When K.J Yesudas started his career in Hindi Film music none would have even imagined that let alone winning the National award, all the songs from the film Chitchor would be super hits and would become immortal in film music history! Chitchor had beautiful songs which were sung by virtually non entities of Bollywood in those days namely Yesudas and Hemlatha. Ravindra Jain gave everything to bring life to some of the best remembered songs in the history of Indian Film Music! "Gori Tera", "Jab Deep", "Tujo Mere" all were a class apart. Jain had so much faith in Yesudas that he gave all the songs to him. Yesudas became the first south Indian singer to bag a National award singing in Hindi! Ravindra jain even mentioned that "If God gives my eyesight back, the first person whom I would like to see would be Yesudas. He has the voice of God." What more could a singer aspire for! There after he sang for almost all the best music directors like Roshan, Jaidev, Khayyam, Bappi Lahari, Rajkamal....He also sang many beautiful duets with Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle. He gave voice to Amitabh Bachchan in songs like "Chaand Akela", "Koi gata", "Mohabbat bade kaam Ki". This was in spite of Rafi and Kishore generally singing for Amitabh in those days! In the song "Mohobbat bade" from Trishul a Yash Chopra film, Yeasudas was the voice of Amitabh though the song had Rafi and Kishore too singing for other actors!
It was only due to his busy assignments in South India that Yesudas could not continue actively in Hindi. But we Malayalees have a habit of attacking him quite often by saying that he was not successful in Hindi due to his accent and pronunciation! This is really a shame as the Hindi music lovers, Music Directors, Producers...would never ever have thought of these things even in the wildest of their dreams! He had all respect there. In fact his record speaks for itself. He sang for all the best music directors and sang the best songs that even the leading singers of those days could not have dreamt of! Some songs like "Chand Akela" "Dheere Dheere", and all the songs from Chitchor can never ever be imagined in any other singer's voice in Bollywood. His Golden Voice and his uncanny ability to sing the most difficult of harkaths (sangathis) with ease was his forte.
Raag Yaman(Kalyani) has been extensively used in Film music both in the North and South of India. This is because the raag easily atttracts attention due to its underlying beauty of swara frequency progression. Most of the songs composed in Yaman have been hits too. "Jab Deep" too is in Yaman and has all the beauty of this Raag attached to it. This song has been requested many times by many music lovers and finally I was able to do it.
Vidyu has sung the female part and has done a wonderful job as usual! Its been quite long since I have posted a duet and so hope this compensates for the long wait.
Song: Jab Deep Jale Aana
Film: Chitchor
Original Singers: K.J Yesudas & Hemlatha
Music: Ravindra Jain
Lyrics: Ravindra Jain
Broad Band Player:
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INTERVIEW WITH K.J YESUDAS & RAVINDRA JAIN(QUOTED FROM THE HINDU NEWSPAPER)
Yesudas: Dada, I had invited you for my son's wedding. But then you were busy with `Vivah.'
Jain: Yes, the reel one.
(And the two burst out laughing)
Yesudas: Dada, do you remember our `Chitchor' days.
Jain: Of course. I was on the lookout for a fresh voice for Amol Palekar. And when I heard your voice, I heard the voice of India, of Hindustan. I played it to Basu da [Basu Bhattacharya, director of `Chitchor'] and he also said he had never heard such a divine voice before. All the greats, including singers, agreed that this was a unique voice. That was how the songs of `Chitchor were made. We alwo worked in 'Sunayana' and 'Nayya' ...
Yesudas: I feel that is destiny. I have never ever tried to grab songs. It is destined that each song be sung by a particular person and it is futile for someone else to try and grab that song. This is not a rat race. Right from `Aliyambal,' I have not tried to get ahead at the cost of anyone else.
K.P. Udayabhanu was supposed to sing that song. He fell ill and when the director asked me to sing, I was very reluctant. Only after Udayabhanu gave me the green signal did I agree to render the song. Similarly, when Dada called me, I went to Mumbai to sing for `Chitchor'
Jain: The songs were a big hit and I got a lot of compliments from singers, directors and actors for `Jab Deep Jale... ' It is an immortal song.
Yesudas: Those were the golden days of music. We used to have extensive rehearsals with the full orchestra. Even the film director would be there. But music, like art, evolves. It is not difficult to keep singing the same song year after year. But the song has to evolve and to do that the singer has to have that inner ability. That is manodharma. Usually, I am very serious about my work. So, when I indulged in these variations at a programme recently, the audience was pleasantly surprised. But I got an adept partner who gave me the space to sing. That is the chord that binds us, right Dada.
(He demonstrates by singing `Jab Deep Jale' with slight variations and soon Jain also joins in... )
Jain: When I composed the music for `Tansen,' there was one particular song that played on the ragas and the position of the `Sa.' Mohammed Rafi was at his peak then. When I played this song for him, he told me `Raviji, Mohammed Rafi would not be able to sing this song in this lifetime.' That was the greatness of Rafi. Hemant Da [Hemant Kumar] told me that the very thought of singing the song made him tense. It was finally sung by Yesu. Both of us worked on that song for two days during the recording. No food, no break or even a sip of water. We finished it only after 59 takes.
Yesudas: If we had the technology that is available now, we would have finished it in three hours. At the end of the recording, both of us fell ill. It is a unique song and one of the most difficult ones I have sung. I took no food till the recording was over.
Jain: No water either.
Yesudas: I wanted to do justice to the composition. Never ever have I taken more than 15 to 30 minutes to record a song. But we took five to six days for one song. At the end of it, when certain people told us `Dada, this song is too heavy,' I had to intervene. I asked them why were they making a film on one of the greatest musical legends of India if they did not want pure classical music. It is true that we owe a great deal to our listeners. But the tastes of our viewers and listeners have to grow to appreciate great films and pure Carnatic music.
Jain: One has to understand the mood of a situation for which a song has been composed. The music has to be in tune with the lyrics.
Yesudas: Now, there is lots of noise. If the music does not go with the lyrics and the mood of the scene that it is going to be picturised, the essence of the song is lost. It is not enough to sing the notes on a paper. One has to feel the music and lyrics.
Jain: And it is possible to do that. For instance, I have not changed my style of music for `Vivah.' But I changed the structure of the compositions to suit youngsters. Most of them are so busy as they have so many diversions. So one has to catch their attention.
I have worked in films and serials to my heart's content. By the end of this year, I plan to work with you again. Now, I want to introduce the younger generation to the rich culture of India. So I am composing music for the Vedas and the Upanishads. Yesu, both of us will work on that.
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This is another beautiful song from those times in the 90's when melody and lyrical value was supreme in films. The film "Oru Minnam Minunginte Nuruguvettam" was also a classic from Bharathan which was made immortal by the acting of Nedumudi Venu. Every song was excellent in the film. I have attempted "Melle Melle" from the film.
