Saturday, August 03, 2013

आजा रे परदेसी

This is a second song I have encountered recently that uses the phrase पंथ निहार to describe the act of waiting for someone by looking at the road on which the expectant person would come. The first one is मेरे जनम मरण के साथी.



Sunday, June 09, 2013

ನಾ ನಿನ್ನ ಧ್ಯಾನದೊಳು ಇರಲು ಸದಾ

A devotional composition by ಪುರಂದರದಾಸ.

The lyrics on the web are somewhat conflicting and I have, therefore, not provided any links to transliterations and have provided my own transliteration from listening to Bhimsen Joshi's rendering.

Another ♫दरबारी कानडा feast.



Monday, May 06, 2013

देवन के पति इन्द्रा

A lovely composition by Swathi Thirunal that is designed for Raag ♫दरबारी कानडा, as you will note from the line

राग पति कानडा,

and enumerates all the 'head's of various important life's larger-than-life ingredients.



Saturday, April 20, 2013

मनो बुद्धि अहंकार ...


It is an ecstatic treat to listen to Pt. Jasraj render the निर्वाण षटकम्, written by Adi Shankaracharya. I had occasion to attend The Music that Swami Vivekananda Loved today, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, where Pt. Jasraj introduced this song as one that Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to sing, and the one that Swami Vivekananda liked.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

मैं शायर तो नहीं

An interesting description how romantic love can trigger other actions. In this case, the poet describes the male lover as having become a poet (शायर), a lover (आशिक), a friend (दोस्त), a respecting (बंदगी) person, etc.

There is a subtle double entendre in this song; for a cursory observer, it might appear that the dancer is the object of the male lover; not so, and he is referring to another girl; this fact becomes evident if you know the story.

Bollywood excels in weaving hummable music into stories somewhat unique to the times.



Monday, April 08, 2013

ಕೃಷ್ಣಾ ನೀ ಬೇಗನೆ ಬಾರೋ

This song is a very popular song in Karnataka, and other parts of India. It captures the cry of a God-seeking person. God is personified as Lord Krishna in this composition.

You will find slight variations in lyrics on the web, but I have provided here my interpretations of Yesudas' rendering.



Saturday, April 06, 2013

इन आँखों की मस्ती के


You sometimes hear a song that fleetingly gets your attention, but you really don't pay serious attention to it until you become aware some characteristic the song has. I learnt recently that this song is, for the most part, in raag ♫भूपाली.

I am a student of this raag and, naturally, had to explore its lyrics: Bollywood's lyrics are sometimes amazing.



Saturday, March 30, 2013

ಕಲಿಯುಗದಲಿ ಹರಿನಾಮವ ನೆನೆದರೆ


Simple lyrics to remind us — any of us with whatever failings — to recall, reflect and realize God. Purandara Dasa is no match to anyone, when it comes to crafting lyrics that even a layperson can relate to.

[Note: In the MS rendition linked to this post, the second stanza is not presented].