Kishore Kumar - The Songs I Keep on Singing

Kishore Kumar has become such an integral part of my life that just the sound of his name strikes the musical chords of my heart and soul. Kishore Kumar – the artist – was a versatile singer, music director, lyricist, actor, director, and producer of numerous songs and movies in Hindi and multiple regional languages. I admire Kishore Kumar – the artist- in his various roles but it is Kishore Kumar – the versatile singer – that stays close to my heart. In my opinion, no other singer comes close to Kishore da in versatility and absolutely no one emulates his voice and his ability to grasp the sentiments of the song and incorporate them in his songs. When you listen to his songs you don’t just hear the song but could actually feel them. Go ahead listen to “Koi Humdum Na Raha”, “Dukhi Mann Mere”, “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” or just pick any of his song (especially until late 70’s –early 80’s) and tell me you don’t feel the emotions of the song. 

I grew up in a family of music lovers and everyone in my family has their own taste in music. Growing up I would listen to music of various genres from 50’s, 60’s and 70’s era movies including contemporary music from 80’s and 90’s. I listened to songs sung by Lata, Asha, Suraiyya, Rafi, Mukesh, Manna, Kishore, Geeta and you name it from that era and I might have listen to their songs growing up. Though I listened to all and liked many of them, songs by Kishoreda struck with me and still are close to my heart almost 30 years later! One of the first Kishoreda songs I remember listening to as a kid is “Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi” and “Dukhi Mann Mere”. These two songs are still among my favorites.

Kishoreda had no formal training in singing and perhaps that’s why his voice had no limitations and restrictions. Perhaps that allowed him to freely break all the rules and make his own rules and pick whatever tune is given to him and make it his own. Perhaps that’s why he could mold his voice to suit the style of the actor on whom the song would be picturized. Perhaps his voice was a god gift but his ability to pitch it perfectly was his hard work and dedication to singing, perhaps.

Kishoreda songs, no matter the composition and whatever classical raga it is based on, are easy on ears. His songs seem effortless, reachable and hummable.  His was a masculine voice and yet there are no loud notes in his songs and some of his songs feel like a soft whisper. The depth and the variation that Kishoreda could bring in his songs is incomparable and unbelievable for an untrained singer. Kishoreda’s sad songs lifts the weight from your shoulder and carries them away with the voice of this Genius, his soulful numbers teaches you the meaning of life, his fun songs play to the heart of a child and his playful songs are what one would need to woo their love.

These days when I listen to all the loud noise that is considered as music I just thank my stars that I grew up listening to songs from 50’s, 60’s and 70’s era and more importantly that I was exposed to music of Kishoreda early in my childhood.  Although I must admit it’s not right of me to belittle today’s music as noise because it is just my opinion and there are new songs that I thoroughly enjoy and like it too especially when Gulzar writes it, Vishal Bharadwaj composes it and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sings it. Today’s world is a fast paced world but so was 50’s 60’s and 70’s for people born in the early 20^th century and I am sure for them music that I so appreciate now was nothing but noise and a reminder of the world that is lost forever. The only difference between then and now would be that in 20^th century change was slow to come whereas in 21^st century things are changed at a fast pace thanks to advancement in technologies, competitions and global growth.

Thanks to these advancements though, I can now get hold of numerous songs of Kishoreda which were very rarely heard earlier and may be in very limited releases and which are not readily available from music label companies. Finding these hidden gems of a singer who died almost 30 years ago is like being an explorer on a quest to unearth lost secrets of this world.

But no matter where the world goes tomorrow I am safe in the thought that I will have Kishoreda to guide me musically through remainder of the journey.

“Aap ke anurodh pe main yeh geet sunata hoon, apne dil ki baton se aapka dil behlata hoon”

Thank you Kishoreda for You!