400

400th post, this.

And what do I have to say? Nothing much, really!

Its a significant number nonetheless. That I really had dough enough to make that many posts, in all these years, is definitely noteworthy. So then how do I mark this post? With balloons and some sparkly? With pictures? With a song?

Yes! Song it will be. Because Hans Christian Andersen says 'Where words fail, music speaks.'. Its not surprising I am at a loss for words, right now.

So here's another one of my all-time faves.

All time high-Aug 2009

Sigh. I am miserably late for this month's all-time high. Its summer's fault, that much I can tell with certainty. Summer brings heat, thunderstorms, house guests, trails, road trips and much much more.

Rambling-stop. Music-start :).

An easy one, a chirpy fun one from the movie 'baaton baaton mein'

Fatak

On repeat mode for over 48 hours now.....

All time high-May

April showers bring May flowers... its that time of the month - time to post the all-time high for the month of May! And I offer this...



From the movie Bazaar. While I found the movie itself quite heavy and depressing, the songs are each a masterpiece, brimming with meaning and tune. Music by Khayyam, sung by stalwarts such as Lata Mangeshkar, Talat Aziz and Bhupinder. There are also two songs sung by Jagjit Kaur, wife of Khayyam.

Lyrics for this eternal song go thus :

karoge yaad toh, har baat yaad aayegi
guzarte waqt i, har mauj theher jaayegi

ye chaand beete zamaanon ka aaina hogaa
bhatakthe abr mein chehra koi banaa hogaa
udaas raah koi daastana sunaayegi

barasta bheegta mausam dhuaan dhuaan hoga
pighalti shammon pe dil ka mere gumaa hoga
hatheliyon ki heena, yaad kuchh dilaayegi

galee ke mod pe, soona sa koi darawaaza
tarasti aankhon se, rastaa kisi ka dekhega
nigaah door talak, jaa ke laut aayegi

All time high-April

You see, the thing about nostalgia is that it can be sweet, it can sometimes be saddening. There are some songs that make me want to bawl and most times I can never tell why. It feels like an era bygone, of simple times and reasonable needs. A slice in time that can never be rewound. And conditioning tells you not to hold on to it, for what's gone is gone and whats now is a gift, the present. It seems silly to weep over what you haven't experienced. Perhaps that's what makes it alluring and exciting-what you didn't know. You can create fantastic tales from period settings, can't you? The mind is such a foolish dreamer, it can make mountains out of molehills and create sepia tinted fantasies from the past, or the future even, for that matter. Never able to stay with the current...

Oh well, see- all this rambling is because I've been listening to 70s music for some weeks now and I was glad we got to April finally, cos its that much-awaited time to post this month's all-time high. Something I look forward to quite eagerly. So here's my pick, from the movie 'Umrao Jaan'.



zindagi jab bhi teri bazm mein laati hai hamein
ye zameen chaand se behtar nazar aati hai hamein

surkh phoolon se mehak uTathi hain dil ki raahen
din Dhale yun teri aawaz bulaati hai hamein

yaad teri kabhi dastak kabhi sargoshi se
raat ke pichhle prahar roz jagaati hai hamein

har mulaqat ka anjaam judai kyun hai
ab to har waqt yahi baat satati hai hamein

A brunch time serving of tune

This weekend's brunch : Puri with Chana Masala



















And the tune for ambiance was this :



Have a good weekend folks!

A hug for life

For some weeks now, I am diving into this playlist in my ipod called 'all-time highs'...a special place to find old gems rich with meaning and soulful melody. These are songs which have stayed with me over many many years, a treasure chest which I immerse myself in, when the mood strikes.

Ok, ok..since you ask- starting this month I will post one every month with a small story and lyrics perhaps? So you can choose to agree or disagree with the choice. Okay? Alright!

This month's picks(there are two, as an introductory offer :), are a special dedication to a special person- Scarlett!






and the second one is :


And since the second one has no visuals, I post the lyrics

Zindagi Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana Aana Zindagi
Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana Aana Zindagi
Zindagi O Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana Aana
Mere Ghar Aana
Zindagi Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana Aana Zindagi

Mere Ghar Ka Seedha Sa Itna Pataa Hai
Ye Ghar Jo Hai Chaaron Taraf Se Khula Hai
Na Dastak Zaroori, Na Aavaz Dena
Mere Ghar Ka Darvaaza Koi Nahin Hai
Hain Deevaren Ghum Aur Chhat Bhi Nahin Hai
Badhi Dhoop Hai Dost
Kadhi Dhoop Hai Dost
Tere Aanchal Ka Saaya Churake Jeena Hai Jeena
Jeena Zindagi, Zindagi
O Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana
Aana Zindagi Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana

Mere Ghar Ka Seedha Sa Itna Pataa Hai
Mere Ghar Ke Aage Mohabbat Likha Hai
Na Dastak Zaroori, Na Aavaz Dena
Maein Saanson Ki Raftaar Se Jaan Lungi
Havaaon Ki Khushboo Se Pehchaan Lungi
Tera Phool Hoon Dost
Teri Bhool Hoon Dost
Tere Haathon Mein Chehra Chhupa Ke Jeena Hai Jeena
Jeena Zindagi, Zindagi
O Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana
Aana Zindagi Zindagi Mere Ghar Aana


Yenjoy and have a good weekend all!

