Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs

Archive for the ‘Ghazal’ Category


This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.

The more one reads about the life of Saigal Saab, and the memories recounted by those who have been associated with him, the more one is struck by the singular quality of simplicity and humility. And maybe that is what made his art so pure, and so fascinating. Whether it is the exuberance of the ‘Hatt Gayee Lo Kaari Ghataa. . .’ (Lagan, 1941), or the pathos of ‘Gham Diye Mustaqil. . .’ (Shahjehaan, 1946), or the heightened expectations of a lover in ‘Kaise Katey Ratiyaan . . .’ (Lagan, 1941) or the melancholy sound of ‘So Jaa Raajkumari. . .’ (Zindagi, 1940) as the theme of reunion with a dying beloved, the rendition of the song and expressions of the emotional content is simply flawless.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.

The decades have passed since the departure of Saigal Saab from this world, and the time has shown that there is no peer to the Voice of Saigal. Many voices, especially in the 30s and 40s, made an appearance on the silver screen, making utmost efforts to emulate the un-imitable divinity in the voice of Saigal Saab. But none could make it to the depths that Saigal Saab would so effortlessly dive into, and reveal an emotion with so much grace.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this topic.

The actor in the persona of Saigal Saab, has mostly been overshadowed by the magical qualities of his voice and the music this voice has rendered. And yet, the directors who have worked with him, and directed his roles, acknowledge that Saigal Saab had this innate capability to create and to express any singular emotion, with an intensity and control of facial features and mannerism.
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“Zeenat” (1945) is a movie that is directed by Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. This movie had Noorjahaan, Zohrabai Ambalewaali, Cuckoo, Shashikala (then a child), Baby Khursheed (later known as Shyama) etc. In fact, this movie seems to be a movie with mainly female actors . : D All the eight songs of this movie have been sung only by female singers, and that includes an all female qawwaali (Aahen na bharin shiqwe na kiye ).
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.

The films in India started to talk in 1931, and with it came the music and the songs, that are so inseparable from the culture of this country. No matter what part of the country one talks about, music is the flow that nurtures and strengthens the emotional character of the society. And the music immediately became a crucial thread in the talking films, and the films became a pivotal medium for the folk and popular music to prosper. It was with the coming of the talking films that the concept of a ‘music’ industry was born in India.
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I have discussed as many as four songs from “Adaalat” (1958) and I was surprised to receive the lyrics of this song from Prakashchandra. When I checked up, I found that this well known song from “Adaalat” (1958) was actually missing from the blog.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.

It is a well known fact that Saigal Saab did not have any formal training classical music. As a child, he was blessed by and initiated into the practice of riyaaz by Pir Salman Yusuf, a sufi saint in Jammu. This blessing, and the word of his first Guru, led to a secret discipline, which was akin to a pursuit in spiritual internalization. It molded his voice such that his voice gained an unusual musical power – an emotional content that is not generally cared for in formal training. Saigal Saab has this dexterity to make the words glow with music, as he sings. In ghazal singing, his swara’s power the words from within, such that the music does never seem to interfere with the flow of words. It is like a magic. From the lowest note, he can move his voice so smoothly to the higher octaves, without ever becoming shrill even when he touches the highest notes. Throughout the entire rendition, there is a smooth and vivid timbre to the sound that is very pleasant. Nowhere can the listener detect any vibrations, or ‘kampan’.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.

Saigal, a voice that became still more than sixty years ago, is still regarded as the unvanquished king of Hindi film music. The prodigious voice of Saigal, the Golden Voice as many writers have referred to him, is a wonder that has not since been emulated again. And this person of humble and affable personality, also carried a heart of gold.
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This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a regular contributor to this blog.

The year is probably 1932-33; and the location is Calcutta. Kidar Sharma, a very young and talented poet and writer from Amritsar, about 23 or 24 years of age, is eagerly trying to get a break into the world of cinema. The film Rajraani Meera is under production at New Theatres, and the star cast boasts of such luminaries as Prithviraj Kapoor, Durga Khote and KL Saigal. (Although these became household names a few years hence, in those fledgling years, all these stars were new and still trying to find their feet in the industry).Kidar Sharma writes in his memoirs about his first meeting with all three of them on a single fateful day, as he is trying for an introduction to the powers that be in New Theatres.
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