Monday, September 3, 2007

Its been some Time, and Punjabi Music.

I know, I know ... thats a rather unimaginative title for a post, but I just wanted to write a couple of thoughts. Well ... Rather unrelated thoughts, if you ask me, but nevertheless ...

Today is 3rd. September, 2007. No, I am not targetting this post (Marketing Strategy classes showing up again?) at some time capsule kind of sci-fi scene. Its just that this day, 18 years ago, a boy from Delhi had landed up in the lovely city of Varanasi (ok, ok ... Fact is, I still prefer Banaras, and of course, Kashi ... She is Kashi Hindu Vishwavidyala, the City of Cities ... Kashi!). He went to this city, reached there on the 3rd. September, 1989, a boy in his teens, and left the city another four years down the line, a man! Such was the metamorphosis brought upon by the city.

Now, I know that the boy have grown into a man anywhere ... It had nothing to do with where he was. But, the kind of man he grew up into does have a relationship with where he grew up. Now, I am not blemishless. Nobody in this world is (Romans 3:23). But, I do believe, I turned out to be a person who is nice (I dont think comparisons have any meaning ... the question is the degree of goodness, I believe!).

The Punjabi Music part ... I am listening to an album of Rabbi Shergill as I write this post ... Apart from that the music grips you, and forces you to hink, apart from listening, there is another aspect of this ... This genre of music is not the good old B3 (Balle Balle Boys!), and this goes to mention a point ... There is much more to Punjabiyat (Punjabi culture, language, lifestyles, way of life ...), than only remixed Bhangra songs! A very nice point ... Tere Bin ... saannoo soneya koi hor naiyo labbana ... Beautiful song (not for nothing I had this as my caller tune when I was in Calcutta ... still trying to make it my caller tune!).

10 comments:

Shopno said...

I can relate to your nostalgia. Our schools and colleges will always remain special to us, no matter where we are and what we are. Two things mainly prmpted me to write a comment on your blog. Varanasi, or Kashi and Punjabi music. Kashi has been one of the most frequently visited destination for me ever since my childhood. That place has its own charm. But after my schooldays, somehow, we stopped visiting Kashi. But all of a sudden, last year, my work took me to Kashi, n that too, too the University, where this boy got transformed to a man! I must say, I was so impressed with BHU, that I prayed silently to Almighty, that please let my daughter study here someday. Am sure, even she will get transformed to a human being I will be proud of.

Now about Punjabi music. For long, Punjabi music for me was nothing but B3, but one Mr. Shergill definitely changed my view, and am looking forward to some more soul stirring music from him in the future as well.

Atul said...

BHU sure is an amazing place. An ecclectic mix of the old and the new (more old than new, but changing ...), and the Grand Capital of Spirituality ... Kashi!

debbie said...

i too agree that thanx to rabbi i have developed a new love for my mother tongue

Atul said...

Ah ... you are pointing to the concept of the Mother Tongue.

Anonymous said...

Pratichi Prachi ka mel sundar, Yeh Vishwavidya ki Rajdhani...

Anonymous said...

I suppose Debbie meant "Rabbi Shergill".
On Punjabiyat - Try Ghulam Ali's Heer (available on You Tube). He just takes Punjabi to different level.

Atul said...

Chaaron lokon se nyaari Kashi, Sugyaan, Sudridh, Sarvavyaapee ...

Atul said...

Point ... There is plenty of charm in Punjabi culture, apart from the Balle-Balle! Only thing, this part is not getting as much emphasis as it ought to?

Anonymous said...

That is strange. In Pakistan Punjabi is associated with culture and sophistication whereas in India ...

Atul said...

Does it have anything to do with the cultural background of the area? Lahore, during the British, being the capital of the Punjab would have attracted a lot of the Punjabi intelligentsia, thereby lending to the city a far more intellectual, and cultural hue. Also, the fact is, a lot of the folklore of Punjab comes from around the Ravi and Beas deltas ... Not just fertile land, but fertile minds, too?

Maybe, just maybe ... not something I have really thought about ... The Eastern part of Punjab was too close to Delhi (and hence, influenced) to be able to assert its identity, and to develop it further?