Showing posts with label music instrument.guitar.sitar.mandolin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music instrument.guitar.sitar.mandolin. Show all posts

Tuesday, 10 April 2018

The real music-makers behind the great Hindi film songs.

SONGS have always been the mainstay of Hindi cinema.When we listen to a good song its obvious that we appreciate the singer,lyricist and the music composer of that song but the people behind the scenes who have made a particular song a huge hit remain unknown. They include various musicians who form the orchestra and arrangers who write down the notations both in the Western and Indian styles, direct the musicians and conduct the orchestra during the recording of the songs.
There was always a curiosity in me to bring to the forefront the real unsung heroes behind the creation of great Hindi film songs. Before that we should know what is an arranger.The primary role of Arranger is to arrange a piece of music based on the needs or requirements of a performer, a group of performers, a conductor, producer or music director. The arranger makes sure that every aspect of a music piece is well harmonized, from the instruments down to the tempo.
The core of a tune, or composition, is the melody which is created by the music director.Next comes the role of the arranger who decides what instruments, including singing voices, to use.He then decides how to notate the music, including what meter to notate the music.He then decides on interpretation(s) of the melody/-ies in terms of rhythmical and tonal variations,phrasing,embellishments,articulation etc.All of this is notated in sheet music then add parts for the banks of strings, the horn sections, the piano and the percussion. 
When Hindi film music entered a period of rapid evolution during the Second World War, composers realized that the small groups they’d previously used could not effectively convey the drama unfolding on screen. So they formed large orchestras that ranged dholaks and sitars along with banks of violins, swathes of trumpets and a Hawaiian guitar or two. Since not many musicians from other communities knew how to play saxophones or clarinets, Goans came to form the bulk of the orchestras. 
Before that composers would rehearse their groups (which usually had fewer than 10 musicians) until they’d memorized their parts before leading them into recording sessions.
Most of the Hindi film composers were trained in the Hindustani classical tradition, they were not good in writing the music. But if the members of an orchestra were to play in unison and the tone colour of their instruments was to be employed most effectively, they needed to read the notes off scores, with each musician’s role clearly laid out. That task was usually given to a Goan ‘arranger’.
It was a usual practice those days whenever a song to be made the producer would organise a ‘sitting’ at which the composer (most often a Hindu), the lyricist (usually an Urdu-speaking Muslim) and the arranger would flop down on comfortable cushions to listen to the director narrate the plot. When the director indicated the point at which a song was necessary, the composer would hum out a melody or pick it out on his harmonium. It was the arranger’s task to note down these fragments, which the composer would later piece together into an entire song.
Frank Fernand

Frank Fernand was among the first Goans in Bollywood and assisted such worthies as Anil Biswas, Hemant Kumar , Kishore Kumar, Roshan, C. Ramchandra and others. Raj Kapoor's 'Barsat' was his major assignment with Shankar Jaikishan.His last assignment in the Hindi film industry was as the first assistant of Kalyanji Anandji.He assisted them in Johny Mera Naam, DonHera PheriZanjeer and Victoria No. 203 
Song from Chor Darwaza 1965 ,Music was given by Frank Fernad

Anthony Gonsalves was another Music arranger of that time.He found his first job in the city as a violinist in the group of the composer Naushad in 1943. He taught the violin to R.D. Burman and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (of the Laxmikant Pyarelal duo) and has worked with most of the legendary composers of the 1950s and 1960s. A few examples of his work are B.R. Chopra (Naya DaurWaqt), Naushad (Dillagi), and Chetan Anand (Haqeeqat). The song "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" was Pyarelal's tribute to his violin Teacher.

 Antonio Xavier Vaz famously known as Chic Chocolate was from Aldona. He assisted C. Ramchandra, who is popularly credited with having introduced swing into Bollywood. Tunes like Ina Mina Dika from Aasha and Gore Gore O Banke Chore from Samadhi bear Chic's unmistakable signature. His stamp is also audible on the Cuban percussion opening of Shola Jo Bhadke, a tune from Albela. Chic and the Music Makers made an appearance in the film in the song's picturisation, with Chic seen smiling into the camera..

Sebastian D'Souza was one of the most reputed arrangers in Bollywood. His first break was with O. P. Nayyar. The first tune he arranged was Pritam Aan Milo, which was sung by C. H. Atma in 1955. He devised a system of notation that incorporated the micro tones that characterised Indian melodies.He did his best-known work with the duo of Shankar-Jaikishan between 1952 and 1975.

