Pancham Again
Today as I settle myself on this rainy day and think about
Pancham on his yet another birth anniversary, I keep on going back in …. flashback
mode.
As a an normal middle class kid with access to only Vividh
Bharti, I heard many songs in my
childhood and never bothered to figure out the composer or the techniques they
were employing. RD Burman was the first one to create an impression on me. He
“sounded” different. The strange unconventional sounds from the conga drum, his
special tabla and the guitar. His Flute sounded divine. It was not the normal
shrill sounding flute that music composers of that era used but a sound full of
bass, richness and maturity. The older music directors used Dholak for getting
bass. RD used the bass guitar to get the fullness to a song. Soon, I could tell
a RD song from Laxmi Pyare, Kalyanji and so on.
He was accused of being too Western for Indian tastes.
That’s the hypocrisy that we are so fond of. His classic composition in his
first film Chhote Nawaab – Ghar Aaja ghir Aayee is only for the connoisseurs.
(Chhote Nawaab – What an apt name for his first film).
The critics continued to bash him for his “improper” use of
the Raaga’s. But to use a raga in an unconventional way needs deep
understanding of music. Producing sounds on western instruments that go with
Indian lyrics requires a solid understanding of the mechanics of Raaga’s.
Sample this he used the guitar so effectively in Mere Naina Saawan Bhado (Mehbooba
1976) that the song seems incomplete without it. The song is set in Raag
Shivranjani. Shankar Jaikishen used Shivranjani extensively but RD took it
to a different level in this song.
He further went on to make Meethe Bol Bole from Kinara based
on pure Bhairav
Khamaj was one of his favorite Raaga’s. Listen to the
guitar, Flute and violins in Kucch To Log Kahenge from Amar Prem
From the same film, Raina Beeti Jaaye is set in Raag Gurjari
Todi
Note the diference when Asha sings Bheeni Bheeni Bhor set in
Todi from the album Dil Padosi Hai
Another great composition set in Raag Malkauns is Raah Pe
Rahte Hain from Namkeen. Note the Guitar, Congo, Mandolin, Keyboards and
Violins.
Listen to Yun Neendse Yoon Jaan-E-Chaman from Dard Ka Rishta
set in Raag Kedar. You will again find use of guitar in this classical song.
The Bengali Pooja song Nodir Paare Uthache Dhua gives a
glimpe of the range this composer had. Most of us here in Maharashtra
have not listened to the fabulous work that he has done in Bengali.
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