Revisiting some gems from the golden era

CHENNAI: That the melodies of the 50s and 60s will never be forgotten was evident on Saturday night, as a packed audience at Kamarajar Aranagam relived some of the most evergreen songs in the history of Hindi cinema. Organised by Divine Mother Society to raise funds for healthcare and tuition for underprivileged children, the programme ‘Gaata Rahe Mera Dil’ showcased some early gems from the golden era.From the slow and serene to the foot-tapping, and the sad and poignant to the fast and peppy, the songs transported listeners to an era in which well-written lyrics and melody reigned, and rhythm was never over-emphasised. From the repertoires of ‘rebel’ composer OP Nayyar, geniuses Naushad, SD Burman and Shankar-Jaikishan, the singers presented songs like Dil jalta hai to jalne de and Tumsa nahin dekha. Each singer represented a particular voice: while Ganesh from Bangalore kept the audience alive with Kishore Kumar numbers like Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si, Surojit Guha attempted the poignant Talat Mehmood Jalte hain jiske liye, and Nayan Shah stuck to Mukesh numbers. However, too much energy was expended on imitating the original singers’ styles, and melody was often compromised on in the bargain.The female singers were competent; Jaya Rajagopal impressed with her expressive voice in the timeless Aaiye meherbaan, and Priya Panchal rendered some Shamshad Begum songs like Pehla pehla pyar and Kabhi aar kabhi paar.Anil Bajpai, who has regaled Chennai audiences several times with his effortless rendition of the songs of the otherwise inimitable Mohammad Rafi, closed the evening with the lyrical Suhaani raat dhal chuki. Whether it was the peppy Maang ke saath tumhaara or the soulful Chaudhvin ka chand, the energetic singer, with his impressive voice-modulation and expression, was undoubtedly the star of the evening.Evergreen Orchestra from Calicut succeeded in recreating the magic of yore. Legendary music director MS Viswanathan was the Chief Guest of the programme.