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Chinmayi - Golden Era
HINDI RETRO: Shweta Mohan, Haricharan, Srinivas and Chinmayi will perform on 14 November in Hyderabad.
Srinivas, Chinmayi, Haricharan and Shweta Mohan will weave some retro magic in this show, featuring hits down the ages till the 1980s and take music lovers down melody lane
When it comes to film music, we all love travelling back in time. For that was when melody and lyrics reigned supreme. That was also the time of live orchestras, which gave life to every single note and created magical scores. Think Hindi film music, and your heart still beats for K.L. Saigal, Talat Mahmood, Hemant Kumar, Geeta Dutt, Suraiya, Noor Jehan, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, and Mohammed Rafi. And, the masters who composed gems — S.D. Burman, Madan Mohan, Naushad, Salil Chowdhury, Shankar-Jaikishan and R.D. Burman.
Trying to recreate that era are singers Srinivas, Chinmayi, Haricharan and Shweta Mohan who come together to weave some retro magic in this show, featuring hits down the ages till the 1980s. The show will start off with Srinivas' favourite singer K.L. Saigal's number, before moving on to ditties from the 1950s and 1960s. The energy and vivacity of the swinging Seventies will dominate the show, with songs by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi. And, of course, hits from the Kishore Kumar-R.D. Burman combination.
A 15-member orchestra hand-picked from Chennai and Kerala will accompany the singers. Among the retro gems, which include a lot of duets, you'll get to listen to Main Kya Jaanoon, Tere Mere Sapne, Oh Sajna, Madhuban Mein Radhika, Yeh Kya Hua, Musafir Hoon Yaaron, Hawa Ke Saath Saath, Deewana Hua Badal, Jai Jai Shiv Shankar, Mehbooba Mehbooba and Tere Mere Milan.
(Hindi Retro is on November 14 at 7.15 p.m.)
Singing for the November Fest is special in many ways. In fact, it is an honour. Rendering Hindi songs from a magical era and, that too in front of an elite audience, is every singer's dream. As for me, I am happiest singing Kishore Kumar. Another reason why I'm excited about this show, and the ones in Coimbatore and Bangalore.
SRINIVAS
My dream to perform at the November Fest came true a couple of years ago, and I am more than looking forward to this three-city performance of retro numbers. As an artiste, it is creatively fulfilling to sing some of those amazing compositions, backed by a live orchestra, and facing an audience as august as the one that attends the fest.
Chinmayi :
This is my maiden performance at the November Fest. As a child, I remember my father teaching me yesteryear Hindi hits from his diary, and I'm delighted to be presenting some of them along with wonderful singers such as Srinivas, Chinmayi and Shweta. I'm sure the concert will bring back fond memories of our childhood.
Haricharan
I've watched some spectacular performances at the Fest over the last couple of years, and am very excited about this opportunity to be part of it this time around, sharing the stage with some talented musicians. My parents are big fans of Hindi retro music, and through them, I've also learnt to enjoy the beauty of its melody and lyrics. I'm looking forward to an evening of good music.
Chinmayi's Deepavali
Looks like singer Chinmayi is not a big fan of crackers and prefers a quiet Deepavali. The lady, who is suffering from a bout of high fever, tweeted, "There are a few people who think it's cool to bring out the crackers in midnight and shatter the silence." Meanwhile, the singer has clarified through her tweet that the headgear she wore while performing at a concert abroad was not the one Aishwarya was wearing while she shot for Kilimanjaro.... She wrote, 'The group (organisers) had got the headdresses done for the entire set of dancers by Carribean belly dancers in Canada." Point taken, Chinmayi!
Chinmayi's near-death experience
Singer Chinmayi had a near-death experience while she was in Canada for a concert.The singer tells TOI, "I was on my way back from the concert when we stopped at a signal. Out of the blue, a crazy driver jumped the signal and almost rammed into our car. He was driving at a speed of at least 125 km/h and sped off before I could note down the licence plate number. He was drunk and I really detest people who drink and drive. Thank God our driver controlled the vehicle, or else, I shiver to think of what could have happened to us."
While she is upset about the experience, she can't stop smiling when she talks about her stint on the stage at the concert. "I was there in Canada to perform for a community radio service and the organisers got me the headgear Aishwarya wore when she was filming for Kilimanjaro... I sang the song from Endhiran, wearing the same headgear. It was a lovely experience," she says.
Let the Music Begin
The November Fest lineup for Hyderabad - (from left) Yodhaka, Aruna Sairam, srinivas, Tina Sani, Chinmayi, Shweta and Haricharan.
The first edition of The Hindu Friday Review Music Festival in Hyderabad presents an eclectic range of rhythm and melody.
Fusion, film, ghazal, spiritual – it's all there at The Hindu Friday Review November Fest, a four-day musical feast that brings some of the best practitioners of these genres to Hyderabad. Between November 10 and 14, the festival, which will be held in Ravindra Bharati, promises to satisfy every kind of musical palate.
This is the first edition of the Fest in the city. Launched in Chennai in 2005, this unique musical event has become an important event in the city's cultural calendar, showcasing some of the finest musicians from India and abroad.
The Hyderabad Fest opens with renowned Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam performing – for the second time ever -- a concert of abhangs, which she has been known to sing as tailpieces in her concerts. Her ‘The Wisdom of Vitthala' will feature the verses of saint poets like Tukaram, Gnandev and Janabai as well as a group of specially selected musicians from Maharashtra and Chennai. The first time she performed a full-fledged abhang concert was for the 2006 November Fest in Chennai.
If bhajans focus on the inward journey, abhangs are more exuberant expressions of the communitarian experience. “I'm drawn to abhangs because they are sung by pilgrims on their journey to the temples on foot. They dance, carry dolis, play the dholak and cymbals, and everyone joins in the chorus. This procession makes an undulating visual. I feel its pulsating rhythms and ecstasy when I sing abhangs," says Aruna Sairam. Her own visit to Pandharpur as a young girl has remained with her. That memory is at the core of her love for the genre.
When Yodhakaa performs, you will find that music from around the world — whether it is Nigerian street drumming or Algerian Rai, Cuban Son, Samba Cancao from Brazil or music from the Wolofs of Senegal —blend in perfectly with Carnatic. The band's first concert with this new sound was in January 2006 in Chennai during the music season, when they performed at Hamsadhwani. The team consists of five young musicians who, through their freeflowing experimentation, have created a distinctly textured sound and who promise to go a long way.
From the land of Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali and Farida Khanum comes Tina Sani, a contemporary voice from Pakistan, to cast her ghazal spell of “Hope and Healing” on Hyderabad. “Music found me” says Tina, who has crafted her personal socio-spiritual style, shading her songs with contemporary political overtones. Romance is not forgotten, but her music is a cry for freedom, a protest against injustice, and a call for universal harmony – addressed to the lay listener as well as the wielders of power. Naturally she found her best voice in melodising Pakistan's progressive, left leaning, sufism-inspired poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Hamesha Der Kar Deta Hoon Main
The last day of the festival will have the audience humming and swinging to Tere Mere Sapne, Oh Sajna, Madhuban Mein Radhika, Yeh Kya Hua, Musafir Hoon Yaaron, Hawa Ke Saath Saath, Deewana Tha Badal and Tere Mere Milan. TheHindi Retro will feature top-class vocalists Srinivas, Chinmayi, Haricharan and Shweta Mohan and will feature hits down the ages till the 1980s.
The inaugural edition of the Friday Review November Fest promises to entertain Hyderabad's rasikas with its bold programming and mix of musical eclecticism.
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