Live and Let Die !!!

My dear friend Atul (swamy)...this goes out to you.

Just heard a few very good songs...I'm sure you must have heard them too. This new guy on the block, Himesh Reshammia, is he great or what. Nice catchy tunes, very very danceable. No wonder all of India is enjoying it. Its such a nice change from the boring drab songs we generally associate the Hindi film industry with. And if you want proof, just tune in to any radio station, any music channel, any cell phone ringing...and you'll know why he's such a great musician.
All those who agree with me on this, please never read my blog again. And don't talk to me either.
Those who're going HA HA HA... (Even mildly smiling for that matter)....you're the reason I write.
Those who were going Maan what the hell is this guy writing...I LOVE YOU.
And those who're now thinking what the hell...who does this guy think he is?? Who appointed him the country critic?? I've got just 2 words for you...KISS MY A**!!!

In real life i am a very brash person...very out there. I do speak my mind out regarding things I dislike and it surely involves a lot of middle finger showing. Lots of arguing with people. I also am very vocal about people…but not to their faces yet. But my online avatar has tried to keep it mellow. Therefore I hope that this particular post will not be read by many, especially not those about whom this is written, cuz today I’m about to break all chains and come through clean.

I consider myself to be really lucky to be born in a family with music in my genes. Ask dad sometime to give his rendition of “Yeh raat yeh chaandni phir kaahaaan....Sun ja dil ki Daastaaan". I grew up in an environment of some very good music thanks to bhai and didi. Just think that it was the early nineties. And the rages were wham! and Michael jackson. We had that huge poster of George Michael (didi's), Madonna Who's That Girl poster, Charlie Chaplin in The Kid, Michael jackson's Bad and Clint Eastwood from Good Bad and Ugly (all bhai's). Some of my favourite tunes were Father Figure, Papa Don't Preach. One of the most haunting tunes of this phase of my life was "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman. I just loved the tone, the music, the feel of this song. There were some catchy numbers in the bollywood genre...with HUM topping the list for me. Jumma Chumma dede somehow made it as a thumping good song without being cheap. It was really decently packaged…and I certainly had the hots for Kimi Katkar in the Red Dress. Or that may just be my interpretation.

Cut to hostel. There is a great divide here which I hope will never be bridged. You may be familiar with this, but it’s the age old problem of English Vs Hindi. Given below are a few things which will make the situation a little clear.
Things that i have heard in this hostel:
1. Tum logon ko to hindi pasand hi nahi aata.
Nothing could be farther than the truth. I personally love Lucky Ali. Last i heard he was still a hindi singer. Love euphoria, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, absolutely adore A.R. Rehman. Loved the music of DCH, Dil Se et al.
2. Chal Dhoom ka gaana sunte hain...
me: nahiiiii....
response: arrey english waala yaar.
Jeez!! Dhoom dhoom come light my fire Dhoom Dhoom let me take you higher.... What a load of crap. This is lyrics? You even call this a song?? Just because its english doesn't make it good. I realise that difference. Its a part of the reason why I hate Backstreet Boys, Vengaboyz, Boyzone, lots of other such boys. When the first line goes "U r my fire, my one desire" and the next line goes "am i ur fire, ur one desire", its not music, its crap.
3. Hum log kabhi tumhare english songs ka mazaak udate hain jo tum log hindi gaanon ka itna mazaak uda rahe ho ???
Udao na bhai...bilkul udao. you'll be surprised at how open to criticism we are. And how we are not narrow minded lunatics. We like to have our fun, and we love watching you fumble with your feeble attempts to defend absolutely sick music. Hell we even write about you in our blogs !! Why don't you tell us the reason you can't tolerate Floyd?? That sure is going to be interesting.
4. Me: yeh kya ghatiya gaana laga rakha hai??
response: Yeh accha gaana hai...
me: kyun isme accha kya laga??
Response: Pura hostel sun raha hai...accha nahi hai???
How lame can you get???

Shit!! And i always thought music has no boundaries. I always felt that its an extremely personal choice and you must listen to whatever suits your choice. The age old concept of Live and Let Live. But i also want to make my opinion clear, and want everyone to do the same too. My question to the above mentioned people is this...if you really like the music that i consider worthless..why the insecurity?? why the need for it to be accepted by everyone?? why rate a song on the basis of what others think about it?? The next time i tell you the song you are listening to is mind numbingly sick, come up with a repartee and not another one of those "tujhe to kabhi hindi pasand nahi aega".

Listening to aashiq banaya aapne, ek baar aja aja aja aja, tera tera tera surooor makes me wish i didnt understand my mothertongue. When i see you dancing to the tunes of Tujhe Meri Kasam, I feel nothing but pity. When i see these albums selling like hot cakes, it does not make me think that maybe its good stuff, but it does make me question my indianness.
Just want to add at this point that these views are solely my own. So sue me !!

I love music. It defines my soul. My life is incomplete without it. Its my personality. It doesnt make me cool or hip or any other words you'll find in the Big Book of American Slang. Cool,Un-cool, your side, my side...man that's all bull-s***. Its hard enough to be yourself.
I want my music to be what I am.
And what am i?? I'm just me. Nothing more, nothing less.