Pehla jikr unke guru ka: Ustad Aman Ali Khan: Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan
He may have sung Sur na saje kya gaon me, but he was never short of any Sur. He was Perfection. Any song sung by this maestro would qualify as’Best’, and there is a reason for that, he never stopped training his voice.
*Swar ki saadhna parmeshwar ki
Riyaaz is the most important part of any art. brushstrokes, writing, singing, playing an instrument, even cooking. It is practice that makes perfect. God bestows that special something that we know as talent. It is talent that marks the line between a Practitioner and an Artist. Manna Dey was a step ahead, he was a Singer’s Singer. All other singers looked up to him as their master.
I am listing some songs. but just scratching the surface really. He has sung in Bengali and other languages, many non-filmi songs too.
*O Gori tori banki banki chitwan me ulajh ke jiya mora hai balkhai
Hai re me to prem diwana mera dard na koi jaana
Chalat musafir moh liya re pinjre wali muniya
Ik chatur naar badi hoshiyar*
He was used a lot for mijahiya songs, sung by Mehmood or the comic of the movie. The best among these, Ik chatur naar from Padosan is a treat. I dont think music has ever been woven into comedy as well as it was here, ever before or ever again.
He sung scores of backgroung songs like: **Nirbal se ladai balwan ki, yeh kahani he diye ki aur toofan ki
*nadiya chale chale re dhaara
The list warms up now. His duets are amazing. Lata’s voice sounds particularly comely beside the deep manly voice of Manna Dey. The songs are so romantic, so melodious that they have survived for 5 decades.
*Pyaar hua ikrar hua hai, pyar se phir kyon darta hai dil.
Ye raat bhigi, yeh mast fizayen, utha dhire dhire wo chand pyara pyara
Raj Kapoor/Nargis on screen with Lata /Manna in the backgroud. Kya Magic!
Playful Shammi with Mala in Ujala:
*Jhoomta mausam mast mahina, chand si gori ek hasina
aankh me kajal muh pe pasina, , , yala yala dil le gayi
From Sati Savitri: **Tum gagan ke chandrama ho, me dhara ki dhool hoon
From Jyoti: **Soch ke ye gagan jhoome, abhi chand nikal aayega-
From Raat aur Din: **Dil ki girah khol do chup na baitho koi geet gao
My favorite:
Wo chand muskaya wo tare sharmaye, hamara bhi dil na machlne lage
The maestro was best utilised for his classical songs.
*Poocho na kaise maine rain bitaye
Sur na saje kya gaon me
Laaga chunri me daag chupao kaise
Sapt suran teen gram
Phool gendwa na maro, lagat karejwa pe chot
jhanak jhanak tori baaje payaliya
cham cham baaje re payaliya
aayo kahan se ghanshayam*
My Picks:
5: Tu Chuppi hai kahan: Appears in the climax of the movie Navrang. This long playing song was sung with Asha. The operatic song ends in a magnificent cresendo. The rajgayak’s muse has deserted him, and he is faced with a death sentence if he fails to sing. The first few lines are a sad
cry to his estranged wife. As the song progresses, his wife returns and so does his muse- Mohini. The change of mood during the song is amazing.
Bhay Bhanjana Vandana Sun hamari: This classical bhajan from Basant Bahar can bring tears to your eyes. Sur me leen ho ke gaana sirf Manna da ko aata tha.
Jeevan se lambe hain bandhu, yeh jeevan ke raste : Another heart wringer, a real road song. In the movie Aashirwad, Ashok kumar is travelling back to his village to see his daughter. This philosophical song leaves me terribly moved every time I hear it.
Ketki Gulab Juhi champak ban phoole: This one from Basant Bahar was not a solo either. This one was a real test of the master. Here he was not pitted against any of his other worthy playback singers but a real classical singer par excellance, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Panditji’s tayaari as he sings the opening lines is awe inspiring. He gives other singers lessons in how to sing. But Manna Da must have invoked his guru’s and muse and deities before singing this one. Wo is kasauti par khare utarte hain.
1. Tu hai mera prem devta: From the movie Kalpana, this was a duet with Rafi. ’Ho ke rahegi jeet usi ki, jis ki kala se shankar jaage’ . My association with this fabulous, rare song is nostagic. I heard it first during a school-trip to Balachadi beach and my music teacher and my dance teacher sang this song.
*Man ki pyaas bujhane aayi, antarghat tak pyaasi hoon me,
tu hai mera prem devta**.
Listening to these 5 songs early in the morning is as good as ibadat to me.