A short note on Vasant Prabhu
naniwadekar
Last month, I tried to find the list of all songs
included in the LP release titled : Vasant Bahar. I guess
this LP was released around 1978; its release may even
have been prompted by 10th death anniversary of Vasant
Prabhu who died in Sept/Oct 1968 at the age of 45. The
LP 'Vasant Bahar' (not Bahaar but Bahar, IIRC) is a
collection of 12 songs composed by Prabhu and sung by
Lata. P Savlaram, who died around Dec 1997, was the
lyricist for 10 of 12 songs on the LP. He had written
a note for the LP.
Vasant Prabhu is a forgotten legend today, not known even
to many of those who have liked his songs over many
decades but very dear to those who know what a genius he
was. His Hindi output is not much. He composed music for
the film 'Gharbaar'; his two non-film Hindi bhajans by
Lata are fairly well-known : 'dil dharawe so ik nyaaraa
hai' and 'mai.nyaa morii mai.n nahii.n maakhan khaayo'.
He was very prolific in Marathi space. Savlaram has
mentioned how Prabhu's very first song for Lata became
a rage : 'gangaa yamunaa DoLyaat ubhyaa kaa', sung by
a mother bidding farewell to her daughter as the latter
leaves her village with her in-laws after marriage.
This was the first song for which Prabhu, Savlaram and
Lata worked together. Lata was 19 that time, Prabhu 25.
I don't know which songs, if any, Prabhu had recorded
before this. Savlaram went on to write many songs for
Prabhu. A vast majority of Prabhu's songs were sung by
Mangeshkar sisters. Contribution by Sudhir Phadke and
Hridaynath to Asha's sterling Marathi career is often
recalled. As he was in life, Prabhu is forgotten in
death. Asha herself rarely/never mentions him and should
be ashamed of herself. As great as Prabhu-Asha combo was,
Prabhu-Lata pair was in a class by itself. Prabhu's
songs, like Talat's, are repetitive but no less dearer
to his fans for it. As poet-composer Sudhir Moghe has
remarked, the songs are like siblings who are very close
in looks and traits but each of whom has just enough
distinctiveness which makes him special. Alas, Lata is
in a class by herself as ungrateful person and does not
mention Vasant Prabhu any more than her younger sister
does.
Vasant Prabhu was a dance teacher. This is reflected in
his songs. They use theka which has 'bounce' to it. Even
in his somber songs, its unseen presence can often be
felt. I cannot recall any song of his set to Deepchandi
or Roopak taal, let alone the rare Jhaptaal. It is dadra
and keherwa and more dadra and more keherwa all the time.
He was composing songs in significant quantity soon after
1950, mostly of non-film variety. But he did some films
like 'Wadal' (waadaL), too, in that time-frame. In the
second half of the fifties, he got quite a few film
assignments and his non-film output became more numerous.
Much of it is utterly forgotten but nearly all of it is
of very high calibre.
Nerurkar's book on Lata carries an announcement about a
book on Prabhu. The book was supposed to come out in 1990
but later the project was abandoned. Due to lack of good
source material, I am having to depend on memory and some
guesswork to compose this post. But after 1960, the
assignments to Prabhu became less frequent and he started
drinking heavily. His depression was darkened by the
death of his daughter. He was very fond of her but one
day when she requested to skip school due to ill-health,
Prabhu in his drunken state beat her and ordered her to
attend the school. She left home reluctantly only for her
dead body to be returned home when her health
deteriorated rapidly after leaving home. The tragedy cast
a dark pall over the remaining years of Prabhu's life.
His wife lives in Mumbai and I had toyed with the idea of
meeting her but time was short and I abandoned the idea.
Even Prabhu's mother was alive until very recently. She
died around 1998.
It is a measure of the neglect suffered by Prabhu and a
mark of how slow we Indians are in many areas that even
the information about a great LP put together to
commemorate his genius could not be found on the web or
in Usenet archives. With the help of some friends, I could
finally put together a list of the songs on the Vasant
Bahar LP. I had first planned to post a request on rmim
for the LP's stats, then thought of posting the stats
and have now ended up composing this post (over 3-4
weeks) which I hope will awaken memories of Prabhu's fans
and alert those who did not know about him to explore his
output. The MIO site (musicindiaonline dot com) features
quite a few of Prabhu's songs and deserves our gratitude
for it.
I will post the Vasant Bahar LP's stats soon.
Just as Ga Di Madgulkar and Sudhir Phadke formed a
lyricist-MD pair, so did P Savlaram and Vasant Prabhu.
When the pair joined forces with Lata and their very
first song together took Maharashtra by storm, Bai
Sundarabai Jadhav, herself a singer and composer of
genius, said to them : "The three of you are blessed by
the God. That is the reason everything has come together
so beautifully in your song." Sundrabai died in 1953 and
did not get to enjoy the fruits of Prabhu's genius beyond
the first few years of his career but it was a fitting
tribute by an artiste about to take her bow to a budding
combination which ranks very high among the delights
available to connoisseurs of vintage music.
- dn
Abhay Phadnis
news:c1pmtt$1lsbv8$1...@ID-75735.news.uni-berlin.de...
>
> Last month, I tried to find the list of all songs
> included in the LP release titled : Vasant Bahar. I guess
> this LP was released around 1978; its release may even
> have been prompted by 10th death anniversary of Vasant
> Prabhu who died in Sept/Oct 1968 at the age of 45. The
> LP 'Vasant Bahar' (not Bahaar but Bahar, IIRC) is a
A few years ago, HMV brought out a 4-cassette(?) pack, titled "vasant
bahaar" (not 'bahar'), which featured songs tuned by Vasant Desai, Vasant
Pawar, and Vasant Prabhu.
Warm regards,
Abhay
naniwadekar
> I will post the LP's stats soon.
>
Here, without much ado, is the list of songs on the LP
titled 'Vasant Bahar', put together by referring to a CD
which I believe contains same songs as the LP in their
original sequence. All songs are non-film, composed by
Vasant Prabhu and sung by Lata. Lyricist, unless stated
otherwise, is P Savlaram.
1) gangaa yamunaa DoLyaat ubhyaa kaa. 1949.
2) saptapadii he roj chaalate. 1954.
3) limb-loN utarataa ... mulii tuu aalis aapulyaa gharii. 1954.
4) pratimaa urii dharunii. 1957. Lyr - D V Keskar.
5) hridayii jaagaa tuu anuraagaa. 1955.
6) tujhe DoLe paaNyaane bharale. 1951.
7) jo aavaDato sarvaalaa. 1956.
8) shriiraamaa ghanashyaamaa, baghashiil kadhii. 1958.
9) raamaa hr.dayii raam naahii. 1958.
10) viThThal to aalaa aalaa. 1953.
11) paahunii ... laajalii siitaa swayamvaraalaa.
1957. Lyr - Ramesh Anavkar
12) ghaT doiivar, ghaT kamarevar. 1956.
- dn
Prithviraj Dasgupta
> 1) gangaa yamunaa DoLyaat ubhyaa kaa. 1949.
> 2) saptapadii he roj chaalate. 1954.
> 3) limb-loN utarataa ... mulii tuu aalis aapulyaa gharii. 1954.
> 4) pratimaa urii dharunii. 1957. Lyr - D V Keskar.
(snipped)
Would be very grateful if you could write in Hindi
or English what the first lines of the above songs mean.
They are great favorites of mine.
-Prithviraj
naniwadekar
"Prithviraj Dasgupta" <prith...@yahoo.com> wrote -
>
> > 1) gangaa yamunaa DoLyaat ubhyaa kaa. 1949.
> > 2) saptapadii he roj chaalate. 1954.
> > 3) limb-loN utarataa ... mulii tuu aalis aapulyaa gharii. 1954.
> > 4) pratimaa urii dharunii. 1957. Lyr - D V Keskar.
> (snipped)
>
> Would be very grateful if you could write in Hindi
> or English what the first lines of the above songs mean.
> They are great favorites of mine.
>
"pratimaa urii dharunii mii priitii-giit gaave"
Would that I clutch your photo to my bosom and sing
preeti-geet. (Or, with thoughts about you uppermost in
my heart, I sing preeti-geet.)
I will email you translation of other 3 lines next week/month
if no one tries his hand at it. Remind me if I forget.
