Book Review: SD Burman:The World of His Music,By Mitra Phukan
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Vedprakash
Aug 18, 2013, 6:20:02 AM8/18/13
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Music,By Mitra Phukan
Book:
Author: Khagesh Dev Burman
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs 295
Pages: 312
SD Burman: The World of His Music by Khagesh Dev Burman is a
translation from the original Bangla. This is a lovingly detailed work
about the maestro's musical journey from a remote state in the
Northeast, to the hearts of millions of Indians. The author has drawn
on numerous sources, including SD's autobiography, eyewitnesses and
people close to the maestro, as well as his colleagues and rivals. He
has combined them with his own observations, both musical and
personal, to make this a work worth reading.
The book details how a person from the royal family of Tripura battled
all odds to achieve the kind of success that finally became his. The
erstwhile royal family did not take kindly to his decision to pursue
music rather than take on the mantle of administrative duties. True,
Tripura was � it still is � a place where music of various genres
flourished. Sachin karta, as the maestro is respectfully called in his
native state, combined the musical influences of the courtly khayal
and thumri which were heard in the palace, with the richness of the
folk songs of Tripura and East Bengal � now Bangladesh � where he
spent much of his childhood. Music was in his blood, true. But it was
not an easy path that he chose.
A prince of the realm, he would mix with the boatmen and farmers and
soak in their haunting melodies. Sachin karta's love of the land
mingled with his musical genius to give his work that uniqueness which
unmistakably marked each of his creations. Assimilating these various
influences, his own unique creativity produced sparkling gems for both
Bangla and Hindi film music for decades.
The book is peppered with interesting anecdotes, about the man and his
music. His meticulousness, his perfectionism and his ability to
deliver are all detailed here. This is, however, no hagiography, for
his failures and his discouragements are also shown. The maestro's
musical journey from the complexities of the classical style to the
simplicity that was demanded if a film song were to be a hit is
explained. Sachin karta's simple delight in hearing his song on a
peasant's lips is movingly detailed. He perfected the difficult art of
being nuanced, layered, while keeping the basic melody catchy and
simple, so that even his cook could hum it.
SD delivered hit after hit from the Thirties to the Seventies in the
Bombay film industry and the Bengali musical sphere, with no hint of
burnout or fatigue. From early songs such as Tadbeer se bigdi hui
taqdeer bana le (Baazi, 1951) to Phoolon ke rang se (Prem Pujari,
1970) which came much later, the journey was incredibly varied, with
each song fresh in its melodiousness and imagination. The author seeks
to reveal some of the behind-the-scenes workings that went to shape
these hits. They make for engrossing reading.
The book also details his relationships with various singers, how he
brought in fresh new voices and used each singer impartially,
according to the needs of the actors and the demands of the cinematic
situation. He also fused Western music if the situation demanded it.
His own haunting voice was sometimes unforgettably backgrounded in the
films, though he knew that its unique pitch and timbre were not suited
to those who would be lip-synching to them. The compositions that he
sang in many films are still treasured. There are also some
interesting vignettes of how his son, RD Burman, grew as a composer,
and SD's musical relationship with RD.
The book has a very valuable list of songs that he put to music, in
chronological order � both Bangla and Hindi songs, film and non-film �
and the numerous awards that were showered on him. This record will
surely be of great interest to both scholars of music, as well as
innumerable music lovers who count themselves as SD Burman's admirers.
It is always very difficult to pin down, and analyse, through the
medium of the written word, the evanescent beauty of music. Words
falter and fail before the evocative and emotive loveliness of the
aural. To his credit, the author has tried to examine, through
technical scrutiny, how some of Sachin karta's best songs were put
together, to work their magic on the heartstrings of listeners across
the country. He has analysed the way SD "threw" his voice, the way
certain words and syllables were lengthened or accented, and much
more, to produce the desired effect. Of course, the emotive quality of
that amazingly timbred and hauntingly textured voice cannot be pinned
down. Yet these technical details help get an understanding of SD
Burman's musicality, his style and his methods.
The translation, by the author himself in collaboration with SK Ray
Chaudhuri, is competent. It flows easily, and avoids the pitfalls that
books of this kind are prone to. It is something a layperson can read,
without being tripped up by jargon. This is indeed a book that lovers
of film and folk music, as well as the countless fans of SD himself,
would love to own.
