To add to it, Ghazals started as a written form of urdu/ hindi poetry. It was sung in vocals, san any instruments, may be because Islam bars music but allows a form of spoken/ sung poems called Naats.
Later on, music got added to ghazals. So, him saying that ghazals have some particular, specific form of music is totally wrong statement. Ghazal is a written form of poetry and has nothing to do with music in real sense. Now, when a poetry is put to music, it is the freedom of the composer what kind of music he puts for it. ARR used modern music for ghazals in Tahzeeb which sounded "out of place" to my ears used to other type of music for ghazals, but still, they were ghazals because there poetry was ghazal. i am still sad that JS chose to trash pappu. It is like decrying what kind of desh-bhakti pappu song would inculcate. Well, papu is not a ghzal, not a desh-bhakti song. -- Rawat On 1/28/2009 1:15 PM India Time, _Aakarsh_ wrote: > With all due respects to both, Jagjit Singh and also ARR, let us first > note that it is an opinion and not necessarily a case of mud-slinging. > > And he was referring specifically to 'Ghazals' alone. We must note that > of Jagjit Singh did not admire ARR, he would not have agreed to be part > of 'Jan Gan Man' by ARR. > > So, lets not blow it out of proportion. > > Now, coming to ghazals, if one really listens to Ghazals, say the ones > that were composed in films, what jagjit Singh said is absolutely right. > We dont have ghazals anymore and lets accept it, even ARR did not > compose many. > > ARR is music-driven composer and many lyricists, including Gulzar, > agreed that he gets to write lyrics for the tunes already set into > music. and later they work around it. > > > * In Ghazals, the words are born first and then music is set to the > words. > * Also, the composer has a very indepth acumen about the language, > words, vocabulary, usage etc, while composing Ghazals. More > importantly urdu. > > > For both these points, ARR actually does not fit in. So, he has a > point. I am not saying that ARR is incapable of composing tunes for > lyrics. Neither i am saying that ARR lacks lyrical sense. Just that he > has recently started learning Hindi/urdu and that too out of the songs > he composed. So, it is not that he speaks/converses in Hindi/urdu to > have a grasp/mastery over the language to understand the nuances and > then set music accordingly so that certain words outshine the music, as > the ghazals demand that. > > Jagjit Singh is a seasoned ghazal singer and he has seen the length and > breadth of this field called 'Ghazals', having been one of the great > singers himself. So, from his angle and point of view, it is natural for > him to feel so. Rahman songs have good lyrics for sure, but they are > definitely not comparable to the ones in Ghazals or the world which > Jagjit Singh has seen. > > The only exception is ARR's Tehzeeb, which had 3 wonderful Ghazals, that > reaffirmed my faith in ARR that he can compose good ghazals too. But > tell me, How many people know about Tehzeeb, because it is not a great > audio-hit commercially, for us to see it in all TV channels. And also, > How many Tehzeebs did ARR do after that? None. I am sure that Jagjit > Singh never got to listen to this album. > > Just that ARR is not getting film-makers who insist on such rich > ghazals. Whatever might be reason, Jagjit has a point though. Lets look > at it objectivistically, instead of just posting negative comments on > Jagjit, without verifying whether he has a valid point or not. > Regards > /*Kamal Aakarsh Vishnubhotla.*/ > *//* > */http://kamal-aakarsh.blogspot.com <http://kamal-aakarsh.blogspot.com/> /* > > > > --- On *Wed, 1/28/09, gut but /<gut_...@yahoo.co.uk>/* wrote: > > From: gut but <gut_...@yahoo.co.uk> > Subject: Re: [arr] Re: Jagjit Singh - What does Rahman know about > ghazals > To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com > Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 11:52 AM > > I think Jagit singh is not happy about the fame and attention that > rahman is getting at the moment ! > we need to understand that rahman is not sticking to particular kind > of music, he goes according to > the taste of contemporary world and theme of movie. > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *From:* jsrwm <js...@yahoo. com> > *To:* arrahmanfans@ yahoogroups. com > *Sent:* Tuesday, 27 January, 2009 23:22:32 > *Subject:* [arr] Re: Jagjit Singh - What does Rahman know about ghazals > > Another story of "Oops this is a sour grape" begins.. > > --- In arrahmanfans@ yahoogroups. com > <mailto:arrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com>, Anil Nair <rhythmcalls@ > ...> wrote: > > > > Didn't expect Jagjit Singh to say this ...or maybe its just yet again > the > > "media monster" at work > > > > -A > > > > http://movies. indiainfo. com/2009/ 01/28/0901280633 _gazals.html > <http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/01/28/0901280633_gazals.html> > > > > What does Rahman know about ghazals?Wednesday, January 28, 2009 06:31 > [IST] > > > > Mumbai: DNA > <http://movies. indiainfo. com/2009/ 01/28/0901280633 _gazals.html# > <http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/01/28/0901280633_gazals.html#>>, > > in association with Rotary Club of Hiranandani Estate, Thane, brings > on > > stage the legendary ghazal maestro to recreate the magic of the > > music<http://movies. indiainfo. com/2009/ 01/28/0901280633 > _gazals.html# > <http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/01/28/0901280633_gazals.html#>> > > form. > > On the eve of Jagjit Singh Live in > > > Concert<http://movies. indiainfo. com/2009/ 01/28/0901280633 > _gazals.html# > <http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/01/28/0901280633_gazals.html#>> > > (at > > the Shanmukhananda Auditorium), the veteran exponent of ghazals rues > the end > > of their era in Hindi films. > > > > Jagjit is not singing any film songs currently because he feels there > is a > > lack of taste on the part of today's filmmakers and music directors. > "They > > don't know what ghazals are all about and they lack good taste in > music. > > What does AR Rahman know about ghazals? He will never use a ghazal in > his > > films. All they do is pick up tunes from the West," he says. > > > > He criticises contemporary music directors for ruining the Indianness > of > > sound. "Earlier, in the 60s and 70s, 90% of the music was based > on the > > ghazal. Today, there's no poetry phrasing, it's all Western and the > language > > is tapori -- a mix of English and Hindi. What kind of lyrics are > Pappu > > can't dance > <http://movies. indiainfo. com/2009/ 01/28/0901280633 _gazals.html# > <http://movies.indiainfo.com/2009/01/28/0901280633_gazals.html#>> > > saala?" > > > > Yet the popularity of the form endures. He says, "My audience has > only > grown > > over the years. I always improvise and add variations to my old songs > on > > stage. Every ghazal is re-born on that day." > > > > Interestingly, Jagjit only performs for a cause. On January 29, > at the > DNA > > and Rotary concert, he will perform to provide midday meals for > children. He > > says, "I never give dates to concerts which are just money-making > measures. > > I want to give back to the society. So I give my dates only to > charity > > concerts." > > -- > > -A > > http://viewsnmuse. blogspot. com <http://viewsnmuse.blogspot.com/>
