Jul 22, 2009 07:47 PM
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(Updated Jul 24, 2009 08:56 PM)
This is a critical appraisal of kishorekumar the singer. Elsewhere on this site u can Find my review of "Twenty Best songs of kishorekumar". Kishorekumar was a singer, actor, music composer and much more! but playback singing was his forte.
He had a true "Pahadi" yet tender and soft voice with unusual depth which could convey the philosophy of life as is done in songs like "Zindagi ka safr hai ye kaisa safar" or "Aanewal Pal ".His voice was the one and only one of it's kind. Though he did not possess as high a range as "RAF" yet he did have a marvellous range and moreover his voice does not break at high notes like occasional break down of RAfF's voice at high notes and his voice has depth at higher notes as well. On the other hand he was extremely good singer at low notes, a rare trait in a singer and in this aspect he excelled all his contemporaries. Kumar Sanu was a very successful clone but Kumar Sanu failed in high notes, kishorekumar' s mastery over alaapis, the rich timbre of kishore's voice and the unmatched depth. That's why though kumar sanu songs are pleasant and romantic they do not convey a philosophyand do not attain the ame graet height though sung marvelously.
Kishore was unique in his singing style as he used "he he " rather than usual "aa aa" taans , a Gem of originality. He practicedyodeling in "Mai hu zumroo" and "Nakharewali" etc.On the other hand he conveyed blue mood in "Chingari Koi Bhdake", "Manzile Apni Jagah Hai" .He was a great singer of romantic songs like"Pal Pal Dilke pyas", "Pyar diwana ", "Ho mere Dil ki Chain", "Phooloke Rangse", "Chhokar Mere Manko" . He expressed strong physical teenage love in " Dil kya kare " in an unprecedented and novel singing style.
The mesmerizing effect of the soft voice could be felt in "Yeh Jeevan Hai" and the song "Kab Tak Andhere Man ko Chalenge"(From "Bato batome). Here was aDivine voice **making you feel that God is singing! After listening to these songs one can n ot but have a feeling that music composers failed to do justice to the Divine voice.
S.D burman conveyed Pahadi feel in his voice in Taylor made "Shokhiyo Me Ghola Jaye" ( Look at the alapi in this song!)! S.d burman spoTted his talent andspecially created male romeo songs in his voice like "Ye Dil Na Hota Bechara", "Khwab Ho Tum", "Mana Janab ne Pukara Nahi", "O Mere Sapno ki Rani, "Rup Tera Mastana", " Hum Hai Rahi Pyarke" "Meet Na Mila re Manka".All these are haunting melodies of a genre and peppy yet classicdesigned to bring the singer to fame!, like the numbers O.P Nayyar created for ASHA.(Inviting songs!)
He was not classically trained and yet sang "Mere Naina Sawan Bhado" in a true "Gawai" voice a rare voice which is not usually practiced by a light music singer.
He used very less Alapis but when needed introduced electrifying taans as his own variation in "Aanlkhome Humne Aapke Sapane Sajaye Hai "(This taan is not practiced BY LATA in this duet") and in the song "Jab Bhi Koi Kangana Bole "(From Shaukin). This Taan is a trademark of kishorealongwith "HEHE and yodelling.
He sang "Hume Tumse Pyar Kitana" in a soft voice to touch the heart and scored over classical version of Parvenn sultana fill of alaaps by virtue of pure voice quality.This is the only example of this kind in light music.
He was impeccable inmotivational songs like "Jeevan Se Na Har Jeenewael', the best song in this category. He sang a very difficult composition of salil choudhary "Koi Hota Jisko Apana" whichuses all 3 octaves.
He truly pioneered an unorthodox, unconventional singing style which was not practiced before him and now it is practiced by many singers in "Marathi" as well as Hindi". In this respect he was a way ahead of his contemporaries. Lata, Asha, Rafi, Yesudas, SP balsubramanian, who followed a conventional singing style and one has to just lisren to "Dil Kya Kare", "Mere Naina Sawan Bhado", "Shokihyo Me Ghola Jaye", "Nakharewali", "Kab Tak Andhere Manko chalenge"to stand testimony for unorhodox singing!
Another song is "Maine Tumse Kuch Nahi manga. Aaj De Do - Neenda Ka Vardan" a sad song from the film "Katha" which kishore and kishore could render. kishore sang many good numbers even in eighties and he sang the popular romantic number "O Yara Tu Yaro Se Hai Pyara" towards the end of his carrear.
It is intersting to note that well established singers like Yesudas tried to imitate his style in the song "Mana Ho Tum Behad Hasi Aise Bure Hum Bhi Nahi" and even Mohd Rafi could not resist the temptation of imitation in "Oonchi Oonchi Batose Kisika Pet Bharata Nahi"
Sadly composers did not do justice to him .All composers of fifties(barring exception of S.D burman, Khemchand Prakash) ignored him though he has produced rare gems with each one of them(except Naushad) and the next generation composers, LP. Kalyanji Anadji, Bappi Lahiri commercially exploited his voice with the notable exception of RD burman who right from beginning in movies Padosan and Bhutbangala used kishore for serious and sad songs till the very end and very consistently.
he died when he realized that composers are not going to use the true potential in his voice. anu malik who was a newcomer then had composed several tunes which alter on were recorded using clones. Rajesh roshan desparetely tooled for a replacement of kishore for the song "Dena Sath Mere Humnawaz" and tried kumar Sanu. Nadim Shravan later on created beautiful melodies using the voice of "Kumar Sanu" after 1990 and people who were desparate to listen soft romantic songs in voice of kishore responded whole heatedly. Perhaps here was the defeat of composers LAxmikant Pyarelal, kalyanji-anadji, rahuldev burman who were in possession with a gold mine but failed to fetch proper rewards!
There are many debates on the issue of great singers but perhaps time has done justice to kishorekumar as more than any his contemporaries the young generation of today is fond of Kishore. Kishore's voice has crossed the barriers of time evn more compared to all his contemporaries and has remained a voice for ever!
