The Gateway DISTRICT 3141 BULLETIN of the ROTARY CLUB of BOMBAY | for PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY | VOLUME NO
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Rotary Club of Bombay The Gateway DISTRICT 3141 BULLETIN OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY | FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY | WWW.ROTARYCLUBOFBOMBAY.ORG VOLUME NO. 62 ISSUE NO. 38 APRIL 13, 2021 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE POWER OF MUSIC Maya Angelou words that have meaning to you. Similarly, music therapy has proven beneficial for said: “Music was children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with my refuge. I could But you also have songs you listen to when you’re mental health needs, developmental and learning crawl into the space sad, happy, lonely, anxious, exercising, cooking, disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other aging- between the notes lazing, driving, hiking, etc. and those are your related conditions, substance abuse problems, and curl my back to anthems. They make you happy. They motivate brain injuries, physical disabilities, and acute and loneliness.” you. They calm you. They move you. Listening to chronic pain. At times it is the best therapy for soothing sounds to sleep or meditate is also a type mothers in labour. Music moves all of us. of music. In different ways. So take some time for yourself, sit back and But music is not just a sedentary activity. Just like rejoice to the sounds of melodies. Trust me, it will Whether you passionately enjoy music or just listening to music helps our emotional, physical, invigorate you. listen to it as a filler or background white noise, social and cognitive needs, so does playing an we all have a favourite song. It is the song you instrument, writing songs, drumming, humming, relate to as the best expression of you. It’s your singing. personal mantra, the version of you that you hope people see. It may be the beats of the song or the This is the power of music. President Framroze Mehta #tuesdaythoughts ““Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the INDIAN PLAYBACK SINGER SUDHA secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” MALHOTRA, RECEPIENT OF THE – Kahlil Gibran #numbercrunching SHYAM MUNSHI AWARD FOR US$ 12.2 billion LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE The revenue provided by recorded music in US in 2020 (source: Recording Industry ARTS, ON HER MUSICAL CAREER Association of America's annual year-end report). This was an I STARTED SINGING WHEN I I also remember a big Red Cross recordings and all kinds of increase by 9.2 per cent. CAME TO BOMBAY AND WAS function. I must not have been hard work that anybody who INTRODUCED TO A POPULAR very tall, very short, so they has to do something in life, #caughtintheweb MUSIC DIRECTOR IN THOSE put me up on the table, with has to do. All artists start early. DAYS CALLED ANIL BISWAS an orchestra behind me. A fan There is a time when you can – I MUST HAVE BEEN 14-15 sent a picture of that, a little mould yourself and start doing YEARS OLD. girl sitting on the table with the what you have to and have orchestra behind me. the energy to practice and He heard me sing and he gave take it forward. This is what me my first song in a film called After Pakistan and Lahore, we I was trying to do in the best Arzoo. That was the beginning came to Delhi and I also sang way. God was really giving me of my film career. Before that, on AIR Delhi and did lots of rewards for everything. I used to sing on AIR Lahore shows etc. After that first film before Partition. In fact, when song in Bombay, I got really As for my film career, some of the riots were on, they would serious about music. Thanks the songs which you may have send a van and police escort to to my parents, I had been heard, in the 1960s: Kabhi pick me up at the house, I must doing pretty well earlier, too, kabhi mere dil me khayal aata be around seven or eight years but now I put my heart and hai, a very popular number. But old, to come and sing for the soul into the music. I practiced I got married. I chose between children’s programme. late in the afternoons, did my career and home and I TODAY: DG SUNNIL MEHRA'S OFFICIAL CLUB VISIT. CLOSED DOOR MEETING WITH OFFICE BEARERS & DIRECTORS AT 11 AM ON ZOOM. REGULAR MEETING WITH DG MEHRA AS SPEAKER AT 1.30 PM 2 THE WEEKLY MEET April 13, 2021 THE WEEKLY MEET 3 President Framroze Mehta PE Shernaz Vakil IPP Preeti Mehta PP Vijay Jatia Rtn. Arin Master PP Kalpana Munshi thought I wanted to get married meet me. In fact, at one point, All of them. Rafi, super people and actors around in to a family whom I knew well. Mr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, Chief Kishore, Mukesh, me. My husband is Girdhar Motwani, Minister of Bhopal in those days, my father-in-law is Nanik Motwani, offered me a seat in politics in Mahmood, they were What would you suggest to all Rotarians. I thought I had Congress. I said ‘no, thanks, I am all wonderful. They young aspiring singers before they jump into rap and done enough from childhood till happy with my music and my respected me, gave me 25 so, I thought I would settle home, I am not joining’. Bollywood music? Would you down a bit. I continued to sing: courage because I was recommend giving more stress doing my practice, bhajans, going The Padma Shri also came as a new and young, and on riyaaz and classical and then around the world doing shows, I surprise to me. I didn’t think I they were all seasoned break into further forms? would get it. I got a phone call just gave up singing for the films singers. Actually, Talat Absolutely. When I started singing, because that is a lot of hard work early in the morning, ‘Mrs. Sudha Malhotra?’ I said, ‘Yes’. They said and I almost started it was classical singing. Riyaaz and I can’t do both. So, that is the is the foundation, you have to answer I gave everybody. they were calling from the Ministry together. They give me of Broadcasting and Information practice as much as you can and Eventually, Raj Kapoor heard the and that I had been offered a a lot of moral support, then get onto stage. Children who ghazal I sang for Jagjit Singh in Padma Shri. I thought it was a whoever sung with me come and sing on platforms such Pune, and this was much after I joke. So, I asked for their telephone was my favourite, I can’t as Indian Idol work very hard. They sing so well and they have to had given up my film career. He number and called them back choose. said I had to sing for him. I said, to verify. I was grateful to the work hard. I have stopped riyaaz ‘Raj ji I don’t sing for anyone whole nation, the President, and Any incident that you probably due to my age but when I used to anymore’. He persisted but I kept everybody. Finally, I got an award. remember about the three sing, my voice used to be in the air quiet. Some time passed. My superheroes, Dilip Kumar, Dev and I could pick up a note from husband and I came to America My most famous songs, the Anand, Raj Kapoor? One of your anywhere. qawwali, ‘Ishq Ishq’ was popular, on work, and I got a call from Raj first songs was in a Dilip Kumar Children today are lucky to have ji. ‘You have to come and sing for everyone liked it very much. I sang film. a couple of bhajans like ‘Darshan platforms. In my days it was pure me; I am coming to pick you up hard work, we had to record a just now!’ do Ghanshyam’, and then my most Dilip Kumar and I travelled by popular song, ‘Tum mujhe bhul bhi train many times together. This song for the film and then go I said, ‘Wait, let me talk to my jaao to yeh haq hai tumko’. Now goes back to the ’50s when he to Pheroze Shah Mehta Lane to husband and see if he agrees.’ that song, there is a little story. The was not as great an actor and I record it again, one mistake and Of course he agreed because he music director in that cast fell ill don’t think he could afford a car. you had to do it all over again. was a great fan of Raj Kapoor and and couldn’t compose anything, So we travelled first class local It was very tough. Now there couldn’t say no and I didn’t want to so, the lyricist Sahir Sahab gave train together to our respective are many opportunities but the say no because I was dying to sing. me this song and said, ‘Sudha ji destinations. But he was an foundation has to be there. So, I sang the song in Prem Rog – you have to compose it’. I said, ‘I extremely knowledgeable man Who were your favourite music ‘Yeh pyaar tha ya kuch aur tha’. It have not composed anything in my and actor. He knew a lot of Urdu directors of your time? is a very pretty song and it came life.’ He insisted I do it. I took the ghazals, shayaris and was very out very well. He was the greatest lyrics home, tuned them overnight, talented, educated and good- Roshan came with lots of good artist of all time, I think he could and recorded it the next day.