Music has become mainly for dance, says Asha Bhosle

Veteran singer admires Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Javed Ali among new lot of Bollywood singers

Asked about the current scene in the music industry, veteran Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle shared she admires Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Javed Ali from the present generation of singers. Feeling songs that are written well are always remembered, she criticised some recent releases for faulty lyrics that do not leave a long-lasting impact on the listeners.

“I like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and there is Javed Ali. He sings very well. I like his voice and his singing. They have learned singing, so there is everything in them,” said Asha. While Rahat is known for songs such as Mann Ki Lagan, Tere Mast Mast Do Nain and Ajj Din Chadheya among others, Javed has attracted popularity for Jashn-e-Bahaara and Arziyan among other songs.

“I wouldn’t say all songs are bad today but the lyrics aren’t proper. If the songs are written well, then only they are remembered,” Asha added. “It’s because of the lyrics that the songs click. It’s only when people like the lyrics that they sing them. Some sing for their love, some for their husbands ... You don’t find such lyrics now.”



Asha mentioned that music has primarily become a tool of supporting dance. “Music has also become mainly for dance. Very few good melodies are coming. It is a cycle and it will keep changing gradually. Good singers and good music directors will come and go.”

On whether she is still open to singing for films, she said “If the lyrics are good and the tune is good, then there should be no issue with singing. I have sung all kinds of songs, so that is nothing new.”

The 82-year-old singer has completed 72 years in the entertainment industry and holds the Guinness World Record for recording the most number of songs in music history. However, while she has not been active in the music scene as of late, Asha recently announced that she will be performing live for the last time in September this year, reported radioandmusic.com.

In a separate interview, she slammed the trend of several new award ceremonies being introduced in the last few years. The yesteryears songstress is tired of the ceremonies as she feels every Tom, Dick and Harry is coming up with new awards. She added that there should be only one award ceremony, which should be significant.

She also seems to have a different take on the way Bollywood celebrities conduct themselves these days. From legal notices being hurled at each other to indulging in fake affairs for filmy promotions, the celeb of the cinema world, Asha believes in moving ahead with times. “Maybe people enjoy the publicity they get. Years ago, publicity never happened like this. But today, a lot is being done for the sake of promotions. A film used to be silver and golden jubilee hit at the box office. But if a movie works even for a couple of weeks these days then it is more than enough. People come and go, world has become very fast and it is difficult to keep track. I guess we should go with the flow,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2016.

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