(On 23rd April 18, on my Facebook group ‘Main Shayar To Nahin’, I started a new series. Here is the third one of the series)
मेरे जेब का नोट और तेरे हाथ के वोट का,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं – 2
“नहीं, कभी नहीं”
कितने चुनाव लड़ चुका हूँ इस गद्दी को पाने में,
हर बार डिपाजिट लूज़ किया है इस सपने सुहाने में,
बैंक का बढ़ता लोन कभी कम होगा के नहीं,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं….
“जा, जा”
दो नदियों का मेल अगर इतना पावन कहलाता है,
क्यों न जहां राजनीतिक दल मिलते हैं, स्वर्ग वहां बस जाता है,
नोट से काम न चला तो व्हिस्की रम होगा के नहीं,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं..
“ऊंह”
एक बार मुझको मौका दो पावर में आ जाने का,
फिर देखो मैं टूर करूँगा सारे ही ज़माने का,
इस से आपकी प्रॉब्लम का हल होगा के नहीं,
बोल वोटर बोल संगम होगा के नहीं…
“जाओ न, क्यों सताते हो, होगा, होगा, होगा”
I have this Facebook group called ‘Main Shayar To Nahin‘. Unlike many other groups on Shair-o-Shayari with members running into tens of thousands, I am very cautious about adding members. Following is the description:
“A group for Nazams, Ghazals and Shayari (but not songs). You can either upload your own or of a poet/writer. This is indeed a group for earnest fans of good and serious poetry. YOU SHOULDN’T BE JOINING IT IF YOU ARE ONLY INTO FRIVOLOUS, COPY-PASTE, FAST-FOOD EQUIVALENT IN SHAIR – O – SHAYARI.
Please avoid:
1. Greetings except in poetry.
2. Religious posts including pictures of gods and goddesses.
3. Pornographic, obscene or vulgar stuff.
4. Irrelevant stuff such as sharing phone numbers and ‘Hi, anyone from Pahargang?'”
On the 19 Jan 18, I started with a regular ‘Sher Of The Day’ penned by me. I shall be doing a weekly compilation of those too on this blog. Three days later, on 22 Jan 18, I started with another series ‘Hasya Panktiyan of the Day’. I am doing a weekly compilation of those that are not long enough to stand as separate posts. This is the fourth one:
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #39
शादी के बाद पड़ गया उनको भी रोना,
जिन्हें बीवी नज़र आती थी चांदी या सोना,
बर्तन और कपड़े धोने में वह माहिर हैं अब,
जिन्हे कभी हाथ तक भी आता न था धोना।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #40
रात ख्यालों में वह आयी सांस रुक गयी,
कांपते लबों की प्यास बुझ गयी;
भारी भरकम बदन पेड़ पर जब बैठा,
हर शाख पेड़ की खुद बा खुद झुक गयी।
(Clipart courtesy: pngtreee)
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #41
काश उन्हें रोक लेता आने से पहले,
और सोच लेता तसवीर बनाने से पहले;
लेकिन क्या करूँ मेरी किस्मत ही ऐसी थी,
देख लिया उनको मैने नहाने से पहले।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #42
ज़ालिम तूने मुझे कर दिया है तबाह,
रात से अब हौले हौले हो गयी है सुबह;
तेरे पैर दबाते दबाते थक गए हैं हाथ,
और यह करने की तू देती नही कोई तनख्वाह।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #43
बहुत अरसे से वह आये नहीं इधर,
जो ले गए थे मुझसे उधार,
रह रह के मैं देखता हूँ उधर,
पैसे ले के जहां हुए थे वो फरार।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #44
खुदा के बाद उनका ही नाम आता था लब पे,
पर एक दिन उनकी बहन को देख जो लिया;
अब भी बीवी दूसरे नंबर पर ही है,
और साली को कहते हैं: या खुदा, या खुदा।
Hasya Panktiyan of the Day #45
आखिर उसने दे ही दिया नज़राना,
सिखा दिया शौहर को रोटी बनाना;
लेकिन पूरा हुनर उसने फिर भी न दिया,
अपने हाथ में रखा बेलन चलाना।
Today I can share with you as to why I selected Waltzing numbers as the theme of the Live Fest in Kandaghat this year.
The day of the Fest, Saturday, 14th April, coincides with the Festival of Baisakhi or Vaisakhi. On this day, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji founded the Khalsa Panth. This day also coincides with the harvesting of crops in Punjab and the famous lines: Kanka di muk gayi raakhi, o jatta aayi baisakhi (We have finished looking after the wheat plants; now, baisakhi (harvesting) is there).
