Asha Bhosle: we’ve lost the soul in our music

With 70 years of professional singing and 12,000 songs under her belt in practically every Indian language, Asha Bhosle is not just a legend but a force to be reckoned with in the Indian film industry. And the octogenarian will celebrate her 80th birth year with her fans in the UAE with a concert on December 13.

But how can one encompass such a vast repertoire in two or three hours?

“Obviously not,” Bhosle laughed. “No one can hear so much, nor can I sing that much”.

Not exactly a concert, I am Asha will present actor Farooque Shaikh in conversation with her, while Bhosle will sing songs related to the situation being discussed. Bollywood diva and National Award winning actress Rekha will join them in the last hour of the show.

Bhosle would not reveal her song list. “It’s hard to say what she will sing as the show will be more impromptu than rehearsed,” Shaikh answered for Bhosle. “We shall discuss important events and facts of Ashaji’s life and career, speak to the audience, and see where the conversation leads us.”

“It will be a conversation about my professional journey with my colleagues, musicians, directors, actors, everyone. Do you know how Kishore Kumar or Dev Anand was or Lataji is? People only know Kishore Kumar was humorous but what he really was no one knows. People feel Lata Mangeshkar is quiet and serious when she’s actually chulbuli [skittish]. I have the kundli [life charts] of all these artists. And there will be songs. I’m nervous about it because it’s the first time I’m doing such a show, but I’m looking forward to it.”

With an experience as vast as hers, Bhosle is bound to find a great divide between the music of the last two decades and those before it. And, she says, it’s not good.

“I’ve observed the industry for a long, long time and I’ve noticed we’ve lost the soul in our music. Till the 80s the music in our films was good before slowly waning. Why? Because the lyricists such as Sahir [Ludhianvi] Sahab, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Shakeel Badayuni, H.S. Bihari were no longer there,” she told tabloid! prior to a press conference at Bhosle’s signature restaurant Asha’s in Wafi City.

“Now anything and everything sells. If you keep eating rubbish ultimately, you’ll get used to it and think that’s good. Similarly, if you keep listening to cheap songs, you’ll start enjoying them. That’s how the public is. It will take anything as long as it’s free. What else can you say for lyrics that have Fevicol [an Indian glue brand], chewing gum and lungi [sarong] in them? No longer can a woman sit in a mehfil [gathering] and sing a song. What will she sing? Munni Badnam Hui? In front of her parents, in-laws and children?

“I believe that the words in a song are its soul, music is the body and the adornment of this body and soul is the work of us singers. You need to understand what the song is telling you — it has to speak to you. How do you expect us to be inspired to sing when the lyrics are such? I feel in the creation of a song, the onus is more on the writer than the singer or composer.”

Bhosle married her “soulmate” legendary composer R.D. Burman in 1980 but shared a close and successful professional partnership with him for more than 30 years. From the 12,000 odd numbers that Bhosle has sung, many superhits have been the result of this partnership, mainly from the 1970s. Piya Tu Ab To Aaja (Caravan), Dum Maaro Dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko (Yaadon Ki Baarat) have been used as yardsticks for following generations of singers to match their prowess against.

“Pancham [aka Burman] wanted me to modulate my voice just as he would do. It was really difficult for me to do that. He would make all sorts of sounds in his songs with the aim of bringing in something new to each of his compositions. These things encouraged us singers to have fun with the song, to create something new, to listen to something new,” remembered Bhosle fondly, with her eyes turned down and a soft smile playing on her lips.

It was however difficult to believe this was hard for her because she is a diverse singer, known to modulate her voice to suit the star on screen from Rekha to Hema Malini, Padmini Kolhapure to Poonam Dhillon, Neelam to Urmila Matondkar. This she attributes to her training in classical singing.

“You have to have a strong foundation in classical notes. Unless you know the basics, you cannot sing anything. Even today, I practice each morning. If I stop, I will have no [singing] voice. Just as our body becomes slack and fat if we don’t exercise, our vocal cords, that are so tiny, need the riyaz [practice] to stay fit.”

Though Bhosle has not been a mentor or a teacher to students, she has judged reality singing shows on TV, such as Indian Idol and Sur-Kshetra, often known to be a strict judge. For her, to be a good singer what’s most essential is a good voice and knowledge of sur [pitch].

“Everyone is a singer and they don’t really see the need to learn,” Bhosle disdainfully said. “If you advise someone to do riyaz or not eat food such as ice cream or yoghurt, they aren’t bothered, in fact, they laugh it off. They aren’t really interested because they can’t stand the thought of giving up something to gain something. Unless they have the passion for the art, they will not do anything about it. I like to work with difficult things. I like challenges. My whole life has been a challenge.

“To be a singer, if the sur is not right, however good the voice, it’s useless,” Bhosle said. “Then you need the right diction, rhythm and expression. If the voice is good, yet lacks expression or the talafuz [rendering of the words] is wrong — for example, somebody says ‘khudaa’ or ‘khudai’ for ‘khuda’, or ‘gum’ for ‘gham’ — a discerning listener will feel a pinch in his hearing. So, it’s only when all these elements come together, they create good singing.”

Bhosle also misses the strong female protagonist in Indian cinema.

“Nowadays, the films are based on the hero. The heroine is there just to dance and romance. Earlier there were films such as Sharda, Bandani… where you saw the actress carry the whole film to success”.

Don’t miss it

I am Asha, featuring Asha Bhosle in concert and in conversation with Farooque Shaikh and Rekha at Dubai International World Trade Centre on Friday, December 13.

Doors open 6pm, show starts 7pm. Tickets priced from Dh100-Dh2,000. Call 050-2254010/04-4337607.