ASHA BHOSLE
ASHA BHOSLE COMES ALIVE ON NET
Asha Bhosle: Sa Re Ga Ma…
Asha Bhosle: Sa Re Ga Ma…
Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: Aug 29: At 70, Asha Bhonsle is still going strong, with her velvet voice growing younger with each passing year. Since her first song in Chunariya way back in 1948, Asha Bhonsle has had a long and melodious career. From playback singing in films to regional and devotional songs to releasing her own pop albums, there has been absolutely no stopping this living legend. In this free wheeling interview the diva who has enthralled her fans for nearly six decades talks about life and times.
Excerpts: Have you enjoyed doing Sa Re Ga Ma?
I am really fed up of shor sharaba in music. In Pandit Somesh’s Mathur’s album I have sung some of my favorite evergreen songs like Farida Khannum’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo, Ghulam Ali’s Chupke Chupke, Aawargi and Dil Mein Ek Lahar, Jagjit Singh’s Ahista Ahista and Mehdi Hassan’s Ranjish Hi Sahi, Rafta Rafta and Mujhe Tum Nazar Se. The album features eight classic ghazals recreated with modern sounds and treatment, which take these songs into an altogether different league. In what way have you changed your voice to sound different in this album?
In the album you will hear a mellowed Asha Bhonsle without sharpness and shrillness like in my songs. In fact the USP of the album is its softness. To sing the numbers of the legendary singers was not tough but to see to it that I did not let any of them down was tougher. To tell you the truth I was actually scared of singing their numbers but I have tried to create a balance between their style and mine. It was a big challenge to me as a singer.The album strives to blend the classic ghazals with various styles of contemporary music, ranging from Lounge, Pop, Funk to Jazz-Rock.
Tell us about your International album You Have Stolen My Heart?
The group –the U.S based Kronos Quartet contacted me saying they were huge fans of Panchamda. They said that Pancham was like the Mozart of India and hence I was very keen to work with them. I have sung Panchamda’s hit as well as not-so-big-hit numbers with fresh interpretations. The songs in this international album include the popular film songs Dum Maro Dum, Koi Aaya Aane Bhi De, Mera Kuch Samaan, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dilko , besides Rishte Bante Hain from the album Dil Padosi Hai. A few instrumental versions have also been included in the album. I was really impressed by their choice of songs. They have even chosen some of Pancham’s Bengali songs. When Kronos Quartet asked me what the meaning of Mera Kuch Saaman, I did not know what to say. I just told them it meant luggage.
In what way has Pandit Somesh Mathur given the songs a new dimension?
Somesh has composed as well as arranged all the songs for the album Asha. Though the songs have been composed using classical ragas, he has added a lounge, jazz or soft rock flavor wherever required. In the past I have sung ghazals for albums like Meraj-E-Ghazal, Aabshar-E-Ghazal and Kashish. When I sing ghazals, I lay a great stress to the words. I have to put myself into those words. It is only then that one can express onself in the best possible manner. That’s something I have taken care to do on this new album Asha too.
You must have sung around 25,000 songs till date.
Though several playback singers in India have staked their claim to having sung 25, 000 songs in their singing career, I can challenge that no singer in the entire world can humanly sing 25,000 songs. In fact I would like to state humbly that I am the only singer who has sung the maximum number of songs-12, 000. If you sing one song a day, you can humanly sing 365 songs a year and 3650 songs in ten years. In around 60 years of my career I could sing 12,000 songs because there were times I had sung even four songs day.
Who according to you is the best today among the female singers?
Undoubtedly Latadidi is the best among the old as well as the youngsters today. Contrary to rumors, didi and I never had any vicious rivalry. Whenever I used to sing with her, there was this healthy competitive spirit between us. I used to pray to God that I should be able to sing if not better than her, then at least as good as she is singing.
What is your take on the so-called remix albums?
I am coming out with only version numbers. Then remixes, which are being brought out today, are downright bad. They spoil our youth’s morals with the obscene song picturisations. It is sad that music companies are also in their favor because these albums fill up their coffers.
Why have you cut down on singing for films?