- dn
aanand
70 to 80% of vasant prabhu work has been with p savaalaram. All film
and non film songs of p savalaram has been publihed in book "ganga
jamuna" It could be good start to prepare list of all Vasant prabhu
songs.
remining of his songs were with ramesh anavakar or other poems/abhangs
( mostly tambe songs for lata and janabai abhangs for Asha). BTW
ramesh anavakar died recently.
I guess u have forgotten to mentioned one point about his film career.
All movies produced by lata ( underbanner of surel chitra where she
was partner with madhavrao shinde) till 1962-63 had music by Vasant
prabhu. this includes movies like vadal, kanya dan , shikaleli bayko,
bhsiravi etc. I think this itself shows her regards for this
composer. 2 of his songs "jan pal bhar mhanatil ' and " prema kay devu
tula" appear in her My favourites album.All non film compositions of
lata in marathi during 50-60 were with Vasant prabhu. It was during 60
and 70 she worked with Hridaynath and Srinivas khale.
Personally i feel his output with asha was more classy compared to
Lata in non film category. In film he hardly used asha as most of them
were produced by lata herself.
Do u find any similarity of his " Ali hasat paheli rat" with in 'O
chand jahn woh jaye' specially when 'sam' is reached and rhythm
rgds
anand.
rgds
anand.
"naniwadekar" <nani3...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<c1pmtt$1lsbv8$1...@ID-75735.news.uni-berlin.de>...
Ajit
> Personally i feel his output with asha was more classy compared to
> Lata in non film category.
>
I have heard only two songs by Asha for Vasant Prabhu. "Radha
krishnaavari bhaaLali" is excellent, but the other one I heard -
"tethe kar maajhhe zuLati" is soporific and is one of the most painful
instances of over-emoting by Asha.
>
> Do u find any similarity of his " Ali hasat paheli rat" with in 'O
> chand jahn woh jaye' specially when 'sam' is reached and rhythm
>
I found greater similarity between "shoor aamhi sardaar aamhaalaa..."
and "O chaand...".
aanand
reason..Otherwise following is the best of Asha with Vasant Prabhu:
1. Pandharinatha zhadakari ata ( ..The best)
2. radha krishanvari bhalali
3. ved lagale radhela ya
4. prabhati sur nabhi rangati
5. kalena ajuni mazhe mala
6. vithu maza lekurwala
7. dalita kandita
8.chand mohare chandane zhare
9. aai baap he daivat maze asata mazya ghari
10. dnyandev bala maza
11. raghupati raghav gazari gazari ..todit bore shabari
12. dhaga dhaga ahand vinuya
13. kokila ga
14.rimzim paus pade sarakha
15. dole he zulmi gade
rgds
anand.
musicad...@yahoo.com (Ajit) wrote in message news:<c9042caa.04031...@posting.google.com>...
naniwadekar
"aanand" <anandj...@yahoo.com> wrote -
>
> All non film compositions of
> lata in marathi during 50-60 were with Vasant prabhu.
>
I doubt whether Hridaynath's first non-film Marathi song for
Lata had to wait until after 1960. He recorded 'chaandane
shimpit jaashii' with Asha around 1956 when she was still
with Ganpatrao Bhosle. And he seems to have composed
'tiinhii-saanJaa' in the '50s though its recording date is not
known to me.
Lata did sing one non-film song for Sudhir Phadke in the '50s.
maJ saang lakshmaNaa jaauu kuThe - Geet Ramayan.
Manik Verma was Phadke's choice for most songs in Geet
Ramayan but she was heavily pregnant when the last song
was about to be recorded. Lata was chosen to replace her.
Nerurkar's book credits Lata as producer of only one film
MDed by Vasant Prabhu : WaadaL.
In addition to the songs already listed in the thread, Asha
sang the following lovely songs for Vasant Prabhu :
gaLyaat maajhyaa tuuch jiivalagaa (around 1949-50)
raadhaa gauLan karate manthan
harii uchchariNii anant paap-raashii
apure maajhe swapna raahile
darpaNii baghate mii gopaaLaa
tujhyaa gaLaa, maajhaa gaLaa (Asha-Sudhir duet)
Sudhir Phadke had sung two Marathi film songs for Vasant
Prabhu around 1953. Hridaynath Mangeshkar's 'maanasiichaa
chitrakaar' and 'devaavaaNii shet maajh.n' are also Prabhu's
compositions. He is also responsible for getting Talat to sing
two songs in Marathi. 'yash he amR^it jhaale' (solo) and
'swapne mannatalii kaa', a duet, in which Suman has given
a Lata-esque performance. Meagre as Prabhu's output for
male voices was, quite a few of his fellow-composers sang
for him.
A few Lata songs are often miscredited to Prabhu.
* aalii diwaaLii mangal-daayii
* bhaauubiiJelaa aalaa maajhaa bhaauu gharii
They are Datta Davjekar's compositions.
Vasant Prabhu set to tune songs by some of the finest Marathi
poets of his day :
A few songs written by Madgulkar.
'divyatvaachii jeth prachiitii' - Borkar
'anaam viiraa' - Kumumagraj
'aaDavaaTelaa .... jiirNa paachoLaa' - Kusumagraj.
- dn
aanand
/nis din barasat/ de mala de chandrike were recorded for radio around
1956-57. but LAtA-HM more output came during 60-70 s.
2. One more male song of Vasant prabhu : Sakhi shejarini tu hasat raha
by Arun date.
3. Following songs of good poet had music by Vasant prabhu
Tambe: Jan palabahr mhantil
madhu magasi mazya sakhya pari
te dugh tuzya tay ghatatale
kala zya lagaly jiva
B : Chapha bolena
Madhav julian : prema swarup aai
va. ra, kant : sakhi shejarini
4. jithe sagara dharani milate was his one female voice song which was
sung by Suman.
5. Which were his songs of gadima ?
rgds
anand.
"naniwadekar" <nani3...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<c2t0u0$21klgp$1...@ID-75735.news.uni-berlin.de>...
naniwadekar
"aanand" <anandj...@yahoo.com> wrote -
>
> 1. Chandane shimpit jasi has been recorded around 1954 ...
>
If true, it is a phenomenal achievement. Hridaynath was just
17 in 1954.
By the way, the Hridaynath-Lata-Raja Badhe song is
'de malaa ge (not de) chandrike priitii tujhii' .
>
> 4. jithe sagara dharani milate was his one female voice song
> which was sung by Suman.
>
I don't know why you keep making these misleading statements.
It's not his only song with Suman and Suman is not the only
non-sister to have sung for Prabhu.
Suman's other songs for Prabhu include :
haale haa nandaagharii paaLaNaa
pivaLii piwaLii haLad laagalii
> 5. Which were his songs of gadima ?
>
I can't recall any off-hand. But I am 99% sure Prabhu had
composed a couple of songs penned by Ga Di Madgulkar.
>
> Tambe: Jan palabahr mhantil
> madhu magasi mazya sakhya pari
> te dugh tuzya tay ghatatale
> kala zya lagaly jiva
> B : Chapha bolena
>
It's *Bee*, please. Bee as in honey-bee. Narayan Muralidhar
Gupte had adopted that monicker. The famous poem 'gaaii
paaNyaavar kaay mhaNun aalyaa' is also Bee's.
http://www.marathiworld.com/gani/list_action.php?ch=R&sort=1
Prabhu-Tambe combo also includes 'nav-vadhuu priyaa
mii baavarate'. And 're hind-baandhavaa, thaamb yaa sthaLii',
penned by Bhaa Raa Tambe as tribute to Jhansi Ki Rani,
who was née Manu-tai Tambe. I haven't heard the tribute
to Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi and wasn't even aware until
recently that Prabhu had set the song to tune for Lata.
- dn
naniwadekar
"aanand" <anandj...@yahoo.com> wrote -
>
> 3. Following songs of good poet had music by Vasant prabhu
>
> Tambe
>
To Tambe, Borkar and Kusumagraj, great poets of the last
century, we can add names of great poets who wrote poems
hundreds of years ago which were set to tune by Vasant Prabhu
for Lata and Asha : Dnyaneshwar (harii uchchaaraNii),
Kabir (dil dharawe) and Surdas (mai.n nahii maakhan khaayo).
- dn
