|
Harish Shah’s retrospective narrative on eastern music such as qawali, ghazals and other folk genre.
Saif-ul-Malook by the Late Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a qawali masterpiece that is a cross between the praise of the almighty and thankfulness towards life for it carries with it the experience of love within it. Listening to it, one senses that the man must have been full of love himself. He could have been love manifest for all his worth. A tragedy indeed, that he departed from this world so soon, there was perhaps so much more that he could have given with his talent.
In an age where western songs had already long begun to conotate promiscuity or the justification for it if not condone drugs, violence or excessive alcoholism, the Ustaad used to sing life. Yes you read that right, he used to sing life itself. How in one song he could carry the pain that comes with the mortal form, the romance that we live for and through and the grace of what is beyond that keeps us going in this pendulous cycle of joy and grief, turbulence and tranquility, is a wonder.
As western music continues its spiral in decline from art to mindlessness, it is fitting that this writer commences this retrospective narrative with a tribute to the late maetro from Pakistan, who truly was the pioneer in globalising the real eastern rhythm. It is unfortunate that he left his physical form before he could see through the course of embedding it into global culture. He is immortalised however through his voice in the great pieces of melody he has left behind.
Kohin samje kisiko na apna, jhoota niklega jeevan ka sapna…Pankaj Udhas, this writer’s all time favourite ghazal singer croons. Over his illutrious career spanning over a quarter of a century, the man has been widely recognised for special appearances in some of the greatest films ever produced, not just from the Indian industry. You may recognise him from films like Naam (Chitthi Aayee Hain) and Saajan (Jeeye To Jeeye Kaise), but Pankaj Udhas can only truly be appreciated upon listening to albums like Shagufta, Mahek, Stolen Moments and many more for the talent that he really is. In fact, there isn’t an album the man has recorded, that cannot be considered a treasure.
It even feels strange to write an article on such music and such artistes in an era when Indian musicians themselves call for statements such those that repeatedly came in recent years from the Late O P Nayar translated as follows: Forgive me my fellows, but the music that this generation of musicians are producing, is not our Indian music. O P Nayar was one of the most highly regarded soundtrack composers in Indian cinematic history. He too is immortalised in the evergreen gems that survive him.
So what is Indian music? What is the real eastern rythm? What was the music of O P Nayar? What music enthusiasts from across India and Pakistan unanimously tell this writer is; that which is in sync with the human heartbeat, is the eastern rhythm, like when Gurdaas Mann sings Challa, and it moves you by your feet and emotions at the same time, which you cannot ignore, which you cannot resist. Or when Falguni Pathak sings Maine Payal hain chankayi, and every blue blooded young Indian woman smiles and feel self conscious in thoughts of pure and divine romanticism. When it transcends all segregation, including religions, but invokes devotion towards God in listeners of all faiths such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Allahu or Pankaj Udhas’ Radha Mohan Ka Sansaar, it is the eastern rhythm.
Whats sets true eastern musicians and the modern day, as the late O P Nayar might have suggested, not so eastern musicians is the sort of content that goes into the songs. The lyrics in authentic Indian songs are guaranteed poetry. A poet scribes expressions of the deepest human sentiments or fantasies and accompanying the narration of which on an instrument a composer plays a note in agreement from the heart, reflecting on his own feelings, memories or contemplation of life. And the singer picks it up in rythmic tune, as mentioned in sync with the heartbeat. This is so regardless the genre, be it bhangra, ghazal, qawali or garba.
Regardless the tone and tempo, be it slow and sentimental or fast paced ecstatic dance level, it has the above elements in common. Then it begs the questions. If Eastern music is truly genuinely sentimental as described here-in, why do majority of today’s youths resent it? If it is so rich, why does it not command the popularity as does the music of more “contemporary” artistes like Sonu Nigam, Shael, Bally Sagoo or Ganesh Hegde? Why does Indian music not play the kind of influence in the lives of the present day Indian youths, as does the music by contemporary American pop stars?
Perhaps the answer to the above questions is; for good reason. You see, traditional ghazal and qawali should infact come with warning labels attached, cautioning against severe health hazards to contemporary youths that may stumble upon such music. This is the sort of music that is not for just anyone. It takes a lot of strength and courage to listen to it to start with. It takes a lot more to appreciate and enjoy it.
The difference between artistes like Pankaj Udhas and artistes such as Jay Sean per say is that, artistes like Pankaj Udhas have the manhood to reflect on the challenges of life at the most bitter and mock and scorn those challenges in song. And while they sing songs with words to bring tears to rocks (taking from an old Indian saying), they smile as they sing. They close their eyes on stage in the presence of thousands sitting in audience before them, disappearing into their own worlds and reliving the moments of loss, remorse, heartbreak and devastation. And while they do so, instead of shedding tears, they smile and enjoy those moments they reflect. It is a display of inner strength. They are detached not because they have suppressed, but they have embraced. That is the exact anti-thesis of the present day youth mindset in general. The definition of detachment in the minds of the rising generations is suppression. Suppresion of emotions, feelings and sentiments. Therefore if they were to listen to artistes like Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Ustaad Atta Ullah Khan and the likes, there is bound to be an emotional health issue at hand.
Anybody who can dance, can dance to the music of Bally Sagoo or RDB. To dance to the bhangra of Malkit Singh and Gurdas Mann however, is another matter. The steps that these men sanction in their songs can break your back if you attempt them without inherent intrinsic passion for what they sing. And to have that, you need to first understand and second relate at the core of your very being, to what they are singing. In other words, it is spiritual. It is not just dance. It is a form of divine ecstacy, a kind of non-static meditation.
Whether it is Mataji that you attribute the nine nights of navratri to or Lord Krishna, on the ground of Raas you can easily distinguish between mere revelers and the devote lost in the ecstacy of worship in motion. The dandiyas are not mere sound inducing instruments, they are ritualistic apparatus and to sway and swing your body to the beats as the devoted do is best avoided if it is not your ball game. Just listen to the band Junoon singing the song Allahu and you will find that it is not quite the same as listening to the late maestro who did it like none other.
And as Pankaj Udhas once mentioned, ek tha who zamaana, ek hain yeh zamaana, times have changed and today’s generation is one best not talked about. This writer however will dare to do exactly that however, for in journalism we do not retreat from that which is daunting. And daunting a task it is, when assessing the state of the Indian diaspora in the present day. The rift is clear amongst those who have outright absolved themselves of ties to their heritage. It is disturbing however, to note the divide between those who sit on the fence and those within the fold of tradition, culture and custom. It is a difficult distinction to make indeed. And that is challenge, because it has now become an everest of a chore to develop a discourse with appropriate language to expound what truly is being Indian all about?
Jo teri khushi who meri khushi, how easily Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang that? Can you live on the happiness of another while enduring every sorrow known to man? Can you make a sacrifice of your life in love? Is the name of God wealth enough for you? The answer to each of these questions has been the pride and honour of our forefathers, our ancestors. It has defined our heritage. And that music which expouses that great heritage, the oldest in the world, is the eastern rhythm.
|
