Guest post from Sathya...
(being a guest post, I do not have an audio clip this time).

..Hrishi

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#504

       Song:     Diya to jalaa, ab raat re baalam,
                 Par tum laut na aaye

       Film:     Dhaake Ki Malmal (1956)
       Singer:   C.H.Atma
       Music:    O.P.Nayyar
       Lyrics:
       *ing:     Madhubala, Kishore Kumar

    At last, HMV did something worthwhile and released an absolutely fabulous
collection of film and non-film songs of C.H.Atma - and the quality of songs
that this man has sung bowls you over. Most just tend to ignore him as a Saigal
clone. But so was Mukesh - but where Mukesh had a guardian angel in Anil Biswas,
Atma had none. The man had something in his voice - its dipped with melody and
bhav.

    Hrishi has mentioned Nayyar saab's older and non-breezy compositions in Song
#503. I strongly agree with that. If you hear his compositions for C.H.Atma, it
gives a different dimension altogether to his music. This composition is
brilliant - simply brilliant. The orchestral effects are near-perfect. And Atma
has rendered it beautifully. The alaap to the song initiates the mood - that of
night, darkness, and isolation. And when the line "Par tum laut na aaye" is
rendered, one is captured in the melody and
beauty of the composition. And as the song continues, that feeling of
helplessness or hopelessness, leaves you not at all.

    One might complain that almost all the Nayyar songs for Atma follow a
similar pattern ("Preetam aan milo", "Is bewafa jahan me", "Raat suhani hanste
tare" or this one). While I cannot completely disagree, I think all these songs
and more are so billion, that one can spend ages listening to them and not get
tired. Wish there were more from this great singer. Before I forget, I also
strongly recommend your ears to "Main ghee ka diya jalaoon re ghar aao" and
"Chalo na gori machal machal ke" by this singer. Both are wondrous numbers. This
is of course assuming you have heard the other songs I have mentioned.