My parents tell me that when I was about 4-5 years old, my favorite song was 'Tere bina zindagi se koi shikawaa to nahi.'At that time I was too young to understand the meaning of the song, all I knew was that this was my most favorite song in whole wide world.
As the years passed by, other songs became no.1 on my list, but my favorite singer has remained the same even after so many years. Yes everybody, I'm talking of the queen herself.LATA MANGESHKAR. I have never been so mesmerized by anything else as I have been by her golden voice.
The power of her voice has made impact on each one of us.Tell me which mother has not sung.
Chanda hai tu mera sooraj hai tu, Bada natkhat hai re. .to her kids.
On which Independence Day we have not heard
Aye mere watan ke logon., Vande mataram.
Which lover has not hummed
Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya.Tera mera pyaar amar.Lag jaa gale'.
Aaja piya tohe pyaar dun.Baahon mein chale aao.
I can go on and on.
There were many who said that she couldn't sing a cabaret no.to save her life, she gave them .
Kaise rahoon chupp ki maine pii hi kya hai, hosh abhi tak hai baaki.
Aa jaane-jaan, mera yeh husn jawaan.
Many argue that she doesn't sound the way she used to in 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, 1980's so she should quit singing.All I would like to say to them is.please show the lady some respect.She is 75 years old.I often wonder whether half of us will be able to speak clearly, let alone sing songs when we reach that age! As far as I'm concerned I worship her for her talent and discipline.Atleast for me she is the world's best singer and will remain so till the day I die.I have a wish to meet her and touch her feet in this lifetime.Let's see if I can achieve that!
I've just heard the Veer-Zaara album.Who can tell that it was a 75 year old lady singing those songs?!
No.2 on my list is ASHA BHONSLE, of course! She also has mesmerized me by her talent time to time.People first thought that she was only good at cabaret and fast nos.but she proved everyone wrong and how.She was at her best under O.P.Nayyar and R.D.Burman.She has an amazing range.her voice suited Helen and Bindu as much it suited Neelam in her first film.
My most favorite Asha Bhonsle songs are .
Chhain se humko kabhi, aapne jeene na diya
zeher bhi chahaa agar peena to peene na diya
Ab ke baras bhej bhaiyya ko babul.
Tu rootha to main ro doongi sanam.
the list is endless.
Next on the list has to be GEETA DUTT.Her voice could be so teasingly naughty one moment and so full of pain and pathos the very next.I don't think anybody could have sung these songs like she did.
Piya aise jiya mein samaay gaye re ki main tanman ki sudhbudh gawaan baithii.
Aaj sajan mujhe ang lagaa lo janam safal ho jaaye.
Boojh mera kya naam re, nadii kinaare gaanv re.
Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam.
Naa jaao siyyan, chuda ke baiyyan.
Koi durr se aawaaz de, chale aao.
and again the list is endless.
A few years back I was watching some stupid award function on T.V, when the nominations for the best female playback singer was shown, my jaw fell to the ground.There was a list of 5-6 songs and all of them were sung by Alka Yagnik.That must make her the best singer of all times in the whole universe.But is she?! Certainly not.if you ask me.She is plain lucky.Yes, she did sound great in all the songs of QSQT and KKHH but that's that! I much prefer SADHANA SARGAM and KAVITA KRISHNAMOORTHY.
SHREYA GHOSHAL among the present lot impresses me most.I know she has just started her career but her songs give us an idea of her immense talent.She can go really far if she keeps her head on her shoulders.
Bairi piya, badaa bedardii and the other'Devdas'songs.
the Jism songs.
I also have great regard for SUMAN KALYANPUR, whose voice sounded so much similar to the nightingale herself.
Some of you might not believe it but Lata Mangeshkar is the favorite singer of both my sons.Their fave songs are.
Jiya bekaraar hai.
Hawaa mein udtaa jaaye.
Tu jahaan jahaan chalega, mera saaya saath hoga.
O sajna, barkha bahaar aayee.
Piya tose naina laage re.
Tera kaaran mere saajan.
Geet tere saaz ka, teri hi awaaz hoon.
Kuch dil ne kahaa.
And mind you they like the original versions. Not some idiotic remix with some half-naked women dirty-dancing.
