Bollywood melodies : a history of the Hindi film song

A delightful history of the Hindi film song and its hold over popular psyche De de Khuda ke naam pe' sang Wazir Mohammed Khan in Alam Ara (1931), giving birth to a phenomenon—the Hindi film song. Over the years, the Hindi film song has travelled a long way, influencing and being influenced by popular taste. Considered downmarket not so long ago, it is undoubtedly the most popular musical genre in India today, pervading almost all aspects of Indian life—weddings, funerals, religious festivals, get-togethers and political conventions—and emerging as a medium to articulate every shade of joy and sorrow, love and longing, hope and despair. "Bollywood Melodies traces the evolution of the Hindi film song to its present status as the cultural barometer of the country, through an evaluation of the work of over fifty outstanding composers, singers and lyricists—from K.L. Saigal to Sonu Nigam, Naushad to A.R. Rahman, Sahir Ludhianvi to Javed Akhtar. Placing the song in the social context of the times, Gancsh Anantharaman looks at the influences that shaped it in each era: Rabindra Sangcct in the 1930s, the folk-inspired 1940s, the classical strains of the following decade and the advent of Western beats in the late 1960s. The author also chronicles the decline of music in Hindi films over the next twenty years before a new crop of musicians and singers gave the film song a new lease of life." Erudite yet lively, and including insightful interviews with icons like Lata Mangeshkar, Dev Anand, Gulzar, Manna Dey and Pyarelal, Bollywood Melodies is not only a treasure trove of information for music lovers but also an invaluable guide to understanding the nation’s enduring love affair with the Hindi film song. A delightful history of the Hindi film song and its hold over popular psyche De de Khuda ke naam pe sang Wazir Mohammed Khan in Alam Ara (1931), giving birth to a phenomenon the Hindi film song. Over the years, the Hindi film song has travelled a long way, influencing and being influenced by popular taste. Considered downmarket not so long ago, it is undoubtedly the most popular musical genre in India today, pervading almost all aspects of Indian life weddings, funerals, religious festivals, get-togethers and political conventions and emerging as a medium to articulate every shade of joy and sorrow, love and longing, hope and despair. Bollywood Melodies traces the evolution of the Hindi film song to its present status as the cultural barometer of the country, through an evaluation of the work of over fifty outstanding composers, singers and lyricists from K.L. Saigal to Sonu Nigam, Naushad to A.R. Rahman, Sahir Ludhianvi to Javed Akhtar. Placing the song in the social context of the times, Ganesh Anantharaman looks at the influences that shaped it in each Rabindra Sangeet in the 1930s, the folk-inspired 1940s, the classical strains of the following decade and the advent of Western beats in the late 1960s. The author also chronicles the decline of music in Hindi films over the next twenty years before a new crop of musicians and singers gave the film song a new lease of life. Erudite yet lively, and including insightful interviews with icons like Lata Mangeshkar, Dev Anand, Gulzar, Manna Dey and Pyarelal, Bollywood Melodies is not only a treasure trove of information for music lovers but also an invaluable guide to understanding the nation s enduring love affair with the Hindi film song. The book traces the evolution of hindi film song to its present status as the cultural barometer of the country, through an evaluation of the work of over fifty outstanding composers, singers and lyricists- from K.L. Saigal to Sonu Nigam, Naushad to A, R, Rahman, Sahir ludhianvi to Javed Akhtar. Placing the song in the social contextof the times, Ganesh Anantharaman looks at the influences that shaped it in each era.: rabindra sangeet in the 1930s, the folk-inspired 1940s, the classical strains of the follwing decade and the advent of Western beats in the late 1960s. The author also chronicles the decline of music in hindi films over the next twenty years before a new crop of musicians and singers gave the film song a new lease of life.;Erudite yet lively, and including insightful interviews with icons like Lata Mangeshkar, Dev Anand, Gulzar, Manna Dey and Pyarelal, Bollywood melodies is not only a treasure trove of information for music lovers, but also an invaluable guide to understanding the nation's enduring love affair with the Hindi film song Covering The Period 1935-2005. The Journey Of The Hindi Film Song -- The Melody Makers. First-generation Composers : The Pioneers ; Second-generation Composers : The Masters ; Third-generation Composers : The Bravehearts ; Fourth-generation Composers : The Followers ; Dev Anand Remembers S.d. Burman ; Down Memory Lane With Pyarelal -- The Songwriters. First-generation Lyricists ; Second-generation Lyricists ; Third-generation Lyricits ; Gulzer On The Poets Of Hindi Film Music -- The Playback Singers. First Generation Singers ; Second-generation Singers ; Third-generation Singers ; Manna Dey : An Echo From The Golden Era Of Hindi Film Music ; Lata Mangeshkar On Other Playback Singers. Ganesh Anantharaman ; Foreword By Mahesh Bhatt. Includes Indexes (p. 215-261).