A dollop of tune

Saturday brunch : Mooli paratha, baked palak kofta kadhi, mango chutney and a glass of buttermilk!



















And to deliver the right kind of ambiance, a shot of this:

Notes for 2009-2

* I watched 'Luck by chance' this weekend. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, starring Farhan Akhtar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Dimple Kapadia and many many others in guest appearances. Its about the struggle to make it big in Bollywood. To me, it seemed somewhat parallel to 'Fashion', but much better. Javed Akhtar's dialogues are crisp and relevant. Farhan and Konkona are brilliant in being true to their characterizations though I felt the end didn't tie up all the loose ends. Nonetheless I loved Sona's(Konkona's character) words in the last scene. Dimple Kapadia is superb as ever in her role as the insecurity-laden older actress. Worth a watch.

* In other news, the weather this weekend out here was a welcome break. It was warm and sunny, the kind of days one doesn't need a heavy jacket or gloves. And hence the entire population was out- at the malls or at parks or generally hanging out.

* There's a long weekend right around the corner and that makes this work week so much more tolerable :).

* Non-stop repeat mode on for this one :



Enjoy!

Non-stop repeat mode on

......hooked to this!

An evening in London

Did anyone watch Sonu Nigam's concert in London- 'An evening in London-Rafi resurrected'? The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) was spectacular. The Rafi songs that Sonu sang were melodious and were great picks. I loved the orchestra accompaniment for 'Tum jo mil gaye ho' which Sonu announced was his personal favorite. 'Dil ke jharoke mein tujhko bithakar", 'Kya hua tera vaada', 'Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahe', 'Suhaani raat dhal chuki', 'Kaun hai jo sapnon mein aaya'...and so many many many more.

I happened to chance upon it on Sony, on Sunday evening. And God, what a treat! What a soothing, fitting end to a weekend!

The master of soul

This weekend I was watching the latest episode of Sa Re Ga Ma- Lil Champs. The theme was "Classically Mild". What has been Bhaavageethe in Kannada music for a long time. That perfect hybrid of classical music simplified for the masses. It also ties into Sonu Nigam's latest classical debut album of the same name. One of the participants sang "Laaga Chunari mein daag", that masterpiece rendition by Manna Dey, Raag Bhairav.

For as long as I can remember, I have had the Golden Collection of Manna Dey in either cassette or CD format. It has featured in my all-time favorite music collection, that which I have transported across three countries and many states in the US. If I could laminate these for posterity, I would. Manna Dey has reigned supreme as the master of soul. A genre where very few have ventured, much less : been proficient in.

Due credit also needs to go to the master lyricists during the era that enabled Manna Dey to vocalize that which they have penned.

"Kori chunariya aatma mori mail hai maaya jaal
Woh duniya more baabul ka ghar,
Ye duniya sasuraal"

Or the haunting melody from Kabuliwala "Aye mere pyaare watan.."

"Tere daaman se jo aaye, un hawaaon ko salaam
choom loo main us zubaan ko jis pe aaye tera naam
sab se pyaari subah teri, sab se rangeen teri shaam"

And "Poocho na kaise maine.."

"Ik pal jaise, ik yug beetha
Yug beete mohe neend na aaye
Poochho na kaise..."

Evergreen "Sur na saje.."

"Sangeet man ko pankh lagae
Geeton mein rimjhim ras barsae
Svar ki sadhana
Parameshvar ki
Sur Na Saje ..."

And finally my all-time favorite "Tu pyaar ka saagar hai.."

"Ghaayal mann ka paagal panchhi
Udne ko beqaraar
Pankh hai komal, aankh hai dhundli
Jaana hai saagar paar
Ab tu hi isse samjha
Raah bhoole the kahan se hum"

'Aye meri zohr jabeen' from Waqt, or 'Kaun aaya mere mann ke dwaare' are all timeless melodies, lilting, soothing and chockful of meaning.

To end, no writeup about Manna Dey can be complete without this beautiful song :




And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And as silently steal away.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done