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"Tum Aaye", the latest album composed by Javed Akhtar, features eight geets rendered by Alka Yagnik and Hariharan. The lyricist and the artistes describe their experiences in putting the album together.
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THE MOOD is romantic. The music is mesmerising. The lyrics are poignant. And the artistes are achievers in their own right.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar wanted to make an album that "I do not get in the market". So he set out to write "soft, gentle and nostalgic" geets that talk of life, love, separation and reconciliation... sad songs, which are not appreciated any more", as he words it.
To represent his poems vocally and lend an emotional fibre to them, Akhtar chose two talented artistes — Alka Yagnik and Hariharan. He picked Raju Singh for the job of music director. The result... "Tum Aaye", an album of eight soothing geets.
The album, that has been topping the charts for some time now, has in a way brought back some life to the listless Indipop (the generic term for anything non-filmi these days) scene.
What was it like to come together for a non-filmi album? The answer is unanimous. "It was a great experience. We enjoyed every minute of it." Each one contributed to the overall aesthetics, be it in adding an aalap or a sargam.
For Akhtar, whose collection of poems "Tarkash" has been recently translated "the first time in meter and rhyme" into English by David Matthew, it was a chance to write "something that touched the core of the heart". For Yagnik, "the melodies were romantic and rich in poetry. There was intensity and depth in the words." While for Hariharan, it was "the theme of togetherness and the feel-good quality" that attracted him to the project.
This is not the first time Javed Akhtar and Alka Yagnik have come together for an album. "Tum Yaad Aaye", their previous effort, was quite a success. `Tum Aaye" is an extension of that."
So what was it like to come together for another album? Akhtar says, "Alka and I are very good friends. Both Alka and Hariharan have enormous talent. And I think it is their finest work to date." Alka echoes the same sentiment, adding, "We work like friends. We are comfortable and creative." It was a "cool" experience for the Colonial Cousin, who has known Alka for "over two decades", and has "worked with Javed saab before for films".
Talking more about the concept, that was his brainchild, the lyricist-writer is all praise for the playback singers and the music director. "Both Alka and Hariharan complement each other perfectly. In fact, they never sang full-throated. They were whispering most of the time. Very difficult, but then they are talented."
"Yes, we had to whisper practically throughout the album. We had to literally sing under our breath. Initially it was a wee bit difficult. But after a couple of songs, we got the hang of it," feel Hariharan and Alka.
Adds Hariharan, "It called for a lot of precise singing. You had to hold back your voice to get the right effect."
Ask Akhtar the time spent in assembling his thoughts and putting them down on paper as poems and he chuckles. "Actually I spend about 15 minutes to half an hour per poem. In fact, my wife Shabana tells me producers will stop paying me if they find out the time I spend on each poem!"
The title track has already garnered quite a bit of attention on television. The video is simple, about a young couple, who fall in love, separate and finally get back. And the voices are caressing and the setting, avant garde. In fact, the video stands out amid the clutter of songs and more songs that have invaded the living room, filmi or otherwise.
In a market that is flooded with music (of all kinds), where would one draw a line (flimsy though) between film songs and non-filmi ones? (Watch closely and you'll find quite a few Indipop videos are shot abroad and the themes are quite similar.)
Once again, the three artistes think on similar lines. "You write/sing for a particular situation/hero/heroine in a film, and the audience is always kept in mind," says Yagnik. While Akhtar believes "There are set rules. But, when it is a non-filmi effort, there is no binding. It is a different ball game." Hariharan is of the opinion that "the musical dimensions are different and there is freedom... of words, of singing, of moods and moments."
Alka, though "first and foremost a playback singer", feels that many aspects of her singing have not been fully explored. "I want to experiment with my voice", which is why she has decided to do projects such as "Tum Aaye". Of course, she has some interesting films coming up... "L.O.C" and "Bhagat Singh" (A.R.Rahman), to name a few.
The Javed Akhtar-Alka Yagnik combination has proved to be a success once again. And cashing in on the success, the duo is planning to explore new areas. Bhajans? Yes. Alka is also hoping to do something semi-classical. Also in the pipeline is a ghazal collection, this time Akhtar working in tandem with Hariharan.
Meanwhile, each of them is busy with his/her career, exploring new opportunities while perfecting their forte, be it writing lyrics or scripts or play back singing.
SAVITHA GAUTAM
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