Comparisons
anywhere is best avoided as everything, everybody is always unique and hence
everyone and everything has some distinctiveness. This is indisputable and I
respect that. But we are all greedy even in the non material areas, like
appreciating or enjoying an art form. There is also a subtle power game and ego
associated with this appreciation. For
instance, we say my favourite song or my kind of song which itself brings
attachment and so pain. To this extent
the joy is not pure. As part of this scheme is the funda called comparisons..
Preferences
bring comparisons, and we may not accept the fact that, virtually most people
compare everything with everything else. This place traffic is better than that
place. The people are more warm here than there. Indians are more this and
south Indians are more that. These are
done to increase the pleasure of the self, ascertain the self belief/
preference or put down the other to assert the power of appreciating one while
putting down the other..
Grusha
, sindhu and Pritam in the family always keep asking me/ provoking me as to
which movie, which song, which hero , which heroine is better or whose cooking,
whose batting whose bowling , whose beauty is better. Sometimes I get irritated as I do not want to
answer or I do not want to dilute the raw, intense pleasure of what I like. I
like to say, on a matured day , that nothing is comparable or can be compared
as things change with time, mood and place also.
Coming to the point , There is no doubt about
the reverence I have for Shreya ghosal .
She is born only to sing, to connect millions of people to the wonder of
nature through her singing. I had and have similar feelings and liking for Lata
mangeshkar . It’s a different story
that, I listen more to Shreya than Lata Ji of late, as how can I not listen to
Baaji Rao Mastani at least twice a day. Shreya would hate me if I ever compare
or even vaguely say that she is on par with Lata Ji or few times beat Lata Ji
also . Just listen to Shreya singing Lata’s songs and in the heart of hearts
you will agree with me. Shreya is the only singer who can render Lata’s songs
the best . But never had the audacity to
compare but always felt only these 2 are extremely special children of god or
god themselves.
In
the last decade and more, no one has inspired any music directors as much as
shreya , as she is the delight of any music director and also delight of lyricists as told to me by Ananth Sriram. Even
the ordinary sounding songs draws attention when she sings and it seems like a
great work .she made mark in all her songs and she has cut across genre blocks
and restrictions.. There was always a temptation to call her the best ever. But
I always held that conclusion back as there are hundreds of Lata songs which
inspired me and took me so high that it’s incredible. Same experiences happened
with Shreya songs. I can listen to Tuj mein Rab , Mastani song, Sun raha hai,
bahusha, Silsila yeh chahat ka, once
everyday like a prayer .
Today
I heard Gulshan Bawra Songs and was enjoying immensely. 2 songs of lata ji just bowled me over completely again . For me
to be able to be arrested in the moment is the highest ecstasy and experience. The songs were Vada karle saajana from haath
ki safai and Bane kyon bigade from Zanjeer .. May be exaggeration but it can
only be Lata who could have sung that way those times. I concluded that yes, indeed its LATA Ji
first and Shreya next . That’s it. Puritans, rebels, critics may not like what
is said and may hate me. But my
experience is mine and it took a long while to conclude this way. But salute to
both the ladies who gave bliss for 15 decades between them.
I have nothing to say to people who say OMG
how can he even compare ?
I
do love and admire Kavitha Krishna Murthy, Sadhana Sargam, Alka yagnik,
madhusree, swarnalatha, chitra, Mahalaxmi iyer, Vanijayram, Susheela, janaki
and many more but those 2 are world apart….
Thank
god and thank 2 great souls who make my living meaningful as I thank god for
giving me the art of listening to music and finding meaning and ecstasy of life
