When it comes to music, I do think that the old-timers knew what they were doing. Classic music that can be listened to again and again; unforgettable is what I mean. I still remember coming home from school on hot afternoons and hearing the AkashVani RJ’s (did we even call them RJs back then ?) melodious, and oh-so-prim voice go “Aur ab suniye . . .” and then some lovely song would waft up from the old radio. Akaash Vani (literally the Voice of/from the Sky) was government run All India Radio, because then there was Akaash Vani and DoorDarshan (television), and that was pretty much it as far as non-print media was concerned.
When the music industry started opening up, and this was way before there was even a pop/rock scene in India, there came Biddu, and Nazia and Zoheb, and the era of disco. And then ofcourse the flood-gates crashed open, and the media waves were awash in your choice of music and visual entertainment. Home-grown rock bands started popping up, and newer singers showed up to sing the “modern” filmi songs. But then good things never die, they just change and come back. So also with music.
Desi music has come a long way since then, and along with newer sounds and musical sensibilities, there is also the retuning of the past, or remixing. There are some songs that are so good already that you can’t actually improve them – like the Sholay “Mehbooba O Mehbooba” number, but then there are some which go from good to fabulous with a little modern tinkering, like this one.
Two artists who come to mind as far as remixing goes are Bally Sagoo and DJ Aqeel. Sagoo who essentially fused desi music with hip-hop, interpreted golden oldies for the dance floor with a lot of success. DJ Aqeel meanwhile, is touring the US this May. He’s been around a while and one of the first videos of his to make it to MTV, and become a huge hit, featured a very young Ayesha Takia, when she had a . . . waist. She probably wasn’t even a star then – she looks about 16, and yes, she’s wearing sparkly red bell-bottoms, but the song probably called for it. And I love how this number goes from a coy Jaya Bhaduri and goofy Randhir Kapoor romantic scenario to a swinging I-am-so-hip-and-I-know-it dance interpretation, and works.
