Bollywood songs and more

DIM

2008 Oct 09

Indian film and music

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Amitabh Bachchan

From 1981 till 1983 I used to live with my Hindustani (Indian) grandmother in Suriname. Because of her, I grew up with a lot of Indian culture, mainly food and language. She used to watch a lot of Bollywood movies on these trashy betamax copies. I would often sit next to her while she was watching these movies, trying to understand the romance, drama and all the excitement. Suriname has a big Indian community. Like the other ethnic groups in Suriname, the Hindustanis also find the need to carry out their cultural identity. In this post-colonial South-American setting, Hinduism, Islam, Indian food, music, movies and of course Amitabh Bachchan are truly part of the Surinamese culture.

Bollywood Songs and more

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Indian Film Music

One of the most popular Indian music forms is the Filmi music. Hindi film industry, popularly known as Bollywood, along with Indian regional film industries, produces thousands of films a year, most of which are musicals and feature elaborate song and dance numbers. It is interesting to note that some of the movies become successful because of their music only. Movie soundtracks are released as tapes and CDs much before the movie is released. Earlier, radio was the main media of Film music but with the coming of satellite TV and FM radio the scenario has completely changed.

It is because of the huge popularity of the Indian film music that a large number of talented music directors, singers, composers and lyricists are attracted to the Indian Film industry.

Here is a section I've made of some famous singers, old school Indian/Bollywood songs and songs that have been sampled or used by artist, like M.I.A. Mad Lib, and Truth Hurts ft. Rakim.

Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik is one of the leading singers of the Hindi film industry who has made an indelible mark for herself. In an industry where big and already established names were ruling, it was not easy for anyone to even get noticed.

Asha Bhosle
With versatility as her middle name, the famous Asha Bhosle still sings the way she used to during her prime. Though she is over 70 years of age, she still continues to give stiff competition to singers who are half her age.

Begum Akhtar
Begum Akhtar was born on 7th October, 1914 in Faizabad town of Uttar Pradesh. Her name was Akhtaribai Faizabadi though she was much popular as Begum Akhtar.

Jagjit Singh
Jagjit Singh is one of the most famous Ghazal singers of the modern times. In an era where the current generation is headed towards rock and hip hop music, it is refreshing to see them cherish Jagjit Singh ghazals as well.

Ye daulat bhi le lo - Jagjit Singh

Kishore Kumar
Born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly on 4th August, 1929, this great singer known as Kishore Kumar, affectionately called Kishore Da, was one of those very few singers who took risks and experimented with different styles of music.

K.L Saigal
The very name K.L Saigal conjures up an image of a superstar who ruled the screens long before people heard of Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna. Not many are aware of the achievements of this great persona and his contributions to the Hindi film industry.

Kumar Sanu
Kumar Sanu is one of the most popular playback singers of Bollywood. He holds the Guinness Book world record for recording the maximum number of songs in a day, which are 28.

Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is one of the best singers of the Hindi film industry. She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in the world

Thoda Resham Lagta Hai - Lata Mangeshkar

also check out
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=_2oik3XLXqQ

Manna Dey
Manna Dey is undoubtedly one of the best singers that India has. This versatile singer has sung numerous songs and shared the limelight with some legends like Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mehmood, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, etc.

Mukesh
Mukesh was nicknamed as The Man with the Golden Voice and his songs are true examples of his inimitable voice. Mukesh was born as Zoraver Chand Mathur in Delhi on July 22nd, 1923.

Mohammed Rafi
One of the greatest playback singers of India, Mohammed Rafi is considered no less than a genius when it comes to varied styles of music. Born on December 24th, 1924, this great soul had the perfect blend of melody, emotions and energy, which reflected greatly in his songs.

Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is one of the most popular singers of Bollywood. He is a teen idol who has inspired thousands of young singers across the country. This talented singer was born in Faridabad district of Haryana on July 30th, 1973.

Udit Narayan
Udit Narayan is one of the most popular singers of the Hindi film industry. This multi talented playback singer has sung in numerous films and in many different languages.

Amitabh Bachan - DON