Saturday, March 16, 2013

Tribute to Mohammed Rafi and Shammi Kapoor! - Part 1


Tribute to Mohammed Rafi and Shammi Kapoor! – An Evening in Paris!


Song to relish! 
My next posting was tough to select as it was wide ranged from 1950’s through 1980’s. Lots of songs were considered and even friends and family chose the songs for me as their favorite choice.  But I chose one for this edition purely based on my daughter (Hiranmayi's request).

I have been awed by the Hindi film music of 1960’s and 1970’s. This music swayed from Maestro’s like Naushad, Madan Mohan, Shankar Jaikishen, SD Burman, OP Nayaar, N Dutta, Husnlal Bhagatram, Dattaram, SN Tripathi, Jaidev, Salil Choudary, C Ramachandra , Laxmikanth Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji , the evergreen RD Burman and many more who weaved music like fine silken clothes.  Each hero had a music maestro with him. Dilip Kumar had Naushad , Dev had SD Burman, Raj had Shankar Jaikishen.
Always I was fascinated by the innumerous tunes and songs of the 60’s. Especially the orchestration of Shankar Jaikishen still reverberates in my every cell as if this was a previous birth incident. They showed great variety in music. They could do Basant Bahar and Evening in Paris or Chori Chori and Seema with the same ease! Such was the versatility exhibited by them.

This posting has “Aisa mauka phir kahan milega” from Evening in Paris.
Rafi’s voice can be called the voice of the century.  I would very proudly say that India was fortunate to have a singer of Rafi’s caliber. Ever the perfectionist he always brought out more than 100% in his renditions. With Shammi Kapoor his ratio was 100% too. The music directors for Shammi Kapoor were 60% Shankar Jaikishen and 35% OP Nayaar and rest form the remaining %.
This combination (Rafi,Shammi, SJ) have given string of hits like Junglee, Brahmachari, Prince, Professor, Janwar, Rajkumar, Pagla kahin ka etc.  
Scene – This is a Title song which starts off by Shammi sings for us.
Song starts with a bang! Accordions and violins with drums race up the prelude when Rafi saab sings aisa mauka phir kahan milega. Accordions follow the singer and end the initial prelude with the same as it started.  We could notice a mild usage of Sax when Rafi sings ao tumko dikhlata hun Paris ki ek rangeen shaam.
1st BGM - Call and Response mode of Guitar and Accordions so beautifully etched. Every time the Guitar plays Accordion responds but in a slightly higher octave. Small variation in the Accordion section is so wonderfully played.  The fourth time when the Guitar plays violins take over and the Accordions end the BGM with an awesome rhythm. Drums form the basis of the whole BGM.
When the 1st stanza starts the Drums and Accordions are in frenzy. Especially Accordions just are out of the world. Rafi just oozes melody.
Scene – Shammi sings dekho en pariyon ki doli.. Wherein he shows girls walking (as Pari).
2nd BGM – This is where SJ shows their major influence in usage of instruments. It starts with a Saxophone at 2:17 secs playing a superb tune with guitar and drums for 13 secs followed by violins and accordions.
Scene – Shammi goes around Paris and walks with a lady. Typical Shammi style.
3rd BGM – This is the same as 1st BGM.    
Scene – Shailendra’s lyrics is captivating – apne dil ka daaman bhar lo; mar joge pyar karlo; kal ka sapna kisne dekha; in rahon se raat guzar lo.
This is so poetic and says that we should live in the present!!

Song to relish! 

1 comment:

  1. Have heard the song many times. after reading this review, I could only hear the instrumental arrangements. It is amazing!

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