Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Hello Friends... After a long time...
Friday, October 9, 2009
2010 + 20 = 2030 End of Gujarati Light Music?
Light music is popularly known as ‘SUGAM SANGEET’ – name given by senior officer of All India Radio – Thakur Jaydevsinhji. Sugam Sangeet is a blend of two words – Sugam – Simply, easy to understand and, Sangeet – means a music which is easy to understand. Here, ‘Understand’ stands for easy to enjoy. You need to understand to enjoy, but here, this “Understanding” should be very simple. Sangeet means Music. That means, this music is “easy to understand and enjoy”. This definition is for ‘Music’. Here, music is in the centre and as words (of Lyric) accompany music – their togetherness should also be “SUGAM’ – easy. This definition was established by the work of Late Avinash Vyas. His music – (Composition) and workds were very easy to enjoy. They are very popular even today. Avinashbhai’s contribution – both in Quantity and Quality – Covers a great amount of ground! He wrote for every occasion, relations, seasons, festivals etc. He wrote for Gujarati Films more than 100. He is the only one ‘PADMA SHRI’ in this field from
The generation which loved his songs is above 70. the next generation which liked Gujarati songs has reached 50. We see a listener group between 40 onwards in program of Gujarati sugam sangeet these days. The third generation of 25 to 40 is missing and the forth one does not know Gujarati! Many of our children are English medium students. Though, there are Gujarati schools, still very popular, but their students hardly come to Gujarati music programs, except garba.
It is not that nothing had been done in the field of Gujarati sugam sangeet since Avinash Vyas left this world. Many composers have shown their best. Late Neenu Mazumdar and Kshemoo Divetia composed very good songs. Shri Dilip Dholakia is our senior most composer, whose songs are popular among two generations. Late Ajit sheth and Rasiklal Bhojak did their best. And Ajit Merchant is still known for Aankno Afine….
New Gujarati songs came with Ashit Desai and Late Paresh Bhatt. New generation of composers S/S Uday Mazumdar, Saumil-Shyamal, Naynesh Jani, Soli Kapadia, Amar Bhatt are still in full form. There are very talented composers in
But where is a new listener? What will bring him to theatre to listen to Gujarati sugam sangeet?
When will we accept the importance of mother tongue and understand a difference between language for business and language for expression of emotion? Language carries culture. If a language dies, culture dies too! If a Gujarati youth can enjoy (understand?) a Panjabi song, lyric in English – why can’t he enjoy Gujarati? What does he or she wants from Gujarati Sugam Sangeet?
When the youngest of today’s listener will turn to 60! Than? I had been to U. K. and U.S.A. Situation is same – or even worst! Only handful of listeners wants to listen to ‘New’ songs, even in Ahmedabad or Mumbai. This group is not increasing…. (even decreasing due to obvious reason of age etc). They are the same, who I saw since years! I thank them for their support and Love and patronage. But we need to do something at the earliest.
Can we not think together and find out the way? We have only 20years to save Sugam Sangeet, remember!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Blog-Writing is very personal. Here, I may peep now and then. But, it is not for a ‘show-off’, it is to express one’s own observations and feelings.
I had been to
It was evening. Heathrow is a very busy airport. There were many passengers and were waiting their turn at to reach to immigration counters. There were many counters and things were moving. Authority has made a special arrangement for the students. Their queue was also separate, and oh! It was a REAL long long queue. Many of them from my beloved country,
But then, I saw an immigration officer trying to know the details from one of our Students… and the boy was silent. Officer tried his best but all in vein. The kid could not answer very simple questions, as he did not understand, what was being asked! All those who have visited
Here is a student, who could not speak nor understand a word and had come to study in
Leaving 8 to 10 persons in a tow room apartment and run to earn one sandwich and a meal at night! This, they have never done in
I felt very unhappy for few of them whom I happened to meet. They have not groomed themselves as per requirement of that country and they suffer because of it. It is useless to come
I felt very sorry for that student and though he could enter