As I write this, I am listening to old Hindi songs composed in the sixties and seventies. Some from the time my mother was in college, others which played on the radio when I was a kid, my constant companion.
Music is universal no matter what genre. Purists love Indian classical – vocal, Hindustani and Carnatic; some love opera and Western classical compositions. Folk, pop, rock, heavy metal, world music, regional film songs and countless other genres make music a language that needs no translation. One doesn’t even need to compare them to enjoy different genres.
I enjoy Freddie Mercury’s Bohemian Rhapsody as much as I do Mozart’s symphonies; Hindi film songs as well as Sanskrit chants and bhajans; and Michael Jackson and my all-time favourite, George Michael. I have listened to Indian classical greats perform live on stage but my understanding of their music is limited. Despite that, I appreciate and respect the hours of practice and sadhana that go into making the instrument they play sound like an extension of their fingers.
Bollywood is the best
From bhajans to anthems and good old Bollywood hits, I used to hum Jana Gana Mana when I got homesick for my beloved India. To date, I get goosebumps when I hear the Manoj Kumar version of ‘Mera rang de basanti chola’ in the black and white classic Shaheed, or the more recent ‘Teri mitti mein mil jaavan’ from the film Kesari, because I am intensely patriotic.
Like books, music for me has been that safe space, my refuge when life got overwhelming. It has also reflected my feelings – expressed far better by the lyricist or composer than anything I could come up with. This is especially so with Bollywood songs. Old and new. When I got my dogs, Marlowe and Mollie, my heart would be so full of love for them, I’d sing ‘Tu jo mila toh ho gaya sab haasil’ from Bajrangi Bhaijaan because that song perfectly captured how they were parts of my soul and my heartbeat. I can’t hold a note and am besura but that song bonded me to my kids.
Some songs you associate with a loved one or a mood. My mother had her favourites, especially the song ‘Ek pyaar ka naghma hai’ from the film Shor. I cry every time I listen to it because it reminds me of her and how much she is missed. My instant mood uplifter of all time however has to be Kishore Kumar. His voice has a certain joie de vivre, an effervescence that won’t let you stay depressed. Even when he is singing a sad song.
When it comes to bhajans, several young artistes make spiritual music contemporary and relatable. Agam Agarwal, the group Armonian, Neeraj Arya’s Kabir café, Jubin Nautiyal and Siddharth Mohan, and my good friend Vikram Hazra. Vikram’s ‘Radhe Radhe Shyam’ sung for the Art of Living organisation always makes me feel I am in the presence of a higher power and that I am divinely protected.
The Healing Notes of Music
Music does and can heal. Experiments have been conducted on different kinds of music and its effects – on children with disorders, plants, animals and more. Some plants react better to rock music, while others respond to classical notes. Others have recorded the sounds of the oceans, the sounds of the forests, and the falling rain to much success and used these as aids for healing.
These days there are apps for music that make it easy to listen to your favourite songs. Others capture soothing sounds that reduce anxiety, help you meditate, sleep better, or concentrate.
Music is part of our lives
But if I were to look back, I think our generation was the luckiest. From listening to songs on the radio, dancing to hit pop songs on vinyl records, playing our favourites on cassettes to carrying our music along on the Walkman… then witnessing music move to a digital medium with CDs and now on the internet, the journey has been epochal.
As for the artists we grew up listening to? Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Mukesh and more. We don’t even realise how deeply these old Hindi songs are embedded into our lives. Which wedding Sangeet is complete without ‘Mere haathon mein nau nau choodiyaan hain’ or, ‘Mehendi laga ke rakhna’?
Some old Hindi songs have lyrics that are a philosophy and guiding principles for life. Raj Kapoor skipping to ‘Kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisaar…’ or the bhajan ‘Itni shakti hamein dena data’ from Ankush to Dev Anand’s peppy ‘Main zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya’ from Hum Dono and the evergreen ‘Aaj phir jeeney ki tamanna hai’ from Guide. In moments of despair, haven’t we all related to Guru Dutt’s Christ-like profile singing Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye toh kya hai, or sung countless love songs from the movies that exist to our sweethearts? And who has spent their childhood without playing antakshari with cousins late into the night?
Music is truly a superpower – one we underestimate and take for granted. Harness its potential in your life and see how much happier you will be.
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