DYING MELODIES!

DYING MELODIES

By Shilpi Shukla Alexander

There’s a clear divide in the Indian music world between film and non-film music. With their huge budget, films are growing ever bigger. The blend of pop, rap and Sufi music in Indian film songs has doomed the independent music genre.

Alisha Chenoy had young India crooning “Made in India.” Shaan’s “Tanha Dil,” Abhijeet’s “Deewana” and Sonu Nigam’s “Tuuuu” made them the voice of the new generation. Daler Mehndi’s “Bolo Ta Ra Ra” made him the unrivalled Bhangra King; Colonial Cousins brought in western fusion to classical ragas; Bombay Vikings’ “Wo Chali” introduced a genre of English fusion to old Bollywood tracks; Remo Fernandes “O Meri Munni” and Baba Sehgal’s “Thanda Thanda Paani” had us jiving to Hindi rap, Sunita Rao came up with the mesmerizing “Pari Hoon Main”; Ila Arun’s “Maaro Ghaghro” and Shubha Mudgal’s “Ab Ke Saawan” made us fall in love with rustic melodies. Adnan Sami and Asha Bhosle’s “Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao” and Alka Yagnik’s “Saare Sapne” symphonies touched virtually every Indian heart. The 1990s saw many independent musicians rise to fame with chartbuster albums. Non-film music was a rage. Today, however, this music culture is in its death throes.

Click on the link below to view the complete article as published in Little India, US on...

The genre of non-film music seems to be dying out in India.