MWC_Edition122

March 15_SV

Last week, I met my Aunt, my mom’s cousin from Nagerkoil. It had been years since I met her last and she is a couple years shy of becoming a ‘senior citizen’. She and my mom were talking about their childhood and about how life had changed for each of them, they were also meeting after a long time.

Most people from my mother’s family appreciate, sing or play Carnatic music. So, it was no surprise for me when my Aunt kept singing along to all the songs my daughter sang to her. My mom did the same too, only she was beaming as she showed off her granddaughter’s musical prowess to her cousin. Typical grandmotherly pride smile emoticon

After my daughter finished singing, my Aunt asked me if I ever went to college to learn music. I said no. It was my mom’s dream for me to do a B.A in Music but I did not have it in me. My Aunt told me how she had really wanted to go to Trivandrum College to take Music as her degree but fate had something else in store for her.

She suddenly started singing “Que sara sara” and asked me if I knew it. I said, Yes and I joined in to sing it fully with her. It surprised me that a small town girl, my Aunt, knew the song and sang it very well. She went on to tell me how she sang this song on stage a few decades ago when some dignitary visited Nagerkoil. Apparently she heard an earful from the organizers for singing an English song smile emoticon.

I don’t know what prompted her to sing that song at that particular moment but I thought it was really poignant because, life does not always turn out the way we want it to. We can work towards making our life better but not by dwelling in the past but looking toward the future.

So, here is Doris Day singing ‘Que sara Sara’ for all of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZbKHDPPrrc

MWC_Edition111

March 06_DK

I am doing the Nelson edition on Holi, and the day India plays the Calypso Kings at the World Cup.tongue emoticonHappy Holi, ya'll! smile emoticon

Bachpan ke din bhulaa na paaon..

Bhopal ki Holi bhulaa naa paaon..

Holi was one festival that I looked forward to as a child! My brothers would go off with their friends to play, and I would go off with mine and just roam around E1 in Arera Colony, Bhopal. Catching hold of strangers, smearing all sorts of colour, including shaving cream, toothpaste, pelting people with water balloons, and even kidnapping rival gang's kids for a ransom of pichkaris, water balloons and colours.

And those sermons from mom about not eating any sweet that was offered to us! Thankfully, I hated sweets at that time, but my friends would drool over the laddoos and gujiyas they couldn't eat, as they may have been laced with bhang. But the best part was after all that playing, jumping into the water tanks and dancing. And those hilarious incidents of uncles and aunts high on bhang. One uncle kept crying about his childhood love while his wife felt like sinking underground, another kept laughing hysterically remembering his baraat, while another prim and proper Victorian aunt danced like there was no tomorrow! It was another thing that she couldn't dance for nuts! tongue emoticon

While zeroing on Holi numbers in Bollywood, I had three songs that came to mind. One was 'Rang Barse' from 'Silsila', 'Holi ke din dil Khil jaate hain' from 'Sholay'. But the song that truly captures the spirit of Holi is a new song. So I post that song today.

Song: Balam Pichkari
Movie: Yeh Jawaani hai Diwani
Singers: Shalmili Kholgade and Vishal Dadlani

http://youtu.be/0WtRNGubWGA
Balam Pichkari Lyrics

Balam pichkari jo tune mujhe maari
Toh bole re zamana kharabi ho gayi
Mere ang raja, jo tera rang laga
Toh seedhi-saadi chhori sharabi ho gayi

Itna maza, kyun aa raha hai
Tune hawa mein bhaang milaya

Itna maza, kyun aa raha hai
Tune hawa mein bhaang milaya
Dugna nasha, kyun ho raha hai
Aankhon se meetha tune khilaya

Ho teri malmal ki kurti gulabi ho gayi
Manchali chaal kaise nawaabi ho gayi, toh?