Mitra Phukan is an author and translator
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-prince-come-to-music/1156304/0
Book:
Author: Khagesh Dev Burman
Publisher: Rupa
Price: Rs 295
Pages: 312
SD Burman: The World of His Music by Khagesh Dev Burman is a
translation from the original Bangla. This is a lovingly detailed work
about the maestro's musical journey from a remote state in the
Northeast, to the hearts of millions of Indians. The author has drawn
on numerous sources, including SD's autobiography, eyewitnesses and
people close to the maestro, as well as his colleagues and rivals. He
has combined them with his own observations, both musical and
personal, to make this a work worth reading.
The book details how a person from the royal family of Tripura battled
all odds to achieve the kind of success that finally became his. The
erstwhile royal family did not take kindly to his decision to pursue
music rather than take on the mantle of administrative duties. True,
Tripura was � it still is � a place where music of various genres
flourished. Sachin karta, as the maestro is respectfully called in his
native state, combined the musical influences of the courtly khayal
and thumri which were heard in the palace, with the richness of the
folk songs of Tripura and East Bengal � now Bangladesh � where he
spent much of his childhood. Music was in his blood, true. But it was
not an easy path that he chose.
A prince of the realm, he would mix with the boatmen and farmers and
soak in their haunting melodies. Sachin karta's love of the land
mingled with his musical genius to give his work that uniqueness which
unmistakably marked each of his creations. Assimilating these various
influences, his own unique creativity produced sparkling gems for both
Bangla and Hindi film music for decades.
The book is peppered with interesting anecdotes, about the man and his
music. His meticulousness, his perfectionism and his ability to
deliver are all detailed here. This is, however, no hagiography, for
his failures and his discouragements are also shown. The maestro's
musical journey from the complexities of the classical style to the
simplicity that was demanded if a film song were to be a hit is
explained. Sachin karta's simple delight in hearing his song on a
peasant's lips is movingly detailed. He perfected the difficult art of
being nuanced, layered, while keeping the basic melody catchy and
simple, so that even his cook could hum it.
SD delivered hit after hit from the Thirties to the Seventies in the
Bombay film industry and the Bengali musical sphere, with no hint of
burnout or fatigue. From early songs such as Tadbeer se bigdi hui
taqdeer bana le (Baazi, 1951) to Phoolon ke rang se (Prem Pujari,
1970) which came much later, the journey was incredibly varied, with
each song fresh in its melodiousness and imagination. The author seeks
to reveal some of the behind-the-scenes workings that went to shape
these hits. They make for engrossing reading.
The book also details his relationships with various singers, how he
brought in fresh new voices and used each singer impartially,
according to the needs of the actors and the demands of the cinematic
situation. He also fused Western music if the situation demanded it.
His own haunting voice was sometimes unforgettably backgrounded in the
films, though he knew that its unique pitch and timbre were not suited
to those who would be lip-synching to them. The compositions that he
sang in many films are still treasured. There are also some
interesting vignettes of how his son, RD Burman, grew as a composer,
and SD's musical relationship with RD.
The book has a very valuable list of songs that he put to music, in
chronological order � both Bangla and Hindi songs, film and non-film �
and the numerous awards that were showered on him. This record will
surely be of great interest to both scholars of music, as well as
innumerable music lovers who count themselves as SD Burman's admirers.
It is always very difficult to pin down, and analyse, through the
medium of the written word, the evanescent beauty of music. Words
falter and fail before the evocative and emotive loveliness of the
aural. To his credit, the author has tried to examine, through
technical scrutiny, how some of Sachin karta's best songs were put
together, to work their magic on the heartstrings of listeners across
the country. He has analysed the way SD "threw" his voice, the way
certain words and syllables were lengthened or accented, and much
more, to produce the desired effect. Of course, the emotive quality of
that amazingly timbred and hauntingly textured voice cannot be pinned
down. Yet these technical details help get an understanding of SD
Burman's musicality, his style and his methods.
The translation, by the author himself in collaboration with SK Ray
Chaudhuri, is competent. It flows easily, and avoids the pitfalls that
books of this kind are prone to. It is something a layperson can read,
without being tripped up by jargon. This is indeed a book that lovers
of film and folk music, as well as the countless fans of SD himself,
would love to own.
Mitra Phukan is an author and translator
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-prince-come-to-music/1156304/0
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