Now, you are bound to interject as to what Baisakhi has to do with Waltz. Well, the joy of the jatt(farmer) on harvesting is translated in the men and women getting together and performing the bhangra and the gidda. Both are peasant dances. So is Waltz! Next you are bound to ask me that Waltz is now a sophisticated ballroom dance and how come its origin is peasant dance? It is a fact. The noble of that era in Europe used to dance the minuet but found the close, vigorous, rhythmic dance of the peasants more inviting. Thus the dance called Walzer (German) of the farmers in Bavarai, Tyrol and Styria actually went into the ballrooms of the noble and delighted them. We have many equivalents in India of the elite following in the footsteps of the commoners.
(Pic courtesy: The United German Hungarian Club)
Fests So Far
Our journey of Music Fests is FIVE AND A HALF YEARS old TODAY! Here is a list of Music Fests that we have hosted so far on the group ‘Yaad Kiya Dil Ne’:
1.Dec 2012 – Chand Songs 2.Jan 2013 – ShaamKeGeet 3.Feb 2013 – Dil Ki AwaazBhi Sun 4.Mar 2013 – Boat Scene Songs 5.Mar 2013 – Piano Scene Songs 6.Jun 2013 – Songs of Rain 7.Jul 2013 – Bhajans in Hindi Movies 8.Aug 2013 – Funny, Comical and Anglicized Hindi Songs 9.Sep 2013 – Sadhana Songs 10.Nov 2013 – Mala Sinha Songs 11.Nov 2013 – Story Telling, Kahani, Katha Songs 12.Dec 2013 – Mohammad Rafi Songs 13.Jan 2014 – Complementary Songs (same number repeated by Hero/heroine later in the movie) 14.Feb 2014 – Qawwali Songs 15.Feb 2014 – Nutan Songs 16.Mar 2014 – Bicycle Scene Songs 17.Apr 2014 – Flute Scene Songs 18.May 2014 – Sapna, Khwaab, Dream Songs 19.Jun 2014 – Maa, Maiyya, Mata, Maan Songs 20.Jul 2014 – Raahi or Mussafir Songs 21.Aug 2014 – Patriotic Songs 22.Sep 2014 – Train Scene Songs 23.Sep 2014 – Jeep, Car, Bus, Truck Scene Songs 24.Oct 2014 – Deewana or Paagal Songs 25.Nov 2014 – Hindi Flavour Songs 26.Dec 2014 – Guitar Scene Songs 27.Jan 2015 – Songs With Whistle 28.Jan 2015 II- Zindagi (Happy or Sad) Songs 29.Feb 2015 – Horse (Mule and Donkey too) Scene Songs 30.Feb 2015 II- Flash Rain Scene Songs 31.Mar 2015 – Neend Songs 32.Mar 2015 II- Zamana or Duniya Songs 33.Apr 2015 – Indoor Party Scene Songs 34.May 2015 – ChamanBaagBagiya Songs 35.May 2015 II- ZulfGesu Baal Songs 36.Jun 2015 – BaadalBadra Songs 37.Jun 2015 II- Mujra Songs 38.Jul 2015 – Hawa Songs 39.Aug 2015 – Shraabi Songs 40.Aug 2015 II- Na or Nahin Songs 41.Sep 2015 – ChalChaliChalo Songs 42.Oct 2015 – Kabhi Songs 43.Nov 2015 – Dance Scene Songs 44.Dec 2015 – Mil Milan Songs 45.Jan 2016 – KhushiHansiMuskaan Songs 46.Feb 2016 – GeetGaanaNagmaTaraana Songs 47.Mar 2016 – Bahaar Songs 48.Apr 2016 – Funny Songs 49.May 2016 – Hill Scene Songs 50.Jun 2016 – Ghar Songs 51.Jul 2016 – KahinKahan Songs 52.Aug 2016 – Yellow Dress Songs 53.Sep 2016 – DostDosti Songs 54.Oct 2016 – MeraApnaHamara Songs 55.Nov 2016 – Songs in Headgear 56.Dec 2016 – Ajanabee Songs 57.Jan 2017 – Krishna Songs 58.Feb 2017 – Husn Songs 59.Feb 2017 II- Hot Songs of LataMangeshkar 60.Mar 2017 – Rang, Rangeen Songs 61.Apr 2017 – Raat or Din Songs Live Fest at Kandaghat 62.May 2017 – Aansu Songs 63.Jun 2017 – Koi Songs 64.Jul 2017 – Combination Songs 65.Aug 2017 – Not Held 66.Sep 2017 – Maa Songs 67.Oct 2017 – Chand & Chand Scene Songs 68.Nov 2017 – Bada, Badi, Bade Songs 69.Dec 2017 – Sajan, Sajani Songs 70.Jan 2018 – Drunken Scene Songs 71.Feb 2018 – Ek, Ik, One Songs 72.Mar 2018 – Sridevi Songs
Counting that in the month of August 2017 no Fest was held, the Fest on Waltzing numbers is going to be our 72nd Fest.
