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Monday, November 21, 2011

Gaanwala

Sometimes I feel really old when I hear a song or see a film that I had seen a long time ago, so long that I don’t even remember. Sometimes I feel like a teenager when I discover a piece of art which was always there but I did not know it existed. The second experience, whenever it happens, is exhilarating. The first experience, however, is more illuminating.

The first time I heard Kabir Suman sing, I think he was called Suman Chattopadhaya then, was in late 1990s. I shared a hostel room with a Bengali guy. See, it was so long time ago that now I don’t even remember his name; he was called some Roy or something. He was a confirmed drug addict. He taught me a lot about prescription drugs, and places in Pune where you can find them.

Anyway, he was rich. I was poor. He had a fancy music player and loads of audio cassettes; I think his father was an expert of Rabindra Sangeet. When his mother had come for a visit, she had taken us to the best Chinese restaurant in town, a place on East Street; Mainland China was yet to set shop in Pune.

Anyway, that’s when I heard Kabir Suman; I liked the masculine voice and the overtly leftist and shamelessly romantic outlook (Look at ‘Tomake Chai’, an unabashedly romantic number.). That was then, and I had forgotten all about him till I found him again a few months back; again, the 'Tomake Chai' album, and a collection of songs from one of his live shows he did a long time ago. This time I could appreciate the music better. One of them is a song called ‘Gaanola’ (Gaanwala, the one who ferries music). It’s a nice melancholy, romantic number, and Suman's voice provides an unbelievable gravitas.

There was something else. Every time I would listen to the song, I would feel I have heard the song before, no, not the same song, but a similar song. Then suddenly it hit me. Why, this is Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr Tambourine Man’; this is Mr Tambourine Man in Bangla...

Then recently, someone told me that they are making a new Bangla film called ‘Ranjana Ami Ar Asbo Na’. Can you believe it? It’s one of Anjan Dutta’s popular songs, and surprise, this film is also directed by Anjan Dutta himself. Now, this Ranjana song is one of my all-time favourites. There is an old world charm to it: “Parai dhukle theng khora kare dibo, boleche parar daddara...”

“If I visit your lane, they’ve said they’d break my leg, therefore, Ranjana, I’m going another way, sings a school boy, a Muslim, who loves Ranjana, obviously a Hindu girl. Then he goes to explain how apart from his religion, he’s equally a Bangla and narrates his pangs of first love (“I don’t like the metro channel any more, feel like crying the entire night...”)

It’s a fantastic song. But, an entire film on that one song? I don’t know. I am not really kicked about seeing the film.

Anyway, I sought out the soundtrack. It contains some old Anjan Dutta numbers, remixed, re-sung — ‘Bristi,’ and the ‘Ranjana' song, of course, and also, the ‘Gaanola’ song.

Now, I am guessing that Kabir Suman recorded the song again for the film, because the voice this time is not the same that I am used to hearing... This is an older man's voice, gruff and halting, the strength and potency is there, still...

>>>>>
A Google search yielded me the lyrics of the song and it’s translation, in the blog ‘Aise Hi’ by Bibhuti. I am pasted the matter below. The original post here. Thanks man!

O Gaanwala on YouTube.

Mr Tambourine Man on YouTube

Also below is the lyrics of ‘Mr Tambourine Man.’ Compare and contrast.

>>>>>
O Gaanwala,
Aar ekta gaan gao...
Amar aar kothao jabar nei,
Kischu korar nei!

Cheleybelar sei -
Behala bajano lokta,
Choley gechey behala niye
Choley gechey gaan shuniye!
Ei paltano shomoy,
Firbey ki firbey ta jana nai!
O Gaanwala,
Aar ekta gaan gao...
Amar aar kothao jabar nei,
Kischu korar nei!

Koishor sesh houa,
Rong-chonge shopner din -
Choley gechey rong hairey
Choley gechey mukh firiye!
Ei thatka-bajir deshey
Shopner pakhi gulo bechey nei!
O Gaanwala,
Aar ekta gaan gao...
Amar aar kothao jabar nei,
Kischu korar nei!

Translation:

O singer
Sing one more song
I don't have anywhere to go
I don't anything to do

In childhood's
The guy who used to play violin
Went away with his violin
Went away singing song
This running time
Not sure if it would come back again

O singer
Sing one more song
I don't have anywhere to go
I don't anything to do

Teen age is over
Days of colorful dreams
Went away losing all the colors
Went away turning face
This land of deceiving
No birds of dream are surviving

O singer
Sing one more song
I don't have anywhere to go
I don't anything to do

>>>>>>>>

Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.
Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand
Vanished from my hand
Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping
My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet
I have no one to meet
And the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming.

Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it.

Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Though you might hear laughin', spinnin' swingin' madly across the sun
It's not aimed at anyone, it's just escapin' on the run
And but for the sky there are no fences facin'
And if you hear vague traces of skippin' reels of rhyme
To your tambourine in time, it's just a ragged clown behind
I wouldn't pay it any mind, it's just a shadow you're
Seein' that he's chasing.

Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Then take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to
Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

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