SONGS FOR EVERY MOOD

Poetic and profound lyrics, evocative tunes and perfectly controlled and polished voices converge together to create wondrous music in the 50s and 60s. Songs of myriad mood corresponding to every human experience used to be sung with great devotion by a host of high quality singers of that era. The mellifluous tunes used to fill the void around us creating that special aura where one sought refuge for a while away from the mundane.  

Good songs were enjoyed by the entire family, and parents encouraged children to learn how to sing. Every school had a music teacher. In school cultural programmes young girls used to present beautiful dance number to the melodious song, “Ai brishti jhepe dhan debo mepe, ai rimjhim borosharo gogonerey kath phata roder aguney, ai brishti jhepe airey..” sung so enthrallingly by Shandhaya Mukherji ( Lyrics and music by Shalil Chowdhury). In their ecstasy, boys would sing Shaymol Mitra number, “O shimul Bon dao rangiey mon, krishnochura dopati ar polash dilo dak…”(Lyrics Gouriprsanna-Music Shaymal Mitra) , or  “Poth harabo bolei ebar pothey nemechhi, shoja pother dhandai ami onek dhendechhi…”(Singer Hemanta-Music  Shalil Chowdhury)  .

In those days, mid to late 50s, we grew up listening to songs that were favourite with the elders in the family;  “Tumi ar dekona, pichhu dekona, ami choley jai, shudhu boley jai, tomar hridoey mor smriti rekhona…”, this song by Manna Dey amply expressed the pain of many young people those days who got separated from their loved ones. Another Hemanta Mukherji number was very popular among both men and women of the time, “Likhinu je lipikhani priyotomare, shonchito koto asha, koto modhu bhalobasha narinu pathathey hai shorono pare, priyotomarey…”  His other number also used to be on every lip those days, “ Megh kalo adhar kalo, aar kolonko je kalo, je kalitey binodini haralo tar kul…”

Yet another song, not romantic but having deep esoteric meaning, a Shayma shongeet actually, became quite popular, “Maa amar shadh na mitilo, asha na purilo, shokoli phuraey jai maa…”,  sung by Pannalal Bhattacharya. And Jaganmoy Mitra did full justice to the tune set by Kamal Das Gupta, “Bhalobasha morey bhikari Korechhe tomarey korechhe rani…,” a popular number of the time among countless many.

No one knows when these songs found their way into the deep crevices of our hearts. In the twilight hours they sometimes take us back to the days we left behind, far, far behind. And thus Shaymal Mitra sang with so much pathos in his voice, “ Hoito shedin ager moto ashbenago  phirey, tomar tori hoito shedin roibenago tirey…”

The writer is Special Supplements Editor, The Daily Star