From the sultry whispers of 'Dum maro dum' to the fun-filled 'Eena meena deeka', Asha Bhosle's voice has been the palette that has been painting the emotions of generations. What's the story behind the voice which turned melodies into masterpieces? Asha began her career in 1943, when she was just a ten-year-old. It was not an easy climb for her, since she had personal hurdles to deal with, as well as the huge speedbump of an older sister - Lata Mangeshkar - who was already an established name. However, Asha's undeniable innate talent and perseverance paid off. She made a name for herself as a singer who conveyed emotions like playfulness, flirtation, seduction and vampiness, with songs like 'Aaja aaja', 'O mere sona re' and 'Yeh mera dil'. But there was another side to her musicality, with National Award- winning songs from films like Umrao Jaan, for which she sang 'Dil cheez kya hai', 'In aakhon ki masti and more, and Ijaazat, her emotion-filled voice reflecting shades of pain, loss, love and untold longing in 'Mera kuch samaan'. Discover how Asha, armed with an alto that could tickle your soul, collaborated with legends from O.P. Nayyar to the Kronos Quartet, creating a symphony that bridged the East and the West. Packed with rare anecdotes and intriguing backstage happenings, this book examines Asha's music, focusing mainly on the people who helped her earn the limelight, and the evolution of her sound, highlighting her remarkable versatility over the years.
Review
'The goddess is a beast! She is wild, only getting younger every day. She's raring to do new things! On the whole she is pretty much a cool cat actually, youthful and exuberant.' Shamir Tandon, Indian musical composer and music director
'Lata had a voice that you can call a bansuri, a flute. Asha's is like a violin with an edge to it. Lata's voice had a sweetness, an elegance. Asha's is more expressive, more bindaas, more uninhibited.' Kumar Sanu, Indian playback singer
'She is really wonderful! What a character, what a freedom of singing, what a voice! Lata was a little reserved, but Asha is open, free... My goodness! I have never heard or seen that sort of thing.' Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Indian music director and classical flautist
'I think she has a natural ability to pick notes and add a flourish to them, embellishing the song with her richness of expression, which no amount of training can give you. That distinguishes her from Lata. She adds that mischief, that raunchiness, that sexiness - everything that she never did in real life to her music.' Brahmanand Singh, filmmaker and author
'I asked Asha to literally freestyle over the song. She sang a verse with excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita and it was perfect and magical.' Boy George, singer, songwriter and DJ
'It's much better to focus on her music that makes your toes curl with pleasure. After all, better to remember the Alphonso mangoes of life that make your taste buds swoon than whatever made you grit your teeth.' Ken Hunt, music journalist
About the Author
RAMYA SARMA is an independent writer and editor who has worked with publications like the Times of India, the Financial Times, London, and DNA, Femina and Filmfare, International Indian Woman and Interiors and Lifestyle India, and the websites bollywoodlife.com and soundboxindia.com. Ramya has authored In a Pickle (2020), Dance with 'Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa' (2010) and Raghu Rai ... In His Own W
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