First of all I am no longer in the rat race. I am getting fed up. Where are the good old lyricists who used to inspire the singers? Today I can hardly recognize four or five music directors like Anu Malik, Jatin Lalit, Vishal Bharadwaj, Ilayaraja, A.R. Rehman and Vidya Sagar of the South for whom I had sung a duet number for the Rajanikant starrer Chandramukhi in Tamil recently.
Jyothi Venkatesh
Excerpts: Have you enjoyed doing Sa Re Ga Ma?
I am really fed up of shor sharaba in music. In Pandit Somesh’s Mathur’s album I have sung some of my favorite evergreen songs like Farida Khannum’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo, Ghulam Ali’s Chupke Chupke, Aawargi and Dil Mein Ek Lahar, Jagjit Singh’s Ahista Ahista and Mehdi Hassan’s Ranjish Hi Sahi, Rafta Rafta and Mujhe Tum Nazar Se. The album features eight classic ghazals recreated with modern sounds and treatment, which take these songs into an altogether different league. In what way have you changed your voice to sound different in this album?
In the album you will hear a mellowed Asha Bhonsle without sharpness and shrillness like in my songs. In fact the USP of the album is its softness. To sing the numbers of the legendary singers was not tough but to see to it that I did not let any of them down was tougher. To tell you the truth I was actually scared of singing their numbers but I have tried to create a balance between their style and mine. It was a big challenge to me as a singer.The album strives to blend the classic ghazals with various styles of contemporary music, ranging from Lounge, Pop, Funk to Jazz-Rock.
Tell us about your International album You Have Stolen My Heart?
The group –the U.S based Kronos Quartet contacted me saying they were huge fans of Panchamda. They said that Pancham was like the Mozart of India and hence I was very keen to work with them. I have sung Panchamda’s hit as well as not-so-big-hit numbers with fresh interpretations. The songs in this international album include the popular film songs Dum Maro Dum, Koi Aaya Aane Bhi De, Mera Kuch Samaan, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dilko , besides Rishte Bante Hain from the album Dil Padosi Hai. A few instrumental versions have also been included in the album. I was really impressed by their choice of songs. They have even chosen some of Pancham’s Bengali songs. When Kronos Quartet asked me what the meaning of Mera Kuch Saaman, I did not know what to say. I just told them it meant luggage.
In what way has Pandit Somesh Mathur given the songs a new dimension?
Somesh has composed as well as arranged all the songs for the album Asha. Though the songs have been composed using classical ragas, he has added a lounge, jazz or soft rock flavor wherever required. In the past I have sung ghazals for albums like Meraj-E-Ghazal, Aabshar-E-Ghazal and Kashish. When I sing ghazals, I lay a great stress to the words. I have to put myself into those words. It is only then that one can express onself in the best possible manner. That’s something I have taken care to do on this new album Asha too.
You must have sung around 25,000 songs till date.
Though several playback singers in India have staked their claim to having sung 25, 000 songs in their singing career, I can challenge that no singer in the entire world can humanly sing 25,000 songs. In fact I would like to state humbly that I am the only singer who has sung the maximum number of songs-12, 000. If you sing one song a day, you can humanly sing 365 songs a year and 3650 songs in ten years. In around 60 years of my career I could sing 12,000 songs because there were times I had sung even four songs day.
Who according to you is the best today among the female singers?
Undoubtedly Latadidi is the best among the old as well as the youngsters today. Contrary to rumors, didi and I never had any vicious rivalry. Whenever I used to sing with her, there was this healthy competitive spirit between us. I used to pray to God that I should be able to sing if not better than her, then at least as good as she is singing.
What is your take on the so-called remix albums?
I am coming out with only version numbers. Then remixes, which are being brought out today, are downright bad. They spoil our youth’s morals with the obscene song picturisations. It is sad that music companies are also in their favor because these albums fill up their coffers.
Why have you cut down on singing for films?
First of all I am no longer in the rat race. I am getting fed up. Where are the good old lyricists who used to inspire the singers? Today I can hardly recognize four or five music directors like Anu Malik, Jatin Lalit, Vishal Bharadwaj, Ilayaraja, A.R. Rehman and Vidya Sagar of the South for whom I had sung a duet number for the Rajanikant starrer Chandramukhi in Tamil recently.
Jyothi Venkatesh
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