Balam pichkari jo tune mujhe maari
Toh seedhi saadi chhori sharaabi ho gayi
Haa Jeans pahen ke jo tune maara thumka
Toh lattoo padosan ki bhabhi ho gayi (x2)

Teri kalaai hai, haathon mein aayi hai
Maine maroda toh lagti malaai hai

Mehenga padega ye chaska malaai ka
Upvaas karne mein teri bhalaai hai

Ho bindiya teri mehtaabi ho gayi
Dil ke armaanon mein behisaabi ho gayi

Balam pichkari jo tune mujhe maari
Toh seedhi saadi chhori sharaabi ho gayi
Haa Jeans pahen ke jo tune maara thumka
Toh lattoo padosan ki bhabhi ho gayi (x2)

Kyun 'no-vacancy' ki, hothon pe gaali hai
Jabki tere dil ka kamra toh khaali hai
(kamra toh khaali hai...)

Mujhko pata hai re
Kya chahata hai tu
Boli bhajan teri
Neeyat Qawwali hai

Zulmi ye haazir-jawaabi ho gayi
Tu toh har taale ki aaj chaabi ho gayi, toh?

Balam pichkari jo tune mujhe maari
Toh seedhi saadi chhori sharaabi ho gayi
Haa, Jeans pahen ke jo tune maara thumka
Toh lattoo padosan ki bhabhi ho gayi (x2)

Haan, bole re zamana kharabi ho gayi
Haan, bole re zamana kharabi ho gayi

MWC_Edition99

February 22_DK

Today's edition is the result of a bet I had with Alladi Mahadevan on the day India defeated Pakistan in the World Cup opener. Since, India won, Alladi had to do my post. But hum dono ne decide ki that this edition would be a collaboration between the two of us and we would dedicate a post to the entire MWC team. We were both keen on posting a Telugu song and when I suggested that we play 'Vedam la goshinche' from the movie 'Andhra Kesari', Alladi gaaru told me about his personal connect with the river.

Ramashree Alladi will now take over and tell us about her personal connect.

One of my earliest memories is sitting on the stone steps on the banks of the godavari in my mother's home town of narsapuram. the highlight of it was the sound of the river - a murmuring, continuous, extraordinarily soothing sound, even the memory of which makes my whole body relax, and brings a smile of peace to my lips.
as we grew up, we would sit there each summer, exchanging friendly banter among cousins, and singing snatches of the new songs we had learnt that year. the sound of the godavari was ever-present in the background, as soothing as tampura sruthi, played softly.

I had these rendezvous over many sweet childhood years. when i go back to the banks of the godavari as an adult now, i find myself listening with even more bliss, and gratefulness, to the song of the godavari. music, the view of those distant palms of the opposite side, and the cool breeze off the water remain inextricably blended in my mind.

And this seems to me the case with others too, judging my the number of songs that Godavari has inspired in films and outside. 'vedamla ghoshinche godavari comes to mind immediately. the 'godaramma' song from Ramadasu is another good one. sankarabharanam songs are all set against the backdrop of the godaravi....

http://youtu.be/TjAKRd7uNRs

Andhra Kesari is based on the life of an eminent freedom fighter from AP, Tangaturi Prakasam. He was also the first CM of AP.

****************************************
vedamlaa ghoshinche godavari
amaradhaamamlaa shobhille rajamahendri
shatabdhala charitagala sundara nagaram
gata vaibhava deeptulato kammani kavyam

raja raja narendrudu kakateeyulu
tejamunna meti doralu reddirajulu
gajapatulu, narapatulu yelina vuru
aa kadhalanni ninadinche goutami horu

shree vanee girijaashchiraya dadhato vakshomukhangeshuye
lokaanam sthiti maavahantya vihataam stri pumsayogorbhava
tevedatraya murtayastri purushaa sampujitaavassurai
rbhuuyaamsuhu purushottamambhuja bhavah shrikandharaashreyase

aadi kavita nannaya rasenichata
shrinadha kavi nivasamu pedda muchata
kavi sarvabhoumulakidi aalavalamu
nava kavitalu vikasinche nandanavanamu

dittamaina shilpala devalaaluu
kattu kadhala chitraangi kanaka medalu
kottukuni poye konni koti lingalu
veereshilingamokadu migilenu chalu

Movie Name : Andhra Kesari (1983)
Music Director : Satyam
Lyricist : Aarudra
Singer : S.P.Bala Subramaniam