A Tribute to Naushad Ali
What good is a blog if not as a diversion from grading?
Warning: lots of music links, and no knitting. The italicized links are direct links to music files.
One of the greatest Hindi film music composers and one of my favourites, Naushad Ali passed away last week. I have been reminiscing and talking about his songs to a lot of my friends since then and a lot of his songs are playing about in my head (and on my music system).
Naushad was my father’s favourite too (for all his inability to string a single sentence of Hindi together, my father is a big Hindi film and film music buff) and I still remember us buying the cassette album of Mother India, and then Gunga Jumna and listening to them together. These two are the albums that make the best use of Gangetic folk music traditions and are among his best ever, especially Dukh bhare din, O Gadiwale and Holi Ayi re Kanhayi from Mother India and the wonderful, wonderful Nain Lad Jaihen from Gunga Jumna. Which others to choose? There’s Dhoondo re Sajna and the less known O Chhaliya re Chhaliya from Gunga Jumna too.
Naushad was very successful in adapting these folk tunes of eastern UP to larger, orchestral compositions. One of the things I love about his songs are the interludes between stanzas, or even between lines: small pieces that link up different lines, sometimes helping the singer up to the note where the stanza’s about to begin and sometimes as counterpoints to the main tunes, often sung by a chorus.
But he was also known as the "classical" composer, someone who adapted Hindustani classical ragas to film songs. Here the examples are numerous: many of the songs from Kohinoor, Baiju Bawra (although not a raga based one, my favourite is Jhoole mein pawan ke) and Dil Diya Dard Liya, Mughal-e-Azam (Latabai’s sublime Mohe Panghat Pe in raga Piloo)… He also made extensive use of the piano and what, for the lack of a better word, I’m going to call a western-style chorus (am sure it has a technical name but don’t know what it is). Of the gazillion Hindi songs heroes have sung at the piano, one of the best ever is from Naushad’s masterpiece album, Mere Mehboob: Ae Husn Zara Jaag. (So what if it was the awfully wooden Rajendra Kumar mouthing the words?)
Of course, I haven’t even talked about the decade of the 1940s, when he actually began composing: Andaz (I am no fan of Mukesh, but this one has two great songs by him); Awaz de Kahan Hai from Anmol Ghadi, and many many more. But I think my favourites really begin with the 1950s, probably with Uran Khatola and Aan. (Check out Lata’s Aaj mere man me sakhi, it is so beautiful.)
For me, Hindi film music pretty much died out by 1975. The 1950s decade is glorious, and although there are many composers jostling for genius status, Naushad had a very distinctive style and signature. His were some of the earliest songs I remember listening to obsessively, and I still love most of them, know all the soundtracks by heart. Even though the songs remain and will not really change with his death, it still feels sad to learn about his passing.
Oh man, Mere Mehbob is the shizz! SO many great tunes. I remember my mother listening to DoorDarshan on a horrid frequency every morning in Lahore. These tunes from the 30s, 40s and 50s…they are implanted into my skull even if I never actively listened.
Naushad will indeed be missed, and mourned.
I have spent many an hour debating whose version of the title song in MM is better: Rafi’s or Lata’s. Then there’s “Allah bachaye Naujawanon Se” in Bhairavi and “Jaan-e-man ik nazar dekh le”. I really do remember the first time I heard them, well after they were released, I just couldn’t get them out of my head. But what.a.stupid.film, yaar, have you seen it? It has some classic sheroshayri by Johnny Walker as Bindadin Rastogi “ghayal”.
I’m glad you posted this, because I saw the obituary and, knowing your love of this music, wondered about your reaction.
Also, I have a music question. I went to see Inside Man recently (and liked it, for what it’s worth), and wanted to know more about the music that opened and closed it. Per IMDB, it was:
“Chaiyya Chaiyya – Bollywood Joint”
Performed by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi, featuring MC Punjabi
Do you know of this, and, if so, what does it mean?
Oh the film opens with that song, is it? Interesting. The word “Chhaiya” AFAIK, means nothing (someone could correct me here). The song was in a 90s film “Dil Se,” and has become one of the most popular dance numbers ever. It stars Shahrukh Khan, a man in desperate need of a sedative at all times, and Malaika Arora, a model dancing atop a train with lots of others somewhere in India’s northeast. Very neatly shot.
I need a better Hindi film and music education. I studied the language for two years in college, and my friend Sahar taught me how to dance to bhangra, but I feel dreadfully ignorant reading your post. I’m going to hunt down everything you’ve mentioned here. Thank you!
I’m enjoying listening to these immensely–I’ve always wanted to hear more but it’s pretty hard to know where to start, especially when all the albums, websites, etc. are in a language I don’t understand!
Clapotis is looking good (too bad so boring). Sounds like you are crazy busy, hope it calms down soon!
Uccellina, an excellent online resource for hindi film music is http://www.musicindiaonline.com. Click on “Hindi” in the left side menu on the site’s home page, then on “music listings”. It’s a rich and very varied music and the more recent ones are very “techno”-type, heavily orchestrated and mixed. Most of the ones I’ve linked above are older, but if you don’t like them do look at others. Try a composer called R. D. Burman, in particular, if you don’t like Naushad. Hope you enjoy them!
Hi Lobstah, we cross-posted! Glad you’re enjoying them. Like I said to Uccellina, do check out musicindiaonline.com!
I am nearly done grading….
Excellent review and memoriam.
You see Roti, Kapra aur Makan? with the song ” hai hai yeh majboori, yeh mausam aur yeh doori”. Yeah. “Teri do takiyan di naukri”…my refrain lately.
Yes, I’ve seen RKM. Admit that you only saw it for Zeenie baby. What a kickass song, eh?
I loved ‘mohe panghat pe’ – one of my all-time faves
)
I just wrote up a small review of the music of Taj Mahal on one of my blogs ;o)
xx