Excelsior Correspondent
PUNE, Sept 7: To mark the 84th birthday of veteran singer Asha Bhonsle falling tomorrow, Sarhad, Pune published a compilation of two Kashmiri songs sung by her 50 years ago. The CD was published at the hands of Sudhir Gadgil in the presence of veteran Kashmiri writer Pran Kishore Kaul. The songs are not available anywhere in the market. Two years ago while in Kashmir during the flood relief work, Sanjay Nahar, founder president of Sarhad obtained the songs from the Radio Kashmir archives with the help of G. R. Akhoon and republished them in the form of a CD in Pune today.
Khwaja Sayyad of Sarhad Music presented the CD to Asha Bhonsle in Mumbai. When Sudhir Gadgil contacted the singer over phone, she was overwhelmed to receive the old and rare songs sung by her. She said this was a very pleasant gift to her on the eve of her birthday. Pran Kishore Kaul recalled the memorable experience during the recording of the songs fifty years ago. He said – “An everlasting gift from the Maharashtra’s Nightingale Asha Bhonsle to the people of Kashmir’’.
It was summer of 1966 when Ashaji had come on a visit to the beautiful Valley of Kashmir. It became a big news. We in Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, craved to record an interview with her and if possible motivate her to sing a Kashmiri song too. When we approached her with the idea, she readily agreed to come to the studio to record the interview, but was a little hesitant saying that she had not even heard people speak the language except the boatwalas. But after a little persuasion she agreed and said, “Let us try.” So a popular song of Rasool Mir, King amongst the Kashmiri poets of romance, was selected. Ashaji asked the in-charge of the music section, Qaiser Qalander to dictate the text which she wrote in the Marathi script. She then listened to the tune a few times after which she gave us the date and time when she would come to the studio for recording. She came on dot and sat with the musicians and got immersed in her rehearsal in no time. I was watching from the recording booth. The music composer Nassrullah Khan seemed to be overawed, so a little hesitant. But Ashaji made not only him, but also the instrumentalists quite comfortable. I was amazed at the quick grasp she got of the phonetics of the Kashmiri words in a few rehearsals and how she carried the musicians along. The song was recorded in record time and with absolute perfection. Needless to say that it became a super hit and touched the heart of every Kashmiri. When after the recording, the cheque of the payment was presented to her she passed it on to the in-charge of music requesting him to get it cashed and the amount be distributed amongst the instrumentalists who had accompanied him.
Then after a gap of time Ashaji again came to Kashmir on a holiday. We were moved when she herself called us and expressed the desire to record another song for the Kashmiri listeners. We were thrilled. When she came to the studio she expressed her gratitude saying, that wherever she went in the Valley, every class of people treated her with overwhelming affection and respect. That was the magic the first song had created. The second song that we recorded was of the famous Sufi poet Shams Faqir which became doubly popular.
In the end, Pran Kishore said, I, as a Kashmiri must bow before her. She has emotionally united Maharashtra with Kashmir forever. These two songs are as popular now as they were fifty years back. Text of the songs is. Lalas Vantai Chus Sawal of Rasool Mir and Ha Aeshka Tchooro Rashka Kerthas Devana Tai Panun Laegith Kyazi Loguth Begana Tai (Shams Faqir).
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