These days my mind remains full of ‘Me & Music’… and honestly – I wish it remains that way! Thus… whenever I utter something these days… its about me or my music… :O) Take it or leave it my friends… Loves, Pra~! :O)
Text-Oriented Singing!
It is a general notion that Urdu Poetry essentially is an ex-pression of Broken Hearts, Despair, Tears, Pessimism & loneliness! (Also, Just about ‘Sharaab & Shabaab’) - But my learning with Prof. Bahadur proves this completely wrong! All above mentioned emotions are fundamental to any human existence – and yet, Master Poets like Ghalib, Faiz & Meer transcend this pain & suffering & elevate our mortal existence by celebrating the Life – celebrating the Humanity!
My Teacher Prof. Satish Bahadur says Faiz’s ‘Shaam-e-firaq’ – (Evening of severance - from Beloved) does Not speak about the ‘Absence of the Beloved’ but actually about the ‘Management of the Absence of the Beloved!’ & that changes my whole understanding of Urdu Ghazal & my performance acquires a deeper level where I truly can experience what Text-Oriented Singing is all about!
For instance, take a couplet written by Faiz:
The essence of this sufferer poet’s poetry does not drag you further into suffering – instead, initiates a hope & reassures you about the impermanent nature of suffering! This & Much More I have been learning with my Great Teacher Prof. Bahadur:- With the realization that some debts can never be repaid in just a single life-time!
So, Here is My Understanding of Text Oriented Singing!It helps the listener too to appreciate my performance 'rightly!':O)
· Read the Text carefully. As many times as you can!
· Recite it according to the Meter of the Poetry!
· Concentrate on the Phonetic Aspects of the Song-Text or Poem!
· Get Urdu ‘Talaffuz’ – (Overall Pronunciation) corrected!
· Start looking at the Poetic Structure of the Text!
· In order to reach at the core of the content, understand the Significance & Implication of the various Shades of the Images used by the Poet!
· Try to explore & enhance the ‘Poetic Gaps’ of the text so that you can either fill them or emphasize them with your Music later!
· Now take the Song-Text or a Poem & its Musical Composition for Riyaz – (Rigorous practice) – Find out the pauses, stresses & words which need elaboration while Musical renderings!
· After this whole exercise, take up this Composition to the Concert, & ‘enjoy’ the experiment Live! ;o)
Example: A Thumree Song-Text
“Saanchi kaho mose batiya, Kahan gavaai saari ratiya? Piya!
Sagari rain mori tarpat biti, Bhor bhaye laut aaye, chhaliya! Piya!”
The Nayika – expresses here her anguish & asks questions to her beloved Piya (Husband – in Indian Context) who has spent His Night ‘Outside’ & now has returned to her in the Morning!
This simple two-line Song-text has so much to give to a Vocalist! Besides Rhyming of Batiya, Piya, Ratiya & Chhaliya – which you can exploit endlessly with your Music! At the same time, the shades of ideas & themes it provokes in your mind are marvelous!
For example She is telling Him that He has Not Spent (Bitaee) But has Wasted (Gavaai) the (Precious) Night, by remaining ‘Outside’ - & has betrayed her while she has been awaking restlessly & waiting endlessly for him through the whole night!
But - But He has to remember ultimately, that She is the Light - The Dawn of His Life & eventually he has to return to Her by Abandoning the ‘Other Woman’, the Night – The Darkness – where he has spent his night!
And obviously with this idea, a Sher – (Couplet) from Urdu literature is easily interwoven in your performance –
I.e. “Charagaan karke Dil behla rahe ho, Kyon Jahhnwalo,
Andhera Laakh Raushan Ho, Ujaala phir, Ujaala Hai!” - Ali Jalili
Undoubtedly such wonderful textual interpretations & correlations do elevate the performance of a vocalist & take him or her to a different realm of artistic creations!
Immortal Thumree – “Baajuband Khulkhul jaaye… Saanvariyane Aisa Jaadu daara.....,
Jaaduki Pudiya Bharbhar Maara.... Kya karega Baid Bechara...!!”
Veteran Vocalist Smt. Rita Ganguley’s interpretation of the Immortal Thumree – “Baajuband Khulkhul Jaaye…”
“Every rendering of this Thumree is totally different. It means – My life is going out of my grip. It is not just a bracelet of a frail woman, rather – My whole fantasy and romance, my whole image I have woven around me, its all slipping out of my hand: my total concept of life has changed because the Beloved has cast a spell over me, he has changed & challenged the basic concept & questions of my life!”
And that is why Thumree singing requires Intelligence! ;o)
A Universal question posed by a poet with universal appeal... who else in this context? Than Ghalib?
"Dil E Naadaan... Tujhe Huaa Kyaa Hai? Aaakhir is Dardki Dawaa Kyaa Hai?"
(Picture Source - Internet - Blog - From My MSN Space.)
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Text Oriented Singing!