The West has never truly got Lata Mangeshkar. The pitch and pointedness of her voice, in all its "forever teenage" glory, is exactly what the unwashed find intolerable about the whole Bollywood sound. "How can anyone find that high pitched shrieking sexy," they wonder. And the ears and mind get blocked before they are ever able to appreciate the subtle permutations and blessed shadings of India’s most popular female voice.
On the other hand, the West has got Asha Bhosle in a very big way. Unlike her elder sister, Asha has spent a good part of her career having to vocalise endless night club item numbers, disco deewana grinders and all manner of up-tempo rock n' roll songs. Lata abjured such shenanigans. Asha paid the rent with them.
Whether something in her personality drew her to the faster side of Bolly-song or the music tripped something inside of her, Asha has always been the adventurous one, the explorer. Over many decades, Western popular artists (from the ridiculous to the ultra-serious) have lined up to have their records graced by Asha. For her part, she has gone on record to say how much she relishes the chance to stretch her horizons and break free of the filmi formula.
Here are six stupendous Asha (or Asha-inspired) tracks for you to relish with your Sunday morning tea.
Asha Bhosle
Nazar Uthake Zara Dekh Le
The proceedings get going with an early ‘rock n roll’ number from the 1959 movie Chacha Zindabad, of the sort her sister would have been horrified to perform.
West India Company
Ave Maria
The 1980’s club/dance band West India Company mixed electronic beats with Indian instruments and voices to create a fresh (and very brief) opening in the otherwise commercialised British music scene. The group should probably get credit for introducing Asha’s voice to a new Western audience. The song 'Ave Maria' mixes chants to the Mother of God and Ganesha and gets your feet moving. Asha seems born for this sort of music. In 1989, after a gruelling tour across America and Sweden during which she sang while ill, Asha had to spend several weeks in bed to recover.
Cornershop
Brimful of Asha
The chart-topping hit of late 1997, 'Brimful of Asha', by the Indo-British band Cornershop, pays tribute to the "one who keeps the dream alive". The song is an unrepentantly fun and adoring cheer for not just Asha (everyone needs a bosom for a pillow) but the entire Bollywood playback culture. Fun and vervy.
Asha Bhosle and Kronos Quartet
Dum Maro Dum (Take Another Toke)
San Francisco’s genre-bending chamber music group Kronos Quartet recorded a whole album of Asha covers. Herewith is one of the ultimate 1970’s hippy anthems raved up with the Quartet’s fine strings and chamber-disco attitude.
Asha Bhosle and Michael Stipe
The Way You Dream
1 Giant Step is a landmark of contemporary ‘world’ music. Released in 2001, it blended the artistic visions of European/American pop stars with some of their counterparts in Asia and Africa. Michael Stipe (of REM) is paired with Asha on the luscious 'The Way You Dream.'
Brett Lee and Asha Bhosle
You’re the One for Me
When the Australian cricket team was crushing all others with embarrassing ease several years ago, Brett Lee, one of their terrific speedy pacemen, fell in love with India. And Bollywood. On the other hand, maybe he just fell more in love with himself, if this silly (if not sincere) duet with Asha is anything to go by.
Through it all, after all these years, Asha Bhosle comes through with grace and that twinkle in her eye!
Nate Rabe was born and raised in India. He writes and comments on South Asian culture and music from Kuala Lumpur.
YouTube: See our playlist here
On the other hand, the West has got Asha Bhosle in a very big way. Unlike her elder sister, Asha has spent a good part of her career having to vocalise endless night club item numbers, disco deewana grinders and all manner of up-tempo rock n' roll songs. Lata abjured such shenanigans. Asha paid the rent with them.
Whether something in her personality drew her to the faster side of Bolly-song or the music tripped something inside of her, Asha has always been the adventurous one, the explorer. Over many decades, Western popular artists (from the ridiculous to the ultra-serious) have lined up to have their records graced by Asha. For her part, she has gone on record to say how much she relishes the chance to stretch her horizons and break free of the filmi formula.
Here are six stupendous Asha (or Asha-inspired) tracks for you to relish with your Sunday morning tea.
Asha Bhosle
Nazar Uthake Zara Dekh Le
The proceedings get going with an early ‘rock n roll’ number from the 1959 movie Chacha Zindabad, of the sort her sister would have been horrified to perform.
West India Company
Ave Maria
The 1980’s club/dance band West India Company mixed electronic beats with Indian instruments and voices to create a fresh (and very brief) opening in the otherwise commercialised British music scene. The group should probably get credit for introducing Asha’s voice to a new Western audience. The song 'Ave Maria' mixes chants to the Mother of God and Ganesha and gets your feet moving. Asha seems born for this sort of music. In 1989, after a gruelling tour across America and Sweden during which she sang while ill, Asha had to spend several weeks in bed to recover.
Cornershop
Brimful of Asha
The chart-topping hit of late 1997, 'Brimful of Asha', by the Indo-British band Cornershop, pays tribute to the "one who keeps the dream alive". The song is an unrepentantly fun and adoring cheer for not just Asha (everyone needs a bosom for a pillow) but the entire Bollywood playback culture. Fun and vervy.
Asha Bhosle and Kronos Quartet
Dum Maro Dum (Take Another Toke)
San Francisco’s genre-bending chamber music group Kronos Quartet recorded a whole album of Asha covers. Herewith is one of the ultimate 1970’s hippy anthems raved up with the Quartet’s fine strings and chamber-disco attitude.
Asha Bhosle and Michael Stipe
The Way You Dream
1 Giant Step is a landmark of contemporary ‘world’ music. Released in 2001, it blended the artistic visions of European/American pop stars with some of their counterparts in Asia and Africa. Michael Stipe (of REM) is paired with Asha on the luscious 'The Way You Dream.'
Brett Lee and Asha Bhosle
You’re the One for Me
When the Australian cricket team was crushing all others with embarrassing ease several years ago, Brett Lee, one of their terrific speedy pacemen, fell in love with India. And Bollywood. On the other hand, maybe he just fell more in love with himself, if this silly (if not sincere) duet with Asha is anything to go by.
Through it all, after all these years, Asha Bhosle comes through with grace and that twinkle in her eye!
Nate Rabe was born and raised in India. He writes and comments on South Asian culture and music from Kuala Lumpur.
YouTube: See our playlist here
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