Which one is more important to you?
For me, it is first the words. Like a movie cannot be made without good story, however good rest of the things is, a good song essentially requires good story in its words.
Now, my wife asked this a while back. With some resistance, I started playing a Qawali. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has a divine voice which many of my friends find coarse, she find it quite the same way. But she hears with patience, and quietly asked, why do I like this so much? She wanted to understand what really appealed most. Same way, another song which is sung by many maestros, “Woh jo hum mein tum mein qarar tha” also made us on two sides of liking. She apparently loves Farida Khanum singing it, same as few other people I know who have interests in this genre. But my favorite version is the one by Begum Akhtar. I always thought she voiced it best beyond where anyone else could reach yet.
I try to reason it; and as everything abstract and subtle, this also took a while to shape and surface in words.
Tune, in my eyes, is the outside clothing of what is veiled inside, the words. When two people sing the same song, the thing that makes the most difference to me is who is closer to that inner personae. My imagery of Farida Khan singing this song is that a beautiful lady, elegantly dressed in queen red (heard so many times but also saw once on TV),singing a somewhat lighter melodious version. If you are listening with eyes closed, it is not very difficult to imagine an angel singing in a flower garden. On the other hand, Begum Akhtar version is all so simple, not much of instrumental accompaniment, probably just tanpura and some santoor. She voices it with less boldness than her usual, somewhat choked.
Now look at the song. The words are a sea of sorrow. Note the story, I feel it speaks of moments and stories engraved in past, some broken promises, possibilities and impossibilities, something that was there but no longer exists. Something on the other side of a dusty window, which you can not touch and only see for a moment from passing by from this side of reality. Can you just remain so perfect when in so much of grief? One unified into the story will never be so perfect. He or she will slip from the notes. The heart might come to a stop for a micromoment, gasping for breathing. When the poet lamented “Kabhi hum mein tum mein bhi chah thi”, and as Begum Akhtar reaches here, her voice just crackles a thin bit before regaining control. I then feel myself immersed in a genuine sea of sorrow, or is it all just my imagination?
I feel that which is closer to heart is perfect, sometimes simple imperfection is that.
For me, it is first the words. Like a movie cannot be made without good story, however good rest of the things is, a good song essentially requires good story in its words.
Now, my wife asked this a while back. With some resistance, I started playing a Qawali. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has a divine voice which many of my friends find coarse, she find it quite the same way. But she hears with patience, and quietly asked, why do I like this so much? She wanted to understand what really appealed most. Same way, another song which is sung by many maestros, “Woh jo hum mein tum mein qarar tha” also made us on two sides of liking. She apparently loves Farida Khanum singing it, same as few other people I know who have interests in this genre. But my favorite version is the one by Begum Akhtar. I always thought she voiced it best beyond where anyone else could reach yet.
I try to reason it; and as everything abstract and subtle, this also took a while to shape and surface in words.
Tune, in my eyes, is the outside clothing of what is veiled inside, the words. When two people sing the same song, the thing that makes the most difference to me is who is closer to that inner personae. My imagery of Farida Khan singing this song is that a beautiful lady, elegantly dressed in queen red (heard so many times but also saw once on TV),singing a somewhat lighter melodious version. If you are listening with eyes closed, it is not very difficult to imagine an angel singing in a flower garden. On the other hand, Begum Akhtar version is all so simple, not much of instrumental accompaniment, probably just tanpura and some santoor. She voices it with less boldness than her usual, somewhat choked.
Now look at the song. The words are a sea of sorrow. Note the story, I feel it speaks of moments and stories engraved in past, some broken promises, possibilities and impossibilities, something that was there but no longer exists. Something on the other side of a dusty window, which you can not touch and only see for a moment from passing by from this side of reality. Can you just remain so perfect when in so much of grief? One unified into the story will never be so perfect. He or she will slip from the notes. The heart might come to a stop for a micromoment, gasping for breathing. When the poet lamented “Kabhi hum mein tum mein bhi chah thi”, and as Begum Akhtar reaches here, her voice just crackles a thin bit before regaining control. I then feel myself immersed in a genuine sea of sorrow, or is it all just my imagination?
I feel that which is closer to heart is perfect, sometimes simple imperfection is that.
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