Waltz
Waltz is defined as a ‘A gliding dance done to music having three beats to the measure’ or ‘the kind of music suitable for Waltzing’.
The basic Waltz is a box movement as given below:
(Pic courtesy: Dancing for Beginners)
With a couple, another way to look at the Waltz is:
(Graphic courtesy: Wikihow.com)
One last look at Waltz Box before we move on:
For the beginners any number of online classes are available to learn Waltz. Here is one Demo Waltz for the beginners by Michael Thomas:
Waltz in Hollywood Movies and Music
Waltz has been a popular theme of music (and dance) for English movies. One of the most popular has been Lara’s Theme for the David Lean 1966 movie Doctor Zhivago with Omar Sharif in the title role and Julie Christie as Lara Antipova. The leitmotif was later adapted as the number Somewhere My Love and it was very popular indeed:
Another popular number has been Engelbert Humperdinck’s The Last Waltz:
Waltzing Numbers in Hindi Movies (Thanks Anand Desai for helping me with this):
“The Waltz a 3/4 beat or the Time Signature has been a very popular beat among Indian Music directors. The beat is divided into 2 Vibhags or
Cycles of 3 beats each i.e. 3 beats make 1 Bar.. Now since its played in a tempo cycle we call it 3/4 coz you would play it fully twice so have 4 bars.”
Ladies and gentlemen, if you look at the Waltz Box pictures that I provided, you will understand it better.
It is similar to Tal Dadra since that too is a 3 beat Tal divided into 2 Vibhags.
“The Hinch / Khemta or Udaliyo that one hears in Raas Garbas has 6 beats each of two cycles and thus sounds similar but is not the same. Its a variation of the Dadra … Dha tin tin Na dhin dhin again 6 beats make a Bar However one plays the total cycle twice so we have four bars.”
The first known appearance of waltz in a Hindi song is in “Hum Aur Tum AurYehKhushi” from Ali Baba (1940) composed by the legendary Anil Biswas.
Music director Naushad, known for his brilliant Hindustani classical compositions, helped usher the waltz rhythm into Bollywood mainstream as early as with the tragic “Tod Diya DilMera” from Andaz (1949), “Ab Raat Milan Ki” from Jadoo (1951), and “Tara RiYaraRi” from Dastan (1952).
Hats off to Naushad to come up with Waltzing on a very sad number!
Anand Desai and his friends came up with a list of songs in Hindi movies based on the Waltzing beat:
1.Aaja panchhiakelahai
2.Aapkehaseenrukhpeaajnayanoor
3.Agar mujhsemohhobathai
4.Ai dilhaimushkiljeenayahan
5.Bedardibalamatujhkomeramaanyaadkarta
6.Bhanwrekigunjan
7.Chuphaidhartichuphaichandsitare
8.Dilkejharaokomeintujhkobithakar
9.Dilkigirah kholdo chuppnabaitho
10.Dilkinazar se
11.Dilmeinsamagayesaajan
12.Dilbarmere kabtakmujhe
13.Hum aapkiaankhonmein
14.Humnetohdilkoaapkekadmonmein
15.Jeenayahanmarnayahan
16.Jeevan kedin chhotesahi hum bhibade dilwale
17.Kuchh nakaho
18.Lag jaagale kephiryehhaseenraat
19.Mai shayartohnahi
20.Meri neendonmein tum
21.Mud mudkenadekhmud mud ke
22.Na yehchandhoganataarerahenge
23.Pyarkiyehkahanisuno
24.Suniyekahiye
25.Tarariarariarari
26.Tera merapyaramar
27.Tera mujhsehaipehelekanaata
28.Tum jo hue mere humsafar
29.Udhar tum haseenho
30.Yehdil tum bin kahinlagtanahi
31.Yehraateinnayipurani
32.Yehraateinyehmausam
33.Zulfonkohatalechehere se
My own favourite is Bhanwre ki gunjan that I shall be singing during the Fest (even though I hardly know how to sing). I am giving you the movie version of the song. After the Fest, I shall replace it with my own singing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aMH-zOmTh8
And now, friends, with this curtain-raiser for the Fest tomorrow, I must rush as my sister from Nagpur Manik will be arriving at the Kandaghat Railway Station shortly with her husband Sreehari and during the evening Vipan Kohli, Jaswant Lagwal and Kavita will arrive from Hamirpur.
