Salilda ke Sung Suhana Safar

This post is my ode to a Salil Chowdhury phase.

There is so much longing and feels in his beautiful songs. I feel the need like I could churn out a 10K words worth essay, to convey the beauty. But of course, like it usually maps out, feeling boiled down to a teaspoon of words. Large feelings might pour out into very limited words.

Publications

So then I have been looking for really great writeups about Salilda. Here is what I found and that makes me satisfied.

Website dedicated to Salilda which is a great collection of all things Salilda:
http://www.salilda.com/

And an article here written by his grand-daughter - so it is very personal look. I could imagine myself peeping through one the thick wooden old-world doorway in their house.
http://www.indianmemoryproject.com/tag/salil-chowdhury/

This is not directly about Salil. But it talks about most of the movies featuring his songs.
https://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/between-reviews-remembering-roy/

I guess I am looking for a fan group, where others have an equal outpouring of feels. Or a blog with more in-depth writings on his music.

Mix-tape

I have played all of these on repeat so many times - if they were on CDs or casette tape or LP, they would have worn out. This mixed tape has just the right songs.

Madhumati

Flute and other sound instruments rule in every song. I am curious to know all the orchestra instruments played in "Zulmi Sang Ankh Ladi" song. The opening chorus in the same song is enchanting. Jungle sounds creep in and even the sounds of silence in some of the songs is so striking. The way Lata's voice flows in different levels, is so soothing. Words in each of the songs are too pure for this world. North-east India music esp Bihu, influence.

Anand

Mysterious start sequence of "Kahin Door Kahi Din".
Orchestra and string and wind instrument sounds in this Manna Dey gem - "Zindagi kaisi ye paheli".
Jovial conversational tone of "Maine tere liye". Plus the very beautiful Seema Deo in the video.
Lata's voice and tabla taal in "Jiya Lage Na".
Hard to believe there are only 4 songs in this album.

More Songs:

Choti Si Baat & Rajnigandha - they don't have a Video Jukebox on youtube. But they should. Just look at the million views on their exiting non-HD songs. Listen to the instrument strains in each song.The flute strains in background music is like cool breeze wafting the curtains in the movie. That background music from "Choti si Baat", eventually became a song - Tere galiyon mein hum aaye.

A lot of his songs just need to heard, not seen. They definitely gel with the movie. But they are also individual art pieces. Their movies need not be watched. Just experience Lata's voice and Flute harkat in "Mere mann ke diye".

Not all are here

Everything shared here is only my personal favorites. I was introduced to them in the 1980s in my Bombay/Mumbai years when I was in Elementary school. However now the value of these songs are beyond nostalgia. Salilda music is all pervasive in Indian music. His strains are in many many works. Just reading about them is exhausting. I would rather enjoy the feels they create in the listener.