The diva of playback singing, now 86, has launched a YouTube series to take fans on a nostalgic journey.
Cut to the present. Asha Bhosle, the trailblazing playback singer who infused every song with iconic flourishes, is now taking music fans on a journey through her life and a bygone era.
Asha Ji said:
“I was appreciating the beauty of the temples in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square when I noticed a man with a colorful shirt and wacky eyeglasses standing in a café there.” He had a familiar appearance. “I stepped in and was surprised to see Pancham there (R.D. Burman).” ‘Hello Ashaji,’ he said, ‘come listen to this.’ He was listening to a record that consisted solely of various noises.”
“After a month in Bombay, I received a call from him requesting a tape. It was a fantastic, upbeat composition. I remembered and recreated some of the sounds I had heard in the Kathmandu café when rendering it. Pancham was enthralled by the song. However, he notified me two days later that the music had been removed from the film.”
“I was distraught and went immediately to the home of director Dev Anand saab. I told him it’s a beautiful number and should be kept at any cost. He pondered for a moment before responding, “Since you say so, I will. However, the issues did not appear to be resolved. The song was taken off the air by All India Radio. Thankfully, Radio Ceylon began to broadcast it. ‘Dum Maro’ is a song by the band Dum Maro.”
Asha hails from a long line of entertainers. Pt. Dinanath Mangeshkar was the owner of a traveling music and theater group. Asha used to sing for the ensemble when she was a kid. She eavesdropped on her elder sister Lata’s classical music lesson after his death before enrolling in it herself.
Her success stems from her ability to appeal to people of all ages. With the flip of a tune, she can transform into an entertainer with her spontaneous improvisation and joviality, if she comes across as an artist with deep musical sensibilities.
Source: thehindu