I have been listening to Marathi songs in the recent time. Bharathi was indeed right in saying "Singa Marathiyar tham kavithai kondu..." They have beautiful lyrics. But I am more into music than lyrics. Music is what that attracts me- the moment I hear it. I sincerely believe that Music is something beyond language or thoughts or geographies! So wherever I hear a few notes- they immediately touch my soul!
This song here- "Mi Radhika Mi Premika" by Aarti Ankalikar- Tikekar, in raag Malkauns(?) You can understand it's about the whole Radha- Krishna Saga. But the music in it- there could have not been a better choice of Raaga! The sorrow, the love, the happiness- forbidden pleasures all coming in together! But mostly- it's the 'Bhakthi' in it. And believe me, you need not believe in religion to feel the Bhakthi in this music.
There is this other song. 'Apsara Aali' from movie 'Natrang'. Bela Shinde- I remember her as a contestant of Sa-re-ga-ma from Sonu Nigam's time. I have never thought 'Mayamalavagowla' beyond Sarali Varisa of Carnatic music. May be I was not much into it- the raaga- since I had no clue what I was doing in a music class when I was initially forced into learning music by my dear dad! But this song, hanged my whole idea about this raaga! It's full of such warm passion. No passion is kind of a strong word. It's more like 'suggestive' may be 'provocative' but to put it simply- beautiful. The song is a poetry, describing the Lavni dancer- who is like Apsara, like how she looks, etc. When you listen to it closely, you can actually guess the meaning, even if do not know the language! (Fortunately, here I found a video that has subtitles!)
There is another Lavni number from the same movie that I totally enjoyed. It's a very difficult song to sing. But the music is so captivating! I m sure, it'll stay for a few days in your mind, from the moment it enters your mind.
There are so many songs that you've listened in your life. Sometimes, there are songs that just comes from somewhere- like you happen to listen it from somewhere. And it stays in you forever. The problem is- you don't understand one word of the lyrics. It's just the music that you know. How do you get the song? It's just a thought- may be in future, we shall have some Google search that would recognize your humming and display matching results! This is such a song. I had listened to it in AIR, ages back. I was very small then. I didn't understand anything back then. But the music stayed behind, in memory. And accidentally, I came across it. Now, I know it is a Kholi song. Kholi songs are another aspect of Marathi music- the song of the boatmen. This is a very old song. Very famous too. you might have even listened to it. It's Lata Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar singing. And music is by Hridayanath Mangeshkar. But all these are details I found recently. It's the tune, that took me into it!
There are more such beautiful songs in so many languages. Each song takes us one step towards a totally new cultural and social code, that we should explore. And my search continues....
