Jhulnaa jhulaao
Posted on: September 17, 2011
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.
Well, then folks, we come to the time to wind up this series. Today is the penultimate post, of the set of all Hindi/Urdu recordings of Saigal Saab that are available anywhere. Let us take a look as some numbers. This is the 37th non-filmi song that is being posted today. This completes the set of all the non-film songs that are now available on this blog. Of these, 26 items are ghazals by eminent poets, and 11 are songs in the semi classical tradition of Hori, Jhoolaa, Thumri, and Bhajans.
Regarding the film songs, the numbers are as follows. There is a total of 30 Hindi films with which Saigal Saab is associated. Of these, the film “Dulaari Biwi” (1933) is actually a short comedy film of approximately 30 minutes (or three reels). Also, the film “Dhoop Chaaon” (1935) is different, in that Saigal Saab had neither acted in the film, nor do the songs sung by him figure in the film itself. Two songs, rendered by KC Dey in the film, were also released on records, in the voice of Saigal Saab, as version songs. So essentially, there is 28 feature length Hindi films in which Saigal Saab has acted and has given his voice for songs.
Besides these 30 films, there is another 8 feature films that Saigal Saab had worked in. Seven of these are Bangla films and one is a Tamil remake of the Hindi hit film, Devdaas. And then there is a documentary biographical film titled ‘Amar Saigal’ which was produced in 1955. This film presents a sketch of Saigal Saab’s life (with Saigal Saab’s role being played by G Mungheri)
There is a total of 110 songs that are listed as film songs rendered by Saigal Saab for Hindi films, whose recordings and / or detailed lyrics are available.. Of the 28 films, there are no songs available for the following 6 films, either as records or as film prints.
1. Mohabbat Ke Aansoon (1932) – A total of 10 songs are listed.
2. Zindaa Laash (1932) – A total of 10 songs are listed.
3. Subah Ka Sitaaraa (1932) – A total of 9 songs are listed.
4. Raajrani Meera (1933) – A total of 19 songs are listed.
5. Daaku Mansoor (1934) – A total of 12 songs are listed.
6. Rooplekha (1934) – A total of 13 songs are listed.
Since no lyrics or recordings are available from these films, it is not possible to ascertain which and how many of these are in the voice of Saigal Saab.
Of the 110 songs identified, as per authoritative sources, we have already posted 104 on this blog. The final song, i.e. the 105th song, is scheduled for posting tomorrow. The remaining 5 songs are dispositioned as follows.
For three songs, no recordings are available. These are
a. Shehron mein wo baat kahaan jo jungle jungle aawat hai – Kaqarwaan-e-Hayaat – 1935
b. Ab kaise chhupaa’un mein dil ki baat – Kaqarwaan-e-Hayaat – 1935
c. Mann Krishna naam ratt gaa – Bhakta Soordas – 1942
Another song ‘Rahegi na Badariyaa Chhaayee’ from the film President, is already posted, combined as the lead in to the song ‘Ek Banglaa Baney Nyaaraa’. And finally the song ‘Prabhu mohey bulaa lo gaaon mein’ – Dhartimata – 1938, is a very short song, less than half a minute, for which no records were ever released.
And so accounting for the final post tomorrow, we will have covered all the available Hindi film songs of Saigal Saab, on this blog. (Note: the number of songs by Saigal Saab in other languages is as follows: Bangla – 30 Filmi + 2 Non Film, Tamil – 2 Film, Punjabi – 2 Non Film, Persian – 2 Non Film).
Today’s post is a very special song, in more than one ways. Recorded in February 1933, this song is the oldest available recording of Saigal Saab. Just two years short of 80 – we are listening to the period of earliest history of recorded Hindi music. In other words, barring any future discoveries, this song is the very first song recorded by Saigal Saab.
A classical rendition at its best, this song is based on the raag Gandhari in combination with raag Asawari. Knowledgeable listeners can differentiate – the initial alaap is rendered in raag Asawari, and the song is rendered in raag Gandhari. Traditional method is to present the alaap and the song itself in the same raag. Saigal Saab makes a bold departure, which is truly a very difficult thing to execute. But execute he does, with a flair and with a self assured authority that comes only from years of classical practice. The technique and the rules of classical music aside, the thing about this rendition that fascinates is the sound of the voice. A voice that is so amazingly fresh, and a timbre that is sweet and mellifluous. Listening to this sound casts such an enchanting spell, that one cannot but marvel at the mastery of the deep classical style. After listening to this, it is very hard to believe that the singer has had no formal training in classical music.
The song is the traditional song of the swing – Jhoola, that is a popular play and pastime, especially in the months of Saawan and Bhaadon, i.e. the season of rains. With the advent of this season, children, and young ladies will install makeshift swings on the trees in the village, and in the fields. The folk tradition, as well as the music of Hindi films is abounding with the sound and songs of play on the swing. So many songs representing a variety of emotions exists based on this tradition. In this wonderful piece, the crux of the emotions is expressed in but one line – “aj hoon naa aaye baalamwaa”, close to the end of the song. My husband/lover is away, I am waiting for him, but he has not as yet come back home. In all the brightness of the sound and in all the exuberance of joy that is being expressed in the lines before and after this one, there is a very quick expression of waiting and expectation that gets transmitted as a subliminal stimulus.
