Bollywood Blues 1.16.21

Dr. Mike Ghouse   January 17, 2021   Comments Off on Bollywood Blues 1.16.21

Desi Golden Oldies, the song’s from the ’50s and ’60s.
1/16/21 – Desi Golden Oldies | every Second Saturday of the month
A Presentation of the Center for Pluralism
Pluralism Events on culture, politics, religion & workplace
https://centerforpluralism.com/workshops
Bringing the communities together.

Video Available at:

Organized by the Center for Pluralism
Co-hosts: Nuzaira Azam and Mike Ghouse

Our singers today are: Vidya Sagar, Urmila Prasad, Ray Keshwani, Malavika Anand & Shalini Kapil – The bios are listed below

We thank the Center for pluralism for organizing this event on the 2nd Saturday of every month, and Jafar Imam Saheb who enthusiastically brings people together.  We hope to take this program to live programs when the covid is over.

The Songs;

  1. Tu Ganga Ki Mauj (Baiju Bawra) – Sagar
    Music by Naushad, lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni and Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari acted in the film Baiju Bawara, it is a 1952 release. Sagar Saheb sang one of its evergreen song O Duniya Ke Rakhwale last time
  2. Mere bachpan ke saathi (Anmol Ghadi) – Urmila
    Music by Naushad, lyrics by Tanveer Naqvi, and the movie was Anmol Ghadi released in 1946. Almost all the songs of the movie were mega hits.
  3. Coco Korina – Keshwani
    It was one of the most popular songs by Ahmed Rushdi and sung everywhere in the melas and song events. It was from the film Arman released in 1966. It is considered the first pop song of Pakistan and even south Asia. The actor was Waheed Murad.
  4. Lag ja gale = Malavika
    It is a 1964 film and psychological mystery thriller film directed by Raj Khosla, starring Sadhana, Manoj Kumar, and Prem Chopra. Though the screenplay was written by Dhruva Chatterjee, parts were later rewritten, wherein Manoj Kumar took an active role. Music by Madan Mohan and the lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan
  5. Sun Sahiba Sun (Ram Teri Ganga Maili) – Shalini
    The song is from Ram Teri Ganga Maili released in 1985, even though it is from 1985, we took it for the sake of Shalini – American born Desi and we must encourage her. The music was composed by Ravindra Jain and written by none other than Raj Kapoor. Mandakini and Rajiv Kapoor played the lead roles in the movie.

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  6. Banda Parvar Thham Lo Jigar (Phir Wahi Dil Laya Hoon) – Sagar
    Majorooh Sultanpuri wrote the lyrics of this song, and Music was provided by OP Nayyar – known for this Guitar in just about every song.  Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh played the leading role and of course, Nasir Hussain produced the movie.
  7. Ai Dil Mujhe Bataday Kyoon us pay aagaya hai   – Urmila
    This is one of my favorite songs, the first time I heard was from my Mamu when I was a teenager. He was singing for a girl he liked, we would stand in the corner of the street and watch her come and buy the vegetable, and I can always remember the happiness on his face. The actress Shyama did justice to the song, as happy as it sounds she is running all over the house singing this song…. The song is by Geeta Dutt, music by Madan Mohan from the film Bhai Bhai
  8. Mujhe tum nazar sa gira to no do ge – Keshwani
    It is one of the popular Ghazals by Mehdi Hassan and has been sung by many singers and Asha Bhosle’s rendition is equally good. The film was Do Raha released in 1967, and Waheed Murad sings in the film to Shamim Ara. The Music was provided by Sohail Rana, and
  9. Ehsan Tera Hogal Mujh per – Malavika
    Junglee is a 1961 Film when Saira Banu was introduced. Every song in that movie was a hit – ayyayay karoon my kya, Yahooo….. Shankar Jaikishan’s music was a big hit.  Subodh Mukherjee produced some big hits – My experience with Rani Mukherjee – and her mother – Aishwarya Rai
  10. Aaja Re Pardesi (Madhumati) – Shalini
    The Film Madhumati is another romance classic from 1958, it won the national award for the best film of theyear. of course it is a Bimal Roy production, Salil Choudhary gave the music, and Rajinder Singh Bedi penned the lyrics. It is a Dilip Kumar Vyjanthi Mala Starrer – the other famous song is Suhana Safar aur a Mausam Haseen.
    # # #

  11. Aaj Kyun Humse Parda Hai(Qawwali grom Sadhana) – Sagar
    Sagar Bhai is taking us into a great qawwali from the film Sadhana in 1958 with Sunil Dutt and Vyjanthi Mala in the leading roles. The Qawwali was sung by Rafi and Balbir. It was a BR Chopra film – Most of the BR films had Dilip Kumar, Raj Kumar and Sunil Dutt. More than likely the lyrics were written by Sahir Ludhianavi and music was by Datta Naik

