..........................and words are all I have to take your heart away!
(SONG : Words; ALBUM : A Different Beat (1996); ARTIST : Boyzone-Irish vocal pop group)
The first change I noticed in my husband’s home was the presence of sound. All the members would talk animatedly; in fact, sometimes it was difficult for me to get a word in. The radio blared all day long, as if providing background music to all our chores. I wasn’t sure who was listening to what, but surely all did not sound music to my ears. That was because I had been used to the sound of silence in my home.
The first change I noticed in my husband’s home was the presence of sound. All the members would talk animatedly; in fact, sometimes it was difficult for me to get a word in. The radio blared all day long, as if providing background music to all our chores. I wasn’t sure who was listening to what, but surely all did not sound music to my ears. That was because I had been used to the sound of silence in my home.
I had a severe and strict upbringing, sadly bereft of music and laughter. I suspect my grandfather carried the Aurangzeb gene, he abhorred song and dance. We possessed a sleek and stylish radio, but it could be switched on only at nine, every night for the news. However, during the Indo-Pak war, we were allowed to listen to all the news bulletins. My mother would wait for my grandfather to leave the house, either to the market or to the temple, and then she would switch on the radio and catch up with the cricket scores, or listen to Hindi film songs sung by Mukesh. On the rare occasions he went on holidays, we would listen to Binaca Geet Mala, telecast on Wednesdays and anchored by the golden voiced Amin Sayani.
So after marriage, I found that I could keep the radio on, almost the whole day. I became an expert on Hindi film songs, I could rattle off the names of the singers, the composers and of course, the films in which they featured. But I yearned to hear other kinds of songs too, songs like the church music I heard in school……
The heavens are blue proclaiming to you!
The glory of God their creator!
At sunset or night they're a beautiful sight
Yes, they show forth the glory of God
The surging of seas, the wind in the trees!
Breathe the music of God in nature
In songs of a bird, nature's music is heard
Yes, they sing forth the glory of God!
Or the inspirational song..
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
Or the sounds of The Baby Elephant Walk, which would be played while we marched to our respective class rooms. Who knew then that it was a hit number by Henry Mancini from the 1962 film, ‘Hatari” starring John Wayne?listen in..
I went to a girls’ school, and we had a tradition of electing our School Pupil Leader. We would campaign for our candidates, with placards and symbols, during the recess break and belt out these numbers till out throats went hoarse!
For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow!
For she's a jolly good fellow (pause), and so say all of us!
And so say all of us, and so say all of us
For she's a jolly good fellow, for she's a jolly good fellow!
For she's a jolly good fellow (pause), and so say all of us!
And our worthy opponents, not to be left behind, would shout in unison, “Vote for..Vote for..” and strike back, with this thriller…
She'll be Coming Round the Mountain
when she comes….when she comes!
She'll be coming 'round the mountain
when she comes ….when she comes!
(Chorus)
Singing aye aye yipee yippee aye! Aye aye yippee yippe aye
Singing aye aye yippeeAye aye yippie! Aye aye yippie yippie
This was all I had heard of ‘English’ music; my knowledge was zilch. This much I knew, that vocal music was written in many different forms and styles and set to tune within a particular genre of music, including Art music and Popular music, Traditional, Regional and National music. I had yet to learn that Chart music, always contains songs from a variety of sources, including classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, country, blues, hip hop, rap, reggae, heavy metal, hardcore, punk, rock 'n' roll , soul, rhythm and blues -R & B, gospel music, punk rock, disco, jump blues, club blues, doo wop, motown, funk…..!!!!!!
Towards the end of my school days, I would often visit my dear friend Shuntu, whose father had a collection of English records. She didn’t much care for them, but sometimes, she would play them for me and I got hooked. The words formed a picture in my mind, complete with color and location...
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was as nervous as she could be
She was afraid to come out of the locker
She was afraid that somebody would see
Two three four tell the people what she wore…….
It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini..
That she wore for the first time today!
An Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini…
So in the locker, she wanted to stay.
I had never heard of Brian Hyland and his ‘bubblegum music’ of 1960, but I was sure, the yellow polka dot bikini was revolutionizing beachwear in America! Another favorite of mine was the ‘House of Bamboo’, which I learnt later, was released in 1959 by Andy Williams. Imagine you went camping and there you found yourself at….
Number 54, the house with a bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls –
They've even got a bamboo floor
You must get to know (ah!) soho Joe ,
He runs an espresso
called the House of Bamboo
It's-a made of sticks, sticks and bricks,
But you can get your kicks
in the House of Bamboo
I'm-a tellin' you, when you're blue,
Well, there's a lot to do
The songs had an element of youthfulness. The simple everyday themes, the unorthodox music styles indicated a new and modern style of thinking. The charming songs seemed to reflect a freedom, which was at once appealing and endearing.
