvenile delinquency is handled with such ease and beauty in this album that it creates a sort of awareness to common-people about it. The words 'time is the healer...time moves on...time doesn't wait for anyone' is so true and makes you feel extremely hopeful of the frothcoming joys of life.The most recent song from Anwar ,Maula mere is a nice one portraying the beautiful emotion of love between two people in the mileau of a communal storm in the movie.

There are a small number of Malayalam songs like Paadi (Sri), Pramadavanam, Vaarmukhiley(both in Jog), Gopika Vasantam (Shanmukhapriya), Ariyaade (Kaanada), Chaliye (Swati Tirunaal bhajan in raagam Bridaavani) ,Hari murali ravam (Sindhu Bhairavi), Oru naru pushpamaai (Megh malhaar in its AWESOMEST form!) and Enthodu enthinee pinakkam (Sahana) which are my principal mood-boosters.Their audios/videos are (sadly) not available (for download)- on the net and also in the music shops in my vicinity.Most of Ravindran's compositions are the best-ever in all of Indian film music.All of his creations are carnatic based, mostly based in raagam Jog (I wonder why?)They weave a fairy-taleish atmosphere about me.

As far as Western music is concerned, I have limited interest in them I do love songs like Show me the meaning of being lonely, Boulevard of Broken dreams, One Love, Viva Forever, My heart will go on ,Seasons in the Sun,Stolen Whispers, etc...I wonder why I never truly got attracted to western music.

I think, like listening to soulful music,writing about it heals,too.