Kishore Kumar is part of our stream of consciousness. After we have been rising up within the ’80s, we might pay attention and carry out to his songs like Jahan teri yeh nazar (Kaalia, 1981). I bear in mind I used to be in hospital with a damaged hand once I heard about his loss of life in 1987. Two deaths which shook me, one was Rafi saab’s in 1980 after which Kishore da.
His was a posh voice. I believe when he began off in movies like Ziddi (1948), you hear the tune…Marne ki duayen kyon mangu, there’s a distinctive KL Saigal contact, particularly within the decrease notes. As everybody is aware of he was a Saigal bhakt. Then he progressively developed into his personal individual, his personal voice. You see the influences of the ’50s singers of the West, particularly in his yodelling. His “yodelling” was vocal gymnastics, it simply wasn’t breaking of the voice. It was a jugglery shifting from the notes within the chest to the falsetto. You’ll be able to see his technical prowess within the songs of Half Ticket (1962), all too clearly. Or the place he’s doing the half man-half girl impersonations within the Aake seedhi lagi. Unbelievable!
Additionally you are taking a tune like Kaise kahe hum (Sharmeelee, 1971), the melancholy he conveys within the tune is superb. Whereas it’s picturised on Shashi Kapoor please observe the “harkats” and the precise ache. You’ll be able to virtually “contact” it.
He additionally belonged to a era of actors who additionally needed to “sing” their songs.
He belonged to the Ashok Kumar pedigree, so getting performing gives got here very simple to him and he was a born pure. However he at all times maintained that he simply wished to sing and that is it. He was an unintentional actor in line with his personal phrases and did not actually get pleasure from performing as a lot as he loved singing. However throughout the widespread movie and music format look the place he took all of it to.
Although I began my profession singing Rafi saab’s cowl variations in Delhi and Mumbai, music lovers who know me effectively know that I’m steeped into the Kishore Kumar model of singing. I don’t copy him however amalgamate his singing model. For those who hear the antara of Sooraj hua maddham… Hai khubsurat yeh pal….(Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, 2001) it’s completely Kishore da’s model of singing. And even should you hear Meri duniya hai tujh mein kahi (Vaastav, 1999) you will note the Kishore-esque model of singing.
Kishore da had no boundaries. Different playback singers have been sure to conventional types of singing. However Kishore da experimented with the shape and elegance. He may simply be free flowing like water. As me and my dad say, he’s the perfect “all rounder”- singing, performing, producing, directing, music course. There’s no phrase for him besides utilizing a cliche – genius.
