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My Journey Back To My Culture : My Favourite Marathi Songs

The 12th Article in the Culture Series

As I noted in my previous post on this , Marathi Article : Pull Of The Mother Tongue, "It is still early days - but technology is working its wonderful way in more ways than one..." The advent of various channels of communication, technological platforms and solutions, like Gaana, Hungama, Youtube, Nokia Music, Television Channels, Mobiles, Bluetooth, affordable memory cards etc   alongwith easy availability data connectivity at decent speeds is leading to people outside the native cultural spectrum to experiment with their culture and its nuances, arts and music. This is driving a reverse trend, with an increasing number of people coming back to the Mother Tongue, an interesting backlash to the increasing westernisation of our society. 

This :is how my experimentation started; A friend introduced me to a song on his mobile that stunned me, brought tears to my eyes; bluetooth ensured I got a copy of the same on my mobile;  This song which almost stills my heart whenever I listen to it is : Damlelyaa Baabaachi Hi Kahaani Tulaa



