Tribute to Talat Mehmood's silken voice. Aha Rim Jhim ke ye pyare pyare – Usne kaha tha – Salil Chowdary ; Lyric by Shailendra;

Aha Rim Jhim ke ye pyare pyare – Usne kaha tha – Salil Chowdary ; Lyric by Shailendra; Singers – Talat Mehmood and Lata.

Video clipping - Aha Rim Jhim Ke ye pyare pyare

History:

While I was debating what should be my next song to post, I was requesting from many folks about their ideas. Radha mentioned that I should write about Mannadey- Talat and Hemant. The trio with the silken voice. Since I had already done a Mannadey-Lata number (Dil Ki Girah Khol do) I wanted to do a Talat classic. Two songs came to my mind – “Itna Na mujhse tu pyar bada” and “Aha Rim Jhim ke ye pyare pyare geet liya”. I selected the latter BUT I love the former one too. Both songs have been composed by Salil Chowdary known as Salil da. 

I heard this song in a cassette format during my Allahabad days in 1992 and just fell in love with the song (aptly the cassette was “Love duets from Hindi films”. What impressed me was the complex chord progression and orchestration arrangement with Lata and Talat oozing melody soaked with honey.  

Another interesting feature was when I had mentioned another song “Rim Jhim ke tarane” from Kaala Pani to Radha she thought it was this song as she was introduced to the song by her mom. Both our daughters are also very fond of this song as it has become a regular feature in our car trips to play this lovely number. So here you see our family is attached to this number!!

When I saw the scene of this song I loved it more as this is the best way one could show the love between two individuals. It is perfectly decent and very tidy to watch too. As the song states the rain drops are the shot effect and the lines from Shailendra has been immaculate to pen “Rim Jhim”.

Song Orchestration and Scene:

The shot starts as it shows a jhoola and rain drop dripping with the effect.  This is a great beginning with flute and accordions giving chord support playing a lovely melody when they show the trees, nature and lovely moon. Suddenly there is a rush of violins when Nanda sits on the Jhoola and is swinging. The music gives the swing effect in absolute mind blowing manner! Flute is in Call and Response mode to the violins but also playing counter to the violins (in the background). This is done with constant rhythm support of tabla, maracas and kabashe. When the mandolin plays the tune when you see the beautiful Nanda (I would say gorgeous) just shows her expression of shyness. This is just too good!!

http://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/prelude-aha-rim-jhim

Just see the shot picturized here – Guitar routine on Nanda and immediately violin/accordions plays and they show Sunil Dutt and immediately repeat the Guitar routine Nanda is shown. That is called involvement in a song shot where every nuance is taken care of.

When Talat maharaj( I love calling him so) goes “Aha Rim Jim ke ye pyare” we can hear the most silken voice of the industry. We can hear the violins play in the background, tabla and other rhythm support play and Xylophone giving the support with 5 chords beats. Listen to the violins here. We can hear two sets of violins (maybe 40 or 50 in number) play counter to each other (one is with Talat and other counter to the first one).

https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/mukda-aha-rim-jhim

First interlude is just out of the world. The chord progression is just too good. Salil da had a great appreciation for Western classical music and it is shown in his chord arrangements too.  Behind the moon light drop we see Nanda and Accordions play to start off the interlude leading to violins roaring and this is repeated twice. Then we can hear the Accordion playing responding to a bang and a lovely flute routine to lead to the first antra. This is called Staccato progression which is described here - Staccato (Italian for detached) is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration,^[1][2] separated from the note that may follow by silence.^[3] It has been described by theorists and appeared in music since the 18th century.

https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/interlude-1-aha-rim-jhim

Shot of this interlude – Nanda runs around and the accordions play while Sunil pushes the Jhoola we have one more accordions routine and intermediate close up shot with both Nanda and Sunil, this ends in the flute routine but look at the lighting effect. This is supposed to be taken in moon light and the scene steals the show as it is so pleasing.

Melody king Talat just oozes honey when he sings “Koi si Bheegi Bheegi” we can her rhythm section and violins take off with him. Flute responds between Talat and Lata. Hear the violins counter to Lata when she sings this line. When he sings “Dil ki ye duniya aaj” we have the flute respond to end the antra.

https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/antra-1-aha-rim-jhim

Interlude 2 - Just see when Nanda takes the twig and listen to the Xylophone chord progressions it matches. Listen to the SCAT (Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice. We can hear rhythm beats with Talat/Latha scat singing mild flute and violins- flute counterpoints. This is just bewildering. We have to notice this!

https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/interlude-2-aharim-jhim

In the end when we hear the scat singing again now Lata and Talat are at different octaves and the flute and violins counterpoints in my humble opinion is a masterpiece creation of the GREAT SALIL DA.

https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/postlude-aha-rim-jhim

Lyrics by Shailendra !

The following lines show pure love between two souls that is so beautifully translated through the lyrics. Innocence is everywhere in the acting and situation is also aptly taken.

aaha rimjhim ke yeh pyaare pyaare git liye

aai raat suhaanee dekho prit liye

mit mere suno jara hava kahe kya aa

suno toh jara, jhingar bole chikimiki chikimiki

rimjhim ke yeh pyaare pyaare git liye

Lovely drizzle day when the nature brings happiness, two lovers share their love in a very subtle way.

 (khoyee see bhigee bhigee raat jhume

aankho me sapano kee baraat jhume) - (2)

dil kee yeh duniya aaj baadalo ke saath jhume

aaha rimajhim ke yeh

The happiness in the eye and mind is equal to the cloud that brings these drizzle.

(aa jaao dil me basa lu tumhe

naino kaa kajara bana lu tumhe) - (2)

jaalim jamane kee nigaaho se chhupa lu tumhe

aaha rimajhim ke yeh

Let us be together without the whole world knowing it.

(haatho me tere meraa haath rahe

dil se jo nikalee hai woh baat rahe) - (2)

meraa tumhaara saaree jindagee kaa saath rahe

aaha rimajhim ke yeh

Typical love lines where the unison of lovers is etched very beautifully.

Tribute to Chote Nawab- AmarPrem - Chingari Koi

Chingari Koi - Sung by -  Kishore da, Kyrics - Anand Bhakshi. 

Gratitude – This posting is for my dear friend Satish Subramanian who wanted me to write about this album (AmarPrem) and in particular this song “Chingari”. I have done some justice and hope this will provide some new insights to the mastery exhibited by RDB.

RDB remains an enigma for the whole age group who are in their 40’s to mid-50’s. He has done some amazing work in his life time. Son of an illustrious and very successful music maker SD Burman , he did not get his cake from day 1. He had to work hard. He had to learn Classical Hindustani music. Learn to play instruments and also be an assistant to his dad on number of movies. 

He broke his way through Chote Nawab through his good friend (Mehmood)’s production house. Later he tasted immense success through Teesri Manzil. For Teesri Manzil he had to prove to Shammi Kapoor about his expertise and talent. 

He was recommended to Shammi by a fellow music director Jaikishen of the SJ fame. You wonder where are those folks now who could recommend a new comer to be successful fully knowing that this individual could take their work. That shows they were so secure.

This posting has one of the amazing compositions of RDB.

Most critics and music wizards quote this as his best creation.  Salil Chowdary has also mentioned this in an interview. Pandit Ajoy Chakravarthy loves this song. I wanted to start my thread on RDB from this magic song.

The thirst in a man’s voice is depicted in these lines. Every line conveys the inner meaning where he searches for peace of mind.

Lyrical wonders

What does this song convey?  For a generation of Music lovers this song was the typical example that laments the loss everyone faces. This song remains a puzzle of the deepest and most passionate romance. This song sequence with dusk setting in and the lead pair enjoying a boat ride on the Ganges under the Howdah Bridge, in an escape from the confines of the separate world they inhabit.  Shakti Samanta filmed the entire song in a studio and projected the same on the backdrop of the softly lit Calcutta Skyline as seen from the banks of its twin city, Howdah.

This is more of paradox lyrics as every statement has a counter question. Like lines below

chingaaree koee bhadake, to saawan use bujhaaye 
saawan jo agan lagaaye, use kaun bujhaaye  -

patajhad jo baag ujaade, wo baag bahaar khilaaye 
jo baag bahaar mein ujade, use kaun khilaaye?

koee dushman thhais lagaaye, to meet jiyaa bahalaaye 
manameet jo ghaav lagaaye, use kaun mitaye? 

duniyaa jo pyaasaa rakhe, to madiraa pyaas bujhaaye 
madiraa jo pyaas lagaaye, use kaun bujhaaye? 

majadhaar mein naiyyaa doobe, to majhee paar lagaaye 
maajhee jo naaw duboye use kaun bachaaye? 

Lines which explain what his current state is.

hum se mat poochho kaise, mandir tootaa sapanon kaa 
logon kee baat naheen hai, ye kissaa hain apanon kaa 

maanaa toofaan ke aage, naheen chaltaa zor kisee kaa 
maujon kaa dosh naheen hai, ye dosh hai aur kisee kaa 

naa jaane kyaa ho jaataa, jaane hum kyaa kar jaate 
peete hain to zindaa hain, naa peete to mar jaate 

Orchestration wonders!

Song starts with Guitar fretting playing an F minor chord – An interesting note here is this was played by a musician as a fault note and when folks started laughing RD wanted to play it again and this ended up using it as the main course of the song.

I tried playing this note on my keyboard and it did sound weird though. But RD came up with a GEM. Along with the Guitar strumming which is the rhythmic pulse of the whole song we hear the flute by none other than Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. This flows as the guitar is strummed with the river Ganges.

When Kishore da hums please hear the flute mildly played, As you hear Kishore da sing “Chingari koi” and leaves it in thin air, only to be completed by Hariprasadji’s flute shows the mastery of RDB. Second time when he sings Chingari koi” the tabla also joins the rhythm section.

Additionally the rhythm section is supported by Maracas, and kabashe. Mild violins section in the background keeps playing throughout. RK with a drink in his hand and the evergreen Sharmila with a beautiful Blue sari adds to the song’s glory.

Prelude portion - https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/prelude-chingari

Let us see how we call RDB a genius wizard of improvisation.

In interlude 1 he has used an instrument called Tar Shehnai which takes off with bongos and tabla section and the guitar strumming. One more instrument that is used is qanun (Arabic instrument) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qanun_(instrument) . Flute and the guitar strumming take us to the Antra portion of the song.

Interlude 1 - https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/interlude-1-chingari

Listen to the lines “Humse math” – Guitar strumming, Rhythm section flute, violins support so beautifully. When he says “logon ki baath” listen to Hariji’s flute WOW mesmerizing.

Antra 1 - https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/antra1-chingari

During the second BGM the Arabic instrument Qanun starts the proceedings followed by roaring of Cellos  with counterpoint Violins respond and Flute again comes to the rescue along with the guitar strumming and Xylophone

Interlude 2 - https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/interlude-2-chingari

Second Antra- Sharmila’s reaction is just mute and mild – She is just awesome. Of course RK makes this phenomenal song. Flute is just mind blowing. Violins just play in the background.

Roaring Cellos, violins respond and Tar Shenai, Qanun form a counterpoint melody in this interlude. Just a classical bliss!!

Interlude 3 - https://soundcloud.com/vadhula-akkoor-1/interlude-3-chingari