True team spirit!

The word "team" is so commonly used but often misunderstood. A team must comprise of a variety of people with complimentary skills, and working in synergy such that the combination of their forces results in the overall progress towards the larger goal. There is no "competition" between elements of a team and no heirarchical or feudal dictatorship - but pure collaboration and a strong passion for achieving the end goal.

Here is a recording symbolising the teamwork of four different elements, collaborating to create synergetic music. While the rhythm track (reggae style beat) provides a strong foundation, the lead track (guitar) adds melody, the trumpet adds the interlude music and the strings provide a chorus. Presenting my first recording using multi-track sequencing (i.e. playing one track at a time and then overlapping them).

DON

DON, the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan hit-film, is a recursive film (in the sense that I can see it any number of times, resulting in the same level of contentment). The plot is very well-structured, where every scene is in place for a reason that unfolds later in the story.
What stays lingering in the mind for the next couple of days is the theme-music that Kalyanji Anandji have composed so thoughtfully. The songs from this film are diverse and include cabaret, folk (Banarasi) and hip-hop.
The remake of the film starring Sharukh Khan, revolves around the same plot, though with a different ending. The focus on pure art and theatre forms is replaced by technology and gadgets in this version. Here's a foot-tapping party number from the (new) DON...

Julie...

Julie is yet another 1970's movie embedded with a treasure of melodious songs. It belongs to an era where instuments like the African Congo drums and the lead guitar were used to create subtle effects in background music.
Here is an attempt to play the lead guitar using the keybord, with an effort to focus on note-resonance and chords, and cutting away any "gaayaki" patterns which are not naturally playable on a stringed instrument like the lead guitar.

Versatility

Shankar Mahadevan is one of my favourites in the list of present-day singers. Among his numerous skills, the one that amazes me the most is his versatility - the ease with which he sings in both Hindustani as well as Carnatic styles of music. I need not elaborate on how difficult it is to accomplish a feat like that.
His recent songs in regional languages are another reason for us - his fans - to say "hats off" to him. Here is one such Marathi song called "Man Udhan Vaaryaache" from the film"Aga Bai Arechaa" played on the Grand Piano...

Music versus noise...

This song is an out-of-the seuqence number, just to beat the monotony of the elegant and evergreen category of the 1970's songs that have been posted so far. To set the stage for this, imagine that a wedding baaraat is passing through a crowded market in a townplace and the dulhaa hopelessly trying to maintain his balance on a horse (a ghodi to be more precise), his slippery kolhapuri chappals make the stunt even more challenging. As they proceed towards the shaadi-ka-mantap, there is a wagon behind them, with the members of the brass orchestra tightly packed into it and some of them pouring outside too, the orchestra comprising a bulbul-tarang, a brass trumpet, a dhol, huge cymbals, and the like. The ambience is such that no one in the audience really bothers to appreciate the music, rather everyone is enthusiastic about the event to follow and is busy dancing to the tune or clearing up the road ahead so that they reach the venue in time. Hence, there is no provision for sophisticated music and subtle effects, even the sound system does not have speakers but only cone-shaped megaphones. With all that in place, each musician dutifully ensures that his instrument is heard with the loudest volume in the whole orchestra.

Trying to play this kind of noisy music in a noise-filled environment is quite a challenge. To play this on the Yamaha E-403 is even tougher, because by nature the keyboard has very sweet and soothing musical tones. Searching for a sharp and noisy tone was a task by itself, then the touch-response was completely disabled, a noisy and cluttered rhythm (called Goa Pop) selected and the notes played by leaving aside the gaayaki style of modulations. All this to create the feeling that the enthusiasm of the baaraatis on such occasions owerpowers their urge of lending a keen ear to listen to and appreciate the music played.

The idea of this post is to bring out a rustic, a raw musical style without any subtle effects, typical of a bulbul-tarang, and to take the reader (listener) right into a baaraat! Hope the reader has a good trip! This song is also an evergreen song, but more so, as a dance number - Kombdi Palaali! Enjoy...

As the dark night unfolds...

The movie "Amar Prem" is literally a treasure-house of some of the gems amongst Hindi film songs. My favourite song from this film is "Rainaa Beeti Jaye", for the sheer melody in its musical notes. There is quite some confusion about the raga on which this song is based. Most of the literature points that it is based on Raga Gurjari Todi while some other sources opine that it is a composition of Todi, with a tint of Lalit in between. I prefer not to get involved in the argument, but to enjoy the song itself! The "Grand Piano" sound on the Yamaha E-403 adds a subtle mood of loneliness to this song...

Exploring the Thumri Style...

"Kaa Karoon Sajani Aayenaa Baalam", a popular Thumri originally sung by the celebrated Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan saaheb and a semi-classcical version of which has been subsequently introduced into the movie Swami (1977), is an evergreen gem of a song. When playing this song on the keyboard (the "Swami" version), the attempt is to bring out the gaayaki style of playing the harmonuim, where swift key movements, good volume control (touch response) , sustained notes and modulations suggesting the vocal style in the song, are the prime focus. The light classical style of Indian music (Thumri, Ghazal, Chaiti, Dadra, Jhoolaa, etc.) brings out these aspects very well.

For the not-yet-so-lucky friends...

On posting the blog titled "Dedicated to my lucky friends", the other friends who do not belong to this lucky category (or seemingly lucky cateogry should I say? :-) ) complained and questioned about why I was posting music compositions only for that category of friends. I completely empathise with them, since I too belong to the not-yet-so-lucky category! So here is something that they (we) will be happy to hear...

I've been trying my hand at playing the accordion on my keyboard for quite some time now. As portrayed in an earlier post called "Swabhaav - The nature of instruments" it is obvious that playing in the accordion style is quite a jugglery of chord-work along with swift and nimble key movements. That reminds me of a rare concert that I attended in Bangalore - a harmonium accordion jugalbandi by the renowned Pt. Ravindra Katoti and M.B. Prakash / P. Ravindra.(http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2007/06/01/stories/2007060151260300.htm)

"Mere Sapnon Ki Rani" is an evergreen song composed by S D Burman and sung by Kishore Kumar. Being an avid traveller, the picturisation of this song at a breathtaking hillstation in a Willy's jeep is also very touching!

Dedicated to my lucky friends...

Many of my close friends are in this very special phase of life - probably THE best phase in life. They have found their respective life partners, some are engaged and about to get wedlocked while others are newly married. This song is dedicated to all such friends.
A popular number from a 1970's film (Ghar) with music notes set by the legendary R D Burman jee and sung so melodiously by Lata Mangeshkar / Kishore Kumar, as I play this on my keyboard I keep wondering how such evergreen compositions were created by these motivating and celebrated artists!