SOUND OF MUSIC

Sony Walkman was probably one of the best inventions that humans came up with, or so we thought. Music accompanying you wherever you go, without disturbing the neighbours, co-passengers and you were spared the misery of bearing with the cacophony blaring through the public transport music systems. I am sure almost all of us have had their share of of this ordeal, where the driver’s choice (not the Director’s choice unfortunately!) had to be endured. Altaf Raja the famous qawwal whose “Tum to thehre Pardeshi, sath kya nibhaoge” fame, was almost like an anthem for all the drivers in the nineties. It was at such times when  a book in hand, headphones on the ears and you were shut out from the happenings in the surroundings. We could enjoy the solitude despite being in a crowd. Music soothes the souls, caresses it, heals it when hurt, ushers in joy and enhances the mood, be it melancholy like Dilip Kumar lip synching Talat Mehmood’s “Sham-e-gham ki kasam” or the exhilarating  “Zindigi ek safar hai suhana” with Rajesh Khanna in his element on the Royal Enfield and a coy Hema Malini  as the pillion. With the Dream Girl for company, the safar has to be suhana(!). Recall the "Do-Re-Mi song from Sound of Music, or "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."it finds a connect with the kids and it is music which melts the heart of even the Baron.

A music system was a 'must have' possession for all the youngsters in the 80s as it had become affordable, till the 70s it remained the sole preserve of the elite gentry who could afford the gramophone. Those days a radio transistor fulfilled this need with Radio Ceylon providing the Hindi Film songs and Jaimala programme on Vividh Bharti for the Fauji Bhaiyon ke liye, the Brown sahibs listened to Forces Request, the service officers would send requests for English numbers dedicated to their beloved. Many a real life romances can trace their origin to these adolescent requests being responded to. 

Then there were “video coach” bus service which showed movies recorded on VCRs and later with CD players, where the quality of the print and the audio left a lot to be desired, but co- passengers insisted on watching it at full volume. Once again it was the walkman which came to our rescue. 80s was the era when T series had just about transformed the music industry with  audio cassettes especially, the re-recorded old time classics in lesser known artists' voices ruling the roost. The IPR rules were circumvented and music was democratised from the sole preserve of the elitists to the commoners. I laid my hands on T series album by Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Shiv Kumar Sharma, "Call of the Valley" and got hooked to Indian classical music. Classical music is closest to divinity that a human being can get. 

The Gulshan Kumar revolution  was something akin to today’s smart phones which has helped in creating a flat world. With smart phones came the now ubiquitous pods or buds. The current generation of ear buds has taken it to a different level altogether. It's a common sight these days to watch youngsters mumbling to themselves while walking, eating, driving or in any public space, since the buds are hardly visible, one is never sure whether the individual is addressing us or in conversation with someone on the phone. In the days of yore, people speaking to themselves were considered nut cases and were immediately referred to the shrinks. I am sure most of the generation z would qualify.

Music is God's gift to us humans,  I am sure when we sing bhajans or hymns, it must reach Him without any filters,  straight from the heart. Unfortunately it is music itself which has become a casualty with these remixes, then there is  ubiquitous connectivity streaming all kinds of music round the clock. Too much of anything is akin to poison, as they say in Sanskrit, “Ati sarvatra varjayet”. The Smart phone version of music  and piracy has deprived us of the sheer pleasure and joy which music provided to the connoisseur and the commoner both. Even today when in the mood stream the music to  Bose speakers and just sit by yourself with a book or a drink on a cool evening with a gentle breeze, some good company and enjoy the heavenly feeling. As Friedrich Nietzsche said, "Without music life would be a mistake".