The Musical Journey of Life

A  television news about the stones which produce music has prompted me to share my views about music with all my friends. In fact, this whole universe is permeated with music. The gurgling streams, gushing rivers, roaring oceans; the rustling leaves, blowing wind; the raindrops falling on the leaves and  roof-tops, all produce a symphony. We only require an ear for music.

Being fortunate in inheriting love for music from my parents (especially mother),I grew up listening to songs of K.L.Sehgal on Radio Celyon (presently Sri Lanka) on one hand and the sweet songs of Lata Mangeshker,Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar  and Talat Mehmood on the other hand, in the melodious voice of my mother. Be it kitchen, bed room or the puja room---the whole house reverberated with her old Hindi and Punjabi songs, bhajans (devotional songs) and ghazals. In fact, my love for Mehedi Hasan and Begum Akhtar is a gift of my mother to me. Ah! What a memorable period of life it was!

The festival of Lohri used to be a special fare for me and my siblings not only due to fireworks and the eatables like Rewri, Chirve associated with the festival but for the song and dance fiesta it used to bring with it. The picture of my mother and all of us singing freely in the open air using a steel plate or a small tin as a dholak and the younger ones clapping and dancing all around, fill the air with nostalgia.

Listening to radio, my parents would often talk about movies like Devdas, Ratan etc., their college days  and we  would watch their faces ,their eyes gleaming with joy and thrill. Now when I listen to the songs ( old for the present generation but evergreen for us),I am able to appreciate their feelings. Music transports you to that era. You rejoice with your friends; visit school and college grounds; relive the youthful days of hostel; remember your crushes, fashions, actors, movies and the whole society of those blissful days. Luckily ,this love for music found a natural ally in my partner and we, along with our children, used to have rounds of Antakshri as our favourite game.

Music also has that uplifting and soothing quality which dives deep into your inner caverns and puts a balm on your wounds ,cheers you up instantly and within no time you find yourself ready to take on your responsibilities head on. Since times immemorial, saints and sages like Mirabai, Thyagraaja have found music as a tool to God-realization. It is a door to divinity; hence the tradition of satsang and divine musical congregations.Wordsworth defined poetry as  “emotions recollected in tranquillity” and music is nothing but soulful lyrics set to melodious tunes. Even now, with silver in my hair, my idea of a happy life is the same i.e. surrounded by flowers, listening to music in the open air.