In 1981, we got our Philips Record Player and slowly, we built up our small collection of records, which were quiet expensive those days. My husband would bring home a record and for several evenings there on, we’d do nothing, but listen to the songs and try to catch the lyrics. Some times we would dance to the disco numbers, and even play them for music- loving friends. I still vividly remember some of the record covers…
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| ABBA-Swedish pop music group, topped the charts worldwide 1972-1982 |
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| ‘Baccara’: A female vocal duo formed in 1977 by Spanish artists |
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BONEY M-the Euro-disco group of four West Indian vocalists, a European phenomenon |
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| Brotherhood of Man: A British pop group who won the Eurovision Song Contest for the song, ‘Save Your Kisses for Me’ |
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| Michael Jackson: THE REIGNING KING OF POP! |
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The Sound of Music-our favorite American musical film. |
A German friend presented us the record of 'The Shorts', a pop group from the Netherlands, which contained both, the English version and the original love song, sung in French.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x27mf3_the-shorts-comment-ca-va_music (english version)
We had become ardent fans of twentieth century music – a combination of amazing musical style and extraordinary orchestral technique.
Then in 1984, the Television came to our little town and then we got a glimpse into the life and times of cultures, different from ours. On one such Sunday, there was a live telecast of a band named, Scorpions, whose lead singer promised to fulfill a wish, deep within me.
Let me take you far away - You’d like a holiday
Let me take you far away - You’d like a holiday
Exchange the cold days for the sun - A good time and fun
Exchange your troubles for some love - Wherever you are
Longing for the sun you will come -
To the island without name
Longing for the sun be welcome -
On the island many miles away from home
And then.. Another evening, I watched an American film, Diamonds. Kirk Douglas was looking at me and I seemed to drown in his deep blue eyes!
Are You Lonesome Tonight? Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray - To a bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep -And picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, Shall I come back again?
It was Elvis Presley, the king of Jazz, and I had missed his songs as I was growing up.
Apart from being a foodie-family, we were music-mad too! My husband had to listen to the radio/tape recorder - programme, language, songs - no bar - he heard them all, long and loud! The MTV came into my house only around 2000, when my elder daughter returned from Delhi. That was the only channel she would watch the whole time, she came down for her holidays. Together, with her younger sister, she would try to educate me, make me hear the songs, point out the artists and groups.
But I think, I failed even this primary education; For I could only remember snatches of the songs and could never connect them to the singers! But I grew to love some of the different feelings in my ears, and as before can reel off some names…Bryan Adams, Celine Deon, Boy Zone, Backstreet Boys, Venga Boys, the Spice Girls, Madonna, Prince, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Ricky Martin, …….!!!
But my favorites remain the singers and songs from another era...gone by!
I had gone to wish my good friends Broto and Marut on their 30th wedding anniversary. Picking up a guitar, Marut strummed it and in his rich voice, dedicated this beautiful Jim Reeves song to his wife!
From a jack to a king
From loneliness to a wedding ring
I played an ace and I won a queen
And walked away with your heart
From a jack to a king
With no regrets I stacked the cards last night
And lady luck played her hand just right
And made me king of your heart
For just a little while
I thought that I might lose the game
Then just in time
I saw the twinkle in your eye
However, my husband was not a great fan of ‘English’ songs and he declared that he would meet our friends, on the condition that I would not request Marut to belt out any English number. There ended my second chance of getting another musical education!
Thirty two years into our marriage, we were on our way back home, after a lavish dinner at Hotel Purple Grass. The night was cool, the roads silent, and the music playing in our Honda Car was invigorating!
Hey ladies drop it down
Just wanna see you touch the ground
Don't be shy girl go Bananza
shake ya body like a belly dancer
Listen to that! What is he singing....? I cried out to my husband.
You just listen to the beat..isn’t it catchy..? he replied.
Catchy… O no..it is positively raunchy!
After the party- party
Grab a hottie- hottie
In the back seat of your Mazaratti-ratti
Jiggle jiggle it to the left (ah ah ah)
Jiggle jiggle it to the right (ah ah ah)
Jiggle it to the front then jiggle it to the back
That was Akon, the Senegalese-American international rap star, who has crooned for Shah Ruk Khan in ‘Ra.One’.
Well you can’t fault a man for enjoying at 60 what he missed at 16, can you?
Dear Bette...good to see you! But I think that is a response to another blog!!!
ReplyDelete'So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
ReplyDeleteDo not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.'
So these songs are multi purposed eh? when I was in school we used to sing this and 'what a friend we have in Jesus' to convey a strong message to friends with whom we were not on talking terms. We'd always end it with-
'Some may hate you some may love you,
Some may flatter some may slight.
Turn from man and look above thee,
Trust in God and do the right'.
And of course, Elvis Presley and Jim Reeves were all time favorites when I was growing up among Anglo - Indians in the boarding school. These days however I listen only to classical and semi-classical Indian music or old Hindi/film songs.
Nice account enjoyed reading it.
Very true, Hip Grandma! Songs could convey messages! -ooooo's, aaaa's and babay...these form the bulk of modern lyrics!
ReplyDelete