Cawas Lord He came to Bombay  to learn music. Apart from joining Chic Chocolate, which was one the most famous Jazz bands, as a drummer Cawas Lord was also the part of the British touring party for their troops during World War II before his Jazz journey. As a part of the Jazz group, Lord would play at several clubs in the city including the Taj Mahal Hotel where C Ramchandra spotted him, and took him along for recordings.
He introduced many  instruments such as the bongo and the congo to hindi film industry.Lord worked full-time in Bollywood. Every third song had Lord playing an instrument or the other.He had 2 sons Kersi lord and Bujji Lord both became great arrangers.Among the Lord family’s contributions to Hindi film music was the glockenspiel, which was used for the famous song Mein zindagi ka saath (composed by Jaidev) in Hum Dono.

Kersi Lord At the age of 13 Kersi started working as musician.He used to come with his father at the recordings,his genius was visible at that young age Naushad gave him work at that age. Naushad saab would send a car so that Kersi would go to school after the recording.Very soon he became adept at many instruments, from Latin American percussion to the accordion to electronica-he was responsible for bringing the Moog synthesizer into Hindi film music. This was a perfect fit for the new generation of music directors emerging on the scene in the late 1960s and early ’70s, such as Rahul Dev Burman.
Kersi earned repute for accordion pieces (Roop Tera Mastana from Aradhna), he also introduced the glockenspiel to the industry. He played the minimoog (monophonic analog synthesizer), which was one of the few electronic instruments played.His touch can also be heard in songs like Chura Liya Hai Tumne. R D Burman 

Chris Perry he was an exceptionally gifted trumpeter, but he was also at ease with blowing instruments as saxophonetrumpet and flute as well as finger instruments like keyboardpiano and guitar.He became famous by introducing jazz music into hindi songs  and he is credited with taking Konkani popular music to a new level.He served the film industry for twenty-five years as assistant to many Hindi film music directors. He performed in many Hindi films notably in Kabhi Kabhi and Trishul. He formed a band and they played at hotels in the major Indian cities.

N. Datta  started his film career as a music assistant of the great composer S D Burman and  Ghulam Haider.. Datta assisted Dada Burman in a number of films. Datta was very impressed with the revolutionary songs of lyricist Sahir Ludhiyanvi. When Datta got his first chance to compose independently for Raj Khosla's Milaap (1955), he insisted for Sahir as the lyricist. The result was some very beautifully songs like 'Ye Baharon Ka Sama..' (Hemant,Lata), 'Jaate Ho To Jaao Par Jaoge Kahan..' (Geeta), etc. The music of Milaap became so popular that Datta came into the category of film industry's most eminent musicians.

Manhori Singh was an Indian saxophonist and was the main arranger of seminal film composer R. D. Burman. He along worked with Basudeb Chakraborty as music composers, the duo also popularly known as Basu-Manohari. His first break in the Hindi film industry was in 1958 with Sachin Dev Burman, as a saxophonist for the movie Sitaron Se Aage. But it was this super-hit song Tumhe Yaad Hoga, in Kalyanji Anandji’s ‘Satta Bazaar’ (1959), in which he played the saxophone solo, which caught everyone’s attention. He went on to play with many other music directors but his strongest association being with R.D. BurmanManohari played on the well-known hit "Gaata Rahe Mera Dil", composed by S.D. Burman, from the movie Guide.Before saxophone he used to play Flute.Even in 1967, well after he became famous for the distinct sound of his sax, Singh contributed a flute strain to the song “Ek haseen shaam ko”, from the film Dulhan Ek Raat Ki—a sweet snippet that seems to respond playfully to the Mohammad Rafi’s voice.
Singh experimented initially with all three varieties of saxophone—the alto, the tenor, and the soprano; in fact, one of his most famous solos, in Sholay’s “Mehbooba mehbooba”, is the product of a soprano sax. But his nimble technique was most suited to the alto sax. The alto sax “is mainly used for infusing melody
In songs such as “Huyi shaam unka khayal” (from the film Mere Humdum Mere Dost) or “Huzoor-e-wala” (from Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi), he sustained notes with impeccable vibrato, making his music throb with feeling. Often his solos were riffs on the main melody, as in “Yahi woh jagah hai” (also from Yeh Raat Phir Na Aayegi), launching off from the melody into their own terrain before returning neatly to the theme. 

Pancham and Marutirao used to always look for something new, something creative in the rhythm side. It may be the style of playing or it could be introduction of new instrument  TUMBA, The legendary TUMBA played in “Aya Hoon Main Tujhko Le Jaunga” from Manoranjan is a classic example of his rhythmic playing.His mastery over tabla also reflects in  his playing for GUIDE’s “Piya Tose Naina Lage Re”.