  12. Bachpan ki mohabbat ko (Baiju Bawra) – Urmila
    Urmila will present the beautiful song from Baija Bawara, another big hit from 1952 – That film won the filmfare award, and both Meena Kumari and Bharat Bhushan got the wards as well.
  13. Aap  Aye To Khayale Dile(Gumrah) – Sagar
    The film Gumrah was a big hit in the early 60’s, it was released in 1963. It is BR Chopra film with Sunil Dutt, Ashok Kumar, Mala Sinha, ShashiKala, Devan Verma. The songs made the film do well. Songs like, “Chalo Ek Baar Phir Se”. “Aa Bhi Ja”, “Aa Ja Aa Ja Re”, “Tujhko Mera Pyar Pukare” Every song touches your heart, particularly if you had fallen in love and it did not go anywhere, or she married someone else.
  14. Tune O Rangeele (Kudrat) – Shalini
    Even though the song is from the 80’s, we are making an exception for Shalini, she is an American born and raised Desi woman, and we are proud that she has an interest in Desi Songs. Chetan Anand made this film, he also made the big classic Guide with Dev Anand. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini in the main lead roles, supported by Raaj Kumar, Priya Rajvansh and Vinod Khanna.
  15. Akailay na jaana – Keshwani
    A big hit by Ahmed Rushdi from the film Arman release in 1966. It was the first Pakistani film to complete 75 weeks in cinemas and, thus, became the first Pakistani (Urdu) “Platinum Jubilee” film. The film was picturized in black-and-white prints in Karachi.
  16. Basti Basti Parbst Parbat (Rafi – Railway Platform) – Sagar
    Railway Platform is a 1955 Indian film about a love triangle between a princess, a poor man and his lover at a train station. The film marked the debut of Sunil Dutt, who was a popular announcer for Radio Ceylon before he made his breakthrough in Mother India (1957). Nalini Jayant was the heroine. Muhammad Rafi rendered the song, music was provided by Madan Mohan with lyrics by Sahir Ludhianavi.
  17. Sayonara sayonara (Love in Tokyo) – Malavika
    In the film Asha Parekh plays the role of a Japanese girl, and she does it well in this song. Love In Tokyo is a 1966 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed and produced by Pramod Chakravorty. Joy Mukherjee’s films always had good songs; the other popular song is O mere shak Khuba. The film was a hit at the box office.

Profiles of the Singers and organizers

Vidya Sagar

Vidya Sagar is an IT Professional/Engineer who worked at NASA, currently working for Health & Human Services.

Sagar started singing at the age of 4 and has kept up the enthusiasm and passion for music through all these years. He has won many awards in Music Competitions in India and also in US.

With his melodious and mesmerizing voice, he brings back to life the very singers whose songs he renders, be it Rafi, Manna Dey, Kishore Kumar, K.L. Saigal, Mahendra Kapoor, Mukesh…etc.

Urmila Prasad

Urmila Prasad is a Senior IT Professional working at NASA/Goddard in Maryland. She established Tarang Music Group along with Mr. Vidya Sagar 20+ years ago, which is one of the very first full-fledged orchestra groups in the Washington Metro area.

Urmila has given many performances, local and out of state with her music group. She has been performing Bollywood music from Old to New, with live orchestra and also on Karaoke as the occasion calls for. 

She sings in several Indian languages (Hindi, Bengali, Telegu, Bhojpuri); music has been her passion since childhood.

Shalini Kapil

Shalini Kapil is 26 years old and lives in Greensboro, North Carolina. Shalini has a Bachelor of Music-Vocal Performance degree from the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

She sings in a variety of languages including Italian, German, French, English and Hindi. In addition to Western classical training, Shalini has an affinity for Bollywood film music.

She sings a wide variety of songs from every decade from the melodious 50s, 60s, and 70s to upbeat tunes from the 80s, 90s, and today. Shalini has sung in various competitions and events in her local community and the United States.

Malavika Anand

Malavika Anand is a child prodigy blessed with a thumping beginning in the shape of a CD “Srihari Sankeerthana” of 17 Devotional songs in 4 languages at the tender age of 9 Years under the guidance of her Guru Smt. Kalanidhi Revathy Ratna Swamy (former Principal of Music College, Hyderabad). This was followed with a 2nd CD on Ramadasu Keerthanas when she was 10 years. Her inborn talent continues to be sculpted by her current Gurus, one of the Hyderabad Sisters Smt. Haripriya Garu and none other than Smt. Nitya Santhoshini (for Light Music). Her talents are a cynosure to many since she can sing fluently in 6 languages (Telugu, Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil and Marathi). Her awards galore range from Unique World Record, India Book of Records, Balratna, Yuva Ratna, Telangana State Book of Records. She has the reputation of performing at Mysore Maharaja Palace during Dasara twice, at Raj Bhavan, Press Club, SVBC Channel (reputed Annamayya paataku pattabhishekam Program) and has a video song highlighting projects of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Sri KCR Garu.

Ray Keshwani.

Ray Keshwani started his musical career in 1993 as a singer then decided to be a musician played as a drummer with all top name artist started his own A/V company in 2008 he is also a fantastic DJ and a sound engineer he is been in the music production industry for 25 years is that site is www.zarkentertainment.com

Jafar Imam

Jafer Imam worked for the IRS, Dept of Energy, and Loudoun County. He is retired now, but super active in the community. He is well connected with the community and knows who is who in the town. He and his wife Zeenat reside in Sterling, Virginia.

Nuzaira Azam- co-MC

Nuzaira Azam is a seasoned writer based in Washington D.C. A longtime journalist, she has three literary books on her credit, a collection of short stories Ashna na Ashna, and two novels, Khawab Badosh-a novel on immigrants to the. Her latest novel, under the title of Anahita ki Janam Basti, about a woman journalist.

Her writing focuses on Pakistani women’s empowerment, their self-respect, dignity, and the rights of women in a patriarchal society. Nuzaira Azam regularly contributes opinion pieces, articles, and news items for The Financial Daily International (TFD)  Pakistan. She heads a journalism organization The Global Beat Foundation.

Mike Ghouse

Dr. Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker, author, community consultant, pluralist, activist, newsmaker, and an interfaith wedding officiant. Mike is deeply committed to Free speech, Human Rights, and Pluralism in Religion, Politics, Societies, and the workplace. He is the founder and president of the Center for Pluralism and a fellow at the World Muslim Congress, a Think Tank and author of the book American Muslim Agenda, building a cohesive America.  He has dedicated his life to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions to the media and the policymakers on issues of the day.  Everything about him is at www.TheGhousediary.com.