Thursday, May 19, 2016

ग़ज़ल का साज़ उठाओ, बड़ी उदास है रात...

/ Strains of melancholia by Jigar Muradabadi, Vinod Sehgal /


तबीयत इन दिनों बेगाना-ए-ग़म होती जाती है
मेरे हिस्से की गोया हर ख़ुशी कम होती जाती है

क़यामत क्या ये ऐ हुस्न-ए-दो-आलम होती जाती है
कि महफ़िल तो वही है दिल-कशी कम होती जाती है

वही हैं शाहिद ओ साक़ी मगर दिल बुझता जाता है
वही है शम्अ लेकिन रौशनी कम होती जाती है

वही मय-खाना ओ सहबा वही साग़र वही शीशा
मगर आवाज़-ए-नोशा-नोश मद्धम होती जाती है

वही है ज़िन्दगी लेकिन 'जिगर' ये हाल है अपना
कि जैसे ज़िन्दगी से ज़िन्दगी कम होती जाती है
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*हुस्न-ए-दो-आलम : beauty of both worlds | *सहबा : wine
*शाहिद ओ साक़ी : wine bearer | *साग़र : goblet
*आवाज़-ए-नोशा-नोश मद्धम : cheers/ toast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[ From the album Kahkashaan ]




The elusive singer Vinod Sehgal at his absolute best, in this deeply moving meditation on melancholia, depression and everything else. Almost an automatic choice for me, whenever I feel down, feeling hopeless with the world and its inability to be even a tad just, equitable for everyone.

Have listened very little of Vinod Sehgal, but the manner in which he expresses "'Qayamat kya ai-husn-e-do-aalam hoti jaati hai ?..." Uff!!

By the way, the title is a misra by Firaq Girakhpuri.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Quirky, amusing 'Young India Records'

Time capsules from a bygone era

A pre-independence Gramophone records company under the banner of 'Young India Records' just made a huge collection of its recordings, public in digital form. These have been released by the British Library publicly on its website's Sounds archives (link below).

Upon trawling through the entire collection of 1427 records, I found some rather amusing and intriguing ones, which I shall share now. 

A speech by Subhas Chandra Bose


A rather interesting piece of history captured here, with Bose delivering a call to the nation, in Queen's English with a hint of Bengali accent which was the norm it seems during those British era days. He is canvassing for Congress after the 1937 elections probably, as he mentions its victories at one point. Also mentions student movements in Russia, France and Italy!

A Congress election jingle 'Viceroy milan ko jaana'


Now this is really interesting. A Congress election song that asks voters to select Congress, so they can get to meet the Viceroy !! And amusingly, it is set to the tune of 'Piya Milan ko Jaana', a Bombay film song, which must have been a smash hit at that time. Well played, I guess, given how strict the censors were at the time for any political themes.


A radio play on Jahangir


This is a short radio play on the fabled justice of Jahangir, the Mughal emperor. The whole play is in verses and presents interesting themes, where the emperor has to take a call on justice when his own wife Nur Jahan is involved in a crime against a non-Muslim subject.

Adl-e-Jahangir | Part 1              Adl-e-Jahangir | Part 2

Meri Wafaayein yaad karoge


This ghazal seems similar to one by one of the lesser known poets : Mohammad Deen Taseer, which was re-worked by Sameer in 90s film Sainik (starring Akshay Kumar). Some of the words seem to have been changed in both versions from the original ghazal. In anycase this is performed by a singer named Manohar Kapoor.


And the version by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.


And this one in full 1990s innocent, cheesy glory :)



And finally the link to access the whole collection of 1427 records :




Friday, May 13, 2016

Deewar-e-Khaas

कुछ छींटें पड़ीं मेरे दीवार पर ग़ालिब की

कुछ खिल उठा रंग फैज़ ओ फ़िराक़ का !