In a manner of speaking, this is the recording that started it all – a tradition of music for easy listening, that was so far missing from the culture of this sub-continent. Set in motion by a voice, that has not yet found a peer, although eight decades have passed.
Enjoy this lovely piece in classical tradition.
Song-Jhulnaa jhulaao (Saigal NFS) (1933) Singer-K L Saigal
Lyrics
(aalaap)
jhulnaa jhulaa. . .aawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa, jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa, jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree
ambuaa ki daari pe koyal boley raamaa
koyal boley raamaa
koyal boley
haan haan haan re koyal boley
kook kook jiyaa re
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa, jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa, jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa, jhulaawo ree
ambuaa ki daari pe koyal boley raamaa
koyal boley
kook kook jiyaa re
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa
nannhi nannhi boond, boondaniyaan
nannhi nannhi boond, boondaniyaan
nannhi nannhi boondaniyaan
nannhi nannhi boond, boondaniyaan
nannhi nannhi boond, boondaniyaan
nannhi nannhi boond, boondaniyaan
nannhi nannhi boond, boondaniyaan
barkhaa phuhaar
ajhoon naa aaye baalamwaa
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaa,
aaaa aaaaaaaa
aaaa aaaaaaaa
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree aali
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree
jhulnaa jhulaawo ree,
aaaa aaaaaaaa
jhulnaa jhulaao
jhulnaa jhulaao
jhulnaa jhulaao
9 Responses to "Jhulnaa jhulaao"
September 17, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Sudhir,
I have been surfing the websites for old Hindi film songs for about two years but I had not come across any site where a comprehensive discussions including the nuances of Urdu words used, on Saigal’s songs have been attempted except this website. I can now say that this website is going to become a reference point for all those who adore the iconic actor-singer Saigal.
Thanks a lot for your painstaking efforts to relive the Saigal’s songs on this platform.
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September 18, 2011 at 7:55 am
Raja ji, Sadanand ji,
Many thanks for your kind words. This has been my encouragement to continue writing all these weeks. 🙂
Rgds
Sudhir
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October 12, 2011 at 1:48 am
K.L.Saigal, the Tansen of 20th Century had excellent voice.
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October 29, 2011 at 7:09 pm
This song is a wonder in itself. It beautifully compresses all the stages of Khyal singing- Alaap, Bandish, Taan, Boltaan etc with a most skilfull combination of two ragas Asawari and Devgandhar. It has been appreciated and taken note of even by hardcore classical singers. The structural balance presented in about 3 minutes is amazing and perhaps without a parallel in the realm of recorded music. That is why it is so fresh even after about 78 years of its release. It is said that it sold 5,00,000 copies even in those days.
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May 8, 2012 at 6:39 pm
Wah kya baat hai Atul–Sudhir JI. This song heralded late Saighal’s entry into Film-Music world to Enthrall all of us. It was perhaps sung in front of R.C.Boral by him on the instance of his friend. Cant believe without any musical training,guru or family tradition, Saighal could sing so beautifully flawlessly, in perfect-Surtal and Classical touches. It touches and draws out our souls in ecstacy. Thank U both for this monumental work to put up on the net, for the benefit of all ages to come .Hats off to U 2.
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Thanks a lot Rashmi. Just a request, please do not type all in Capitals. It is considered as shouting in internet etiquette. I changed all Capital letters of your to a more readable form.
It is so kind of you to appreciate the work. It is appreciations like this that make our day and keep us motivated.
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May 8, 2012 at 10:06 pm
The correct way to describe the musical training of Saigal is that he was not trained in any specific Gharana or by any one Guru or Ustaad but he had several mentors both for his acting and singing. His Guru Ma in Kanpur had trained him in Thumri, Dadra etc. He had absorbed a wide range of styles and had excellent understanding of Sur and their relationship with each other for Samvad (harmony). It would not be wrong to say that he set up Saigal Gharana of music which unfortunately died because he was ignored by both the worlds of music. Classicists did not recognise him as one of their domain and for practitioners of light music he was too difficult and heavy.
Saigal is perhaps the only musical celebrity who has about 8 books written on him both in English and Hindi. There is a formal Ph D work done by Dr Namita Mehta on Saigal and his music from Delhi University. His music is a subject of serious musicological analysis and much more work can be done on him by musicians and musicologists on his extraordinary ‘Gayaki’.
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January 25, 2013 at 7:15 pm
This number was adopted in the movie Amar Saigal (1955) and is available on YouTube at http://youtu.be/h1evY1-tNe4.
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Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
September 17, 2011 at 2:11 pm
What can I say? When I read the text here, I am filled with admiration, respect and every other such quality that one can think of. What an outstanding level of dedication from Sudhirji to not only post every single Saigal song out there but to give us a full explanation of Saigal saab’s career. The no. of songs, filmi/non-filmi, Hindi/non-Hindi, what’s available/what’s not available…I was just amazed reading this. It gives you a feeling that a more thorough job could not have been done. Every effort has been done here to ensure that as complete a coverage of Saigal saab’s work has been provided for on this blog.
I salute Sudhirji. This is the best possible tribute to a person considered by many as the original voice of Hindi songs, as we know them in the 20th century. Mukesh copied Saigal saab , Kishore was his diehard fan and used to sing his songs throughout his childhood because Saigal saab set the gold standard that others tried to emulate.
I get a very satisfied feeling now from seeing that this blog has done full justice to Saigal saab. Thanks so much, Sudhir ji.
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