I hope you know now as to why I selected this theme (I always have a reason!)
These poems are for my close friend Maj Vishwas Mandloi’s delightful group of tipplers called i-peg. One has to raise a toast to the committed lot for their single-minded aim of spreading cheers!
These poems are for my close friend Maj Vishwas Mandloi’s delightful group of tipplers called i-peg. One has to raise a toast to the committed lot for their single-minded aim of spreading cheers!
A drink at the sunset,
Makes you completely forget,
What you went through the day;
The rogues you met,
Physically and on the net,
Who kept happiness away.
Yes, the day was hard,
It was almost a discard,
That actually came your way;
You were constantly on your guard,
Facing one or the other retard,
Who was hell-bent to have his say.
Now let the drinks glasses clink,
And before anyone can blink,
Everything becomes happy and gay;
Suddenly the surroundings become pink,
And you can say with a wink:
Even after the sunshine one can make hay.
(Pic courtesy: 2foodtrippers)
As the first sip goes down,
Say “bye-bye” to your frown,
Don’t let your hair prematurely turn grey;
Wear the king’s crown,
Not that of his clown,
Let a sundowner show you the way.
There are many truths of life,
Some for peace, some for strife,
But a drink a day keeps the doctor away;
So don’t cut your throat with a knife,
Whilst being scared of your wife,
Just enjoy your drink at the end of the day.
Sooner or later we had to come to the innovativeness of this species on earth that is so curious that it is almost enigmatic. Away from the hills and plains, it makes its home at sea and learns to live there with hardly any means of subsistence. At times when the sea is rough, it wretches out its guts until there is nothing more to bring out; and yet, if you ask it its favourite place, it would unerringly point a resolute finger towards the seas, the oceans and beyond.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about The Sailor. The most innovative of this species is the Indian Naval Sailor. He finds a way where none exists!
To cement your realization of this fact, I must tell you about this incident in the year 1976 during the Monsoons. I had just got my watch-keeping ticket on INS Himgiri and suddenly realized that the whole world was waiting for me to finish my under-trainee watch-keeping phase. One of the “whole world” was officiating CO Betwa; who realized that his CO and many of his watch-keeping officers were on leave, when Betwa had to sail for a prolonged sailing called MONEX (Monsoon Exercise). He requested my CO and my CO, always ready to oblige, dispatched me to him for the duration of the MONEX.
It was the toughest sailing I have done. At the dining table, because of constant rolling and pitching, your plates and cutlery would go from one side of the table to the other and you had to wait for your plate to return it to you with the next rolling and pitching. Even at that you had to carefully look at what you were eating; for, if the quantity of gravy in your meat had become more than earlier, chances were that in its journey on the table, someone would have puked in the plate.
Many people never got out of their cabins, lest we should all see the changed colours of their faces.
The officiating CO (actually the XO of the ship) was man of steel and good humour. Rolling and pitching and even cork-screw motions had as much effect on him as water on a duck’s back. He devised ways and means of letting the ship’s company see the humour in those trying conditions. For the officers, he had an interesting story book, in which men and women did many naughty things. He took out the pages of the book and distributed these between the officers. So the trick was to come to the end of the page, when, for example, things were hotting up between a character called Jack and another called Julie and then figure out who would have the next page!
For the sailors too he devised another game. Since, in a cat and mice game, the officers had got the cat end, the sailors had to be content with the mice game. Through the medium of daily orders he announced that anyone catching a mouse would be rewarded with a prize of Five Rupees (which wasn’t peanuts during those days).
Topass (sweeper) First Class Pillai caught the first mouse and was promptly given Rupees Five. For the next few days, we noticed that at about five in the evening, he’d bring a freshly killed rat and collect his Five Rupees and go.
On the fifth day, the XO got suspicious and sent his best spy after Pillai to see if he could…..well, smell the rat.
This super-spy discreetly followed Pillai and half an hour later reported the story to XO and it speaks volumes for the innovativeness of Pillai.
The story was that whilst the XO expected that Pillai would go straight out of his cabin to the ship’s side and get rid of the bandicoot, Pillai took it straight to his mess where a plastic bag awaited him. He packed the rat nicely into the plastic and then in a paper bag and then deposited it in the freezer in the galley. This would now be taken out about 30-45 minutes before going to XO next evening, thawed and readied as a freshly killed rat.
Finding a freshly killed rat, therefore, for Pillai, was less trying than for all of us trying to find the next page about what Jack did to Julie.
