Persang Karaoke Pays Tribute To Shamshad Begum - A Golden Voice That Ruled Indian Films For Decades

       
             “ Saiyan dil mein aana re,

               Aake phir na jaane re,

               Aake phir na jaana re,

               Chham Chhama Chham Chham”

Whenever you hear this song, you visualize a teenaged Vyjantimala singing to the photo of a man she loves, it takes you to a completely different world. A very different yet beautiful voice that makes the song sound just right, playful, affectionate and sweet and it stays somewhere in the core of your heart.

Shamshad Begum, who ruled playback singing for more than two decades, was the voice behind some of the most evergreen hits like “Kahin Pe Nigaahein, Kahin Pe Nishana”, “Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon”, “Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar”, “Kajra Mohabbat Wala”, “Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar” and many more…..

 

Begumji, born in Amritsar, had a very distinctive voice and was a versatile artist, sang more than 6000 songs in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil and Bengali languages. She recorded her first song in 1930s in Punjabi, “ O sajni, ik duje da palada phad ke ik ho jayega “. She received no formal training in classical music, but her songs touched the hearts of people.

Shamshadji sang extensively for Legend music composers, Naushad, O. P. Nayyar, C. Ramachandra and S. D. Burman. Naushad acknowledged in an interview that he was indebted to Begum in reaching the top, as she was famous before he became known in the late 1940s; after his tracks sung by her became highly popular, his talent was recognised. It was Begum's solo and duet songs sung for Naushad in the late 1940s and early 1950s which made Naushad famous. 

The well-known later playback singer, Lata Mangeshkar, started to sing when Begum was at the peak of her career, and Begum's break after her husband's death boosted Lataji's career, helping her to be offered high-quality songs. In the early careers of Lataji, as well as her younger sister, Asha Bhosle, between 1944 and 1956, they had often been asked by producers and music directors to imitate Begum's style of singing, because producers could not afford Begum's fees. In their first song together, Lataji was a part of the chorus while Begum was the main singer. Many of the songs sung by Lataji like “Ayega Ayega” have been sung in Shamshad Begum style. Even Asha Bhosle's songs like her first duet with Kishore - Aati Hai Yaad Humko from 1948 film Muqaddar bear direct resemblance to Shamshad Begum style. It was the period between 1958-1963, that career of Lataji got major boost as music directors started gradually preferring her soft voice, until then Geeta Dutt and Begum were the most preferred singers but Shamshad Begum continued to be at the top from 1940 till 1963 non-stop.

In 2009, she was conferred with the prestigious  “O. P. Nayyar award” for her contribution to Hindi film music. She was also conferred the “Padma Bhushan” in 2009. Her songs from 1940s to the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed till date.

A befitting tribute would be her song from “Mela” (1948), a song also sung by singer Mukesh for a death scene: Dharti ko akaash pukaare, aaja aaja prem pujaare, aana hi hoga. Is duniya ko chodh ke pyaare jhoothe bandhan tod ke saare. (“The sky calls out to the earth; come, come, O worshipper of love, you have to. Leave this world behind, breaking all those untrue bonds.”)

Begumji will remain immortal and her versatile songs will always keep on enthralling music lovers.

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