The life and soul of Saigal
K.N. VIJU
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Music lovers remembered K.L. Saigal the other day with more than a concert.
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TIMELESS APPEAL K. L. Saigal
The India International Centre lawns in New Delhi became the venue for remembering the singing legend of Indian playback music - Kundan Lal Saigal. And to mark the singer's 102nd birth anniversary the venue provided a memorable evening of nostalgia, that left many among the audience dewy eyed.
Pran Neville, one of Saigal's more recent biographers, who spoke on the occasion, shared some of his findings on the life and art of the singer.
However, one would like to differ from Pran's contention that alcohol did not destroy the singing ability of Saigal. Pran has quoted G.N. Joshi who had worked as senior executive of HMV and also authored "Down Memory Lane", a unique recollection of his memories while recording the great masters of his time. Joshi had written that Saigal would need six rehearsals interspersed with brief sips of alcohol and the voice would become "mellower" with each rehearsal.
Now, to believe it was alcohol and not the repeated exercise of vocal chord achieved during the rehearsals that made his voice "mellow" is to become the alcohol's advocate without sufficient logical or aesthetic reasons. Ironically Pran also himself quoted Naushad and R.C. Boral that Saigal sang better without his drinks. Here, the words of the music directors seem to carry more weight.
Pandit's note
Pran Neville's talk was followed by a brief reminiscence of L.K. Pandit (Gwalior Gharana). Pandit remembered Saigal's visit to Gwalior in 1940, when the singer wanted to pay homage at Tansen Samadhi and also chew the leaves from the tamarind tree that stands near the Samadhi which is believed to bestow a sweet voice to any one who tasted it.
The musical homage by Meeta Pandit, concentrated exclusively on some of Saigal's raga based songs. She began with the bandish, "Ori oh Braj Raj Dhularee" and went on to the famous song "Bagh laga dhun Sajini". This vintage Saigal song from the film "Tansen" based on raga Bahar, was given more elaboration by Meeta. Now the confines of time imposed by the 78 RPG records compelled Saigal like other singers of the time, to compress all nuances of a song within a short time span. Saigal made a virtue of this necessity. There are those quantum leaps of notes that he achieved with a perfect unpremeditated ease. Meeta's classical base provides an elaboration for these songs and though she loses the master's intuitive leaps she provides a classical gravity that is nevertheless appealing.
Two songs that seemed to have gained by Meeta's classical elaboration were "Jhula Jhulao" (Dev Gandhar) and "Radhe Rani Dei Daro Bhasuri". In Jhula Jhulao, there is the wonderful celebration of spring, and the master's voice had once captured the rise and fall of the swing with the majestic swaying of swaras. The song throbs with the life flow of spring. It was a pleasant sight to see young Meeta sign with full-throated abandon and she revived the spirit of the song, even while engaging in the raga elaborations. In Radha Rani Dei Daro, the playful mood was well elaborated.
It was only in those songs where the tragic intensity of Saigal's voice looms large that Meeta's feminine voice failed to take off. "Tapan more man ki" and "Kahe Guman kare gori" both in raga Piloo have that quivering Saigal voice which was aptly compared to the sound of a tightly strung violin by the late music critic Raghav R. Menon.
The concert ended with the famous bhajan from Puran Bhagat, "Bhaju Mein To Bhav Sei, Sree Giridhari". Some legends continue to grow with time, and the evening aptly proved that Saigal's mythical stature will survive the remix mania.
The Bihar connection
C.L. DAS
As a singer Kundal Lal Saigal has inspired generations for over half a century. But as a friend and a confidant his personality has had an even deeper impact among people. For the simple rural folk of a tiny village in Bihar Saigal is still remembered as a friend of the royal bridegroom accompanying him to the place during a wedding ritual.
Talk to any white-haired, wrinkled person at the Chakrour village in Darbhanga district in Bihar and you will be treated to a wedding scene there with the singer friend of Sir Bisheshwar Singh alias Raja Bahadur of the royal family of Darbhanga, Saigal giving an emotional rendition of his classic number, "Babul mora naihar chhutohi jaye" on the occasion. It happened in early `40s when Saigal accompanied Raja Bahadur to his in-law's place at the village to perform a wedding ritual there. As a child one had heard a lot about this incident.
Raja Bahadur and Pandit Ramchatur Mallik, Mallikji were very close friends and the latter accompanied Raja Bahadur wherever he moved in the country and abroad. Mallik had attended that marriage ceremony at Chakrour village and loved to talk about Saigal's inimitable performance in front of thousands of village people there.
Saigal visited Darbhanga frequently not as a singer but also as a friend of Raja Bahadur. There was something common between the two. Both of them were fond of good food and were passionate about music. Whenever the two met the Bela Palace at Darbhanga witnessed long sessions of conversations and renditions of ghazals and thumris. It was this emotional bonding that led the star of the Hindi film industry to the small village of Bihar with Raja Bahadur. While the two were preparing to leave the place after the ceremony was over, there were murmurs of requests and urges among people gathered there for a song recital to make the moment memorable. The crowd consisted of women also with their faces half covered with bright coloured saris.
Earnest request
Emotional as he was Saigal could not overlook their earnest request. His fingers started moving over the keyboard of the harmonium and the impact that he created through his inimitable rendition of this thumri in raga Bhairavi, "Babul mora naihar chhutohi jaye", written decades ago by the Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, is still fresh in the memories of the people there. It was an emotional moment for all the men and women were in tears. That very song created an everlasting bond between the Chakrour folk and Sehgal and he is still regarded as a family friend.
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