We associate different songs and music with different people. Different situations too have a song ascribed to that. Our world is full of musical journey.
Hardly will you find a person devoid of any song attributed to himself. The Bollywood film industry cannot live without a big dose of songs even when the story doesn’t warrant it. We are musically inclined people.
Somewhere over the rainbow may be the song of your life which gives you the sweet feelings in your heart. Sometimes it’s te amo. Or the Lara Fabian’s Je t’aime! Who can not get moved by such lovely lyrics or the music? Music has been responsible for bringing back love in our lives. So many love songs that can move you exist. Some become our anthems and some remind us about our nostalgic past. Some raise anger for the losses that we have met and some can trigger the tear glands to just flow incessantly.
Wandering sages and saints too have brought devotion back to us. Men and women who sing songs about The Lord or to Him are many.
Kanakadasa was primarily responsible for making Krsna turn His statue towards him. Meerabai could melt the heart of even the great Muslim ruler of India, Akbar. Tukaram could make the river Chandrabhaga get back His precious words from the bottom of her bosom.
Bhajans and kirtans are a part of our ancient lore. The Bauls of Bengal are too famous. So are the dance acts from there.
The Durga Pooja evokes these songs and dances, so does Raas Garba reminds us of Krsna Leelas.
There isn’t a single village where music doesn’t exist. Whether it’s the cacophony of raucous loud sounds, lewd words or even ear shattering music, life has always held our inner being enthralled to the sounds of music.
Music moved people and even lighted the corridors of palaces. The various ragas sung at various hours have evoked different moods for that hour. Long ago I would rise to the early morning music of mangal dhwani. Songs like Ghanashyam Sundara Sridhara Arunoydaya Jhala were my wake up sounds.
My maternal grandmother’s aunt in whose house I was born had a great classical singer staying with her. Coming from an aristocratic family, singers, musicians, dancers, actors were always around in a large number. Suresh Haldankar was the name of this singer whose name got Christened to me. I could sleep next to the huge gramophone player of that time. Listening to songs which moved my being.
Later my uncle bought a huge one at Bandra for my listening pleasure. We had piles of recordings too. Singers like Jitendra Abhisheki, great Sarangi players like Pandit Ramnarayan, neighbors like Vassanji and His illustrious son Suresh Wadkar became my frequent past times listening to them.
Music can move mountains. Music can put devotion in a persons world. Listening to the words of Sufi saints or Kabir can melt a human heart. Devotion rises when our ears listen to the saints words. My great grandma could pen lyrics to Saibaba and they would sing those in Shirdi.
Sometimes I wonder why no one can sing at my satsangs or bring back that spiritual fervor around us. I know I have to wait for my Meerabai or Das Ganu to come to me. Till then let’s just remember others.