Uttam Singh He has worked as a violinist, music arranger and music director for many Bollywood films. He worked as a music arranger for Ilaiyaraaja in numerous Tamil films before establishing himself as an independent composer.Uttam Singh played violin for major composers including NaushadRoshanMadan MohanC. RamchandraSachin Dev Burman. Later, he became the main violinist for S D Burman's son, Rahul Dev Burman.He  partnered with another musician, Jagdish, to arrange music for films. The duo became reputed arrangers, working for over 65 films in several Indian languages. These films included major Rajshri Productions hits, Maine Pyar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..

Anil Mohile  he mastered the art of playing jaltarang. In fact, he was an expert in all kinds of instruments. He worked as an arranger with top music directors such as Kalyanji-Anandji, Naushad, Khayyam, Bappi Lahiri, RD Burman, Shrinivas Khale and Yashwant Deo. He arranged music for 85 films, including Amitabh Bachchan starrers Sharaabi and Don.He also arranged music for Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Lekin and Thodi Si Bewafai .He  was a permanent fixture at stage shows in India and abroad where Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle performed.

Hitesh Sonik, He worked under Vishal Bhardwaj as an assistant musician in 11 films. made his debut as a music director with Stanley Ka Dabba and Pyaar Ka Punchnama.

Sachin–Jigar music composer duo from MumbaiIndia, consisting of Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya. They compose for Bollywood and Gujarati movies. They have scored a number of successful soundtracks. Before working independently as music director duo, they were assisting Pritam in set up musical arrangements.
Jigar Saraiya was assisting Music Director Rajesh Roshan where he met Amit Trivedi. Then Amit introduced Sachin Sanghvi to Jigar. Later year they joined their hands and started assisting Pritam in set up musical arrangements.They then programmed and arranged for almost all music directors in Bollywood from the legend A.R. RahmanAnu MalikNadeem-ShravanSandesh ShandilyaPritamVishal-Shekhar etc.

Tuesday, 29 August 2017

String Instruments Playing songs in Bollywood Films

Few months back I posted a blog on  the songs in which Piano being played by the hero or heroine in the song.In this blog I have selected those songs where Hero or Heroine playing String Instrument like Guitar, Sitar or Mandolin.There was a song in Uran Khatola (1955) "Hamare Dil Se Na Jana"here Nimmi is playing a string instrument HARP which was new to Indian public.Before that  Acoustic Guitar was introduced in 1952 hit film Baazi in the famous song" Tadbeer se bidgi hui taqdeer bana le ".I would also like to mention another Indian String Instrument of Rajasthan the Ravanhattha,This was first seen in a hindi film Do Aankhen Baarah Haath, 1957 in the song Saiyyaan jhoothon ka bada sartaaj niklaa.. Here are few songs on unusual and exotic string instruments.
GuitarThe curious thing about guitar in the Hindi movies is that the guitar is a fashion statement; the hero or the heroine swings it any which way – across the shoulder, left and right like a man gone berserk with his carbine, or even to rotate it around on the floor.One Music Director who really mastered the acoustic guitar in his songs was Sachin Dev Burman. As soon as you think of the acoustic guitar on the Indian scene, you think of Goa and that’s where Guru Dutt’s 1952 movie Jaal 
Song from Jaal 1952

Song from Baazi 1952

After the success of 1952 movie Jaal’s guitar based song Ye raat ye chandini phir kahan, Sahir Ludhianvi, SD Burman and Hemant Kumar did it again, in another Dev Anand movie, the 1955 film Munimji in which Dev Anand acted with Nalini Jaywant and Pran.

Song from Munimji 1955

Dev Anand in 50s had popularized Guitar in films He appeared in many songs playing Guitar,in this song from Manzil 1960 he sings along with Guitar

Song from Manzil 1960

The next song on guitar was a peppy classic black and white bollywood song "Baar Baar Dekho" from the superhit bollywood blockbuster China Town. Starring Shammi Kapoor , Shakila , Helen . Film directed and produced by Shakti Samanta. Music composed by Ravi.

Song from China Town 1962


Song from Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai 1960

This is a rare song from the film Aakhri Khat 1966 in which Rajesh Khanna made his debut and also singer Bhupendra also made his debut as a singer Interestringly this song is picturised on him he is playing guitar

Song from Aakhri Khat 1966

Song from Kismat 1968

Guitar became popular among common people after the release of Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971 the song Dum Maro Dum became the craze

Song from Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971

Another film that popularized Guitar songs was Yaadon Ki Baarat. One song that was extremely popular among teens  was the song where the boy invites a girl to come to the stage. A dream situation for desi teens those days.

Song from Yaadon Ki Baarat 1973

Song from Yaadon Ki Baarat 1973

Song from Zameer 1975

Song from Khel Khel Mein 1975

By the late 70s the Guitar changed to Electric Guitar,in 1977 film Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin in the Song Kya Hua Tera Vaada electric guitar being played by the hero Tariq

Song from Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahin 1977

This beautiful Guitar  song is picturised on Rakesh Roshan in PRIYATMA 1978. He and friends have thrown a party for Jeetendra and Neetu Singh, who have recently got married.

Song from PRIYATAMA 1978

Song from Karz 1980

Song from Qyamat Se Qyamat Tak 1988

 Mandolin -The mandolin originated in Italy, and is a typically hollow-bodied instrument made of wood, with either a round, a flat, or a carved top. For a string instrument that hails from lands far removed from India, the mandolin makes surprisingly frequent appearances in Hindi cinema. First time it was seen in Hindi song Suhani Raat Dhal huki from Dulari 1949 then  in Tera dil kahaan hai (Chandni Chowk, 1954) 

Song from Dulari 1949

Song from Chandni Chowk, 1954

Waheeda Rehman plays mandolin  in the song Kaheen pe nigaahein kaheen pe nishaana;in CID 1956

Song from CID 1956

Song from Pyar Ka Mausam 1969

Sitar-A purely Indian instrument  used mainly in Hindustani music and Indian classical music. The sitar became popularly known in the wider world through the works of Ravi Shankar, beginning in the late 1950s and early 1960s..Used often in Hindi films to denote the gentle falling of rain (a famous Ravi Shankar composition in Satyajit Ray’s Pathar Panchali captures this brilliantly), sitar music is a classic Bollywood backbone.Some popular songs in 50s and 60s show the hero or heroine playing this instrument

Song from Baiju Bawra 1952

In the 1960 film Kohinoor Dilip Kumar is shown playing Sitar the most popular song Madhuban Mein Radhika Naache Re

Song from Kohinoor 1960

Song from Meri Soorat Teri Aankhein 1963

Song from Dil Ek Mandir 1963

Song from Hamrahi 1963


Song from Basant Bahar 1956

Ektara-As the name suggest it is one string instrument  held in one hand and with the string plucked with the index finger.The Baul singers of Bengal use this instrument.The popular song from Devdas 1955 Aan milo aan milo Shyaam saanwre, this instrument is being played.Another famous song Ek Tara Bole Tun Tun where this instrument shown from Yaadgaar 

Song from Devdas 1955

Song from Johny Mera Naam 1970

Veena.In Dekh Kabira Roya, Ameeta plays a girl  who is devoted to her music.she plays veena in this lovely song Meri Veena Tum Bin Roye.A masterpiece composed by Madan Mohan and sang by the great sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle 

Song from Dekh Kabira Roya, 1957

Sarangi: A bowed short-neck stringed instrument famed in Hindustani classical music for its close imitation of the human voice.this instrument can be seen in ths song Aansu Bhari Hain Yeh Jeevan Ki Rahe from Parvarish 1958

Song from Parvarish 1958

Song from Umrao Jaan 1981

Ravanahatha-the Rajasthani Folk instrument was first shown in the song  Saiyyaan jhoothon ka bada sartaaj niklaa (Do Aankhen Baarah Haath, 1957):

Song from Do Aankhen Baarah Haath, 1957

Banjo: A plucked 4-5 string instrument with origins in Africa that traveled to America around the 18th century with African-American traditional music and became a staple of country and folk genres.In hindi film Azad 1955 in the song Kitna Haseen hai Mausam this instrument is seen.

Song from Azaad 1955

Recently released movie an Electric Benzo is shown in this song being played by Ritesh Deshmukh in the film Benzo

Song from Benzo 2017


A highly popular bowed 4-string instrument with roots in 16th century Italy that has had global impact, including in orchestral performances of Hindi film music.It was first shown in hindi film Barsat 1949 in the song "Muje Kisi se Pyar Ho Gaya Hai"sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Raj Kapoor is seen here playing violin.

Song from Barsaat 1949

Another famous song is from 1972 film Shor,Manoj Kumar is playing violin in this song

Song from Shor (1972)

Song from Mohabbatein 2000

Song from Sur 2002