RMIM Archive Article "185".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Remembering Vocalist Shamshad Begum
#
# Posted by: Satish Subramanian (subraman@cs.umn.edu)
# Source: Muslim, Apr 26, 1996.
# Author: Saeed Malik
#
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Remembering Vocalist Shamshad Begum
by
Saeed Malik
From: "Muslim" (Pakistan), Apr 96.
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Strange are the vicissitudes of life, especially the ups and
downs in the world of showbiz that those artistes who used
to bask in the sunshine of glory, glamour and fame, were
forgotten soon after their eclipse from the chart of popu-
larity.
Ever since the advent to talkies (sound motion pictures) in
the sub-continent, many heart-throbs of the millions have
now slipped into historical oblivion, and very few among
music buffs remember those glittering stars of yesteryears
whose glow once brightened the entire firmament of showbiz.
Vocalist Shamshad Begum, whose sparkling melodies used to
cast hypnotic spells on music buffs and movie-goers some 35
years ago, in now languishing in the murk of obscurity in a
Bombay suburb. Forgotten by the movie moghuls, composers and
cine-goers, the septuagenarian crooner is spending the even-
ing of her life almost unnoticed.
Shamshad Begum ruled the roost, first at Lahore and later at
Bombay, when Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle were not even
introduced in the filmworld. She was the first female singer
who assumed the status of a legend during her lifetime. With
the help of her highly individualistic and charisma sonic
personality, glow and a certain vivacity in her voice, she
became the most sought-after female playback singer in the
late 30s, 40s and 50s.
It was on Dec 16, 1937, when radio made its debut from
Lahore and so did Shamshad Begum. Singing solos and duets
with Umrazia Begum (who later became Mrs. Ghulam Haider),
the Amritsar-born Shamshad Begum captivated the hearts of
listeners with the enchanting depth of her voice which then
had no parallel.
When she was in her teens, she shifted from Amritsar to
Lahore where she soon became the first playback singer ever
to lend her voice for the movies produced in Lahore. The
then AIR Lahore helped her in penetrating the world of
movies as frequent broadcasting of her songs induced music
directors to use her voice for film songs. Shamshad Begum
also recorded naats and devotional songs for a couple of
gramophone recording companies which where then located in
its Bakshi Market of Anarkali, Lahore.
Lahore-based composer Ghulam Haider used her voice skillful-
ly in some of his earlier films, mostly in Punjabi. The
songs "Kankaan deyaan faslaan pakkiaan nain", when recalled,
still create nostalgic fondness among senior denizens.
Another composition of Master Ghulam Haider for which
Shamshad Begum lent her voice was a "aya, hai bulaawa mujhe
darbar-e-nabi se", which became very popular in the late
30s.
When the late Masterji shifted to Bombay in 1944, Shamshad
Begum went with him as a member of his team. Both of them
rose to heights of fame in the film capital of India. In
1944, when Mehboob Khan launched his historical venture,
"Humayun", Shamshad Begum's voice was used by Master Ghulam
Haider for the recording of that movie's songs. The song
"nainaan bhar aaye neer" sung by Shamshad, became a super
hit.
That was the time when Amirbai Karnataki was considered
number one playback singer in Bombay, and a majority of ac-
tresses used to croon songs picturised on them. With the in-
troduction of Shamshad Begum in the filmworld in Bombay,
contemporary composers almost fell over each other in book-
ing her for the recording of their songs.
For almost three decades, Shamshad Begum reigned supreme in
the world of film music in the subcontinent. Frontline com-
posers like Master Ghulam Haider, Naushad Ali, O.P.Nayyar,
C. Ramachandra used Shamshad Begum's voice which was then
regarded as one of the guarantees for the success of a film.
The stark, almost unbearably tender "Ek tera sahara" (Ghulam
Haider in the film "Shamaa"), the buoyant sophistication of
the song "Nainaa bhar aye neer" (Master Ghulam Haider in
"Humayun"), the open sadness of the song "Duniya badal gayi"
(Naushad Ali in "Babul), the sparkling vivacity of "Kajra
mohabbat wala" (O P Nayyar in "Qismat"), and the pathetic
beseeching of a lover in "Ye afsaana nahi zaalim" (Naushad
Ali in "Dard") are some of the extremely pungent reminders
of Shamshad Begum's sonic versatility. Her other popular
songs included "Kabhi aar kabhi paar laaga teer-e-nazar",
"Reshmi salwar kudtaa jaali ka", "Bachpan ke din bhula na
dena", "Chaman mein rahkar bhi", which still retain their
freshness. With the wide range of her voice, Shamshad's com-
mand over her vocal resources sounded complete.
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Also in his book on Lata Mangeshkar, Raju Bharatan mentions how
Shamshad Begum got a raw deal from various music directors. He
cites instances where Shamshad Begum helped composers get a
foothold in the world of films, but who later left her to back
Lata (or Asha) as their primary singer. Some of these composers
include, Naushad, C.Ramachandra, Madan Mohan, and O P Nayyar.
--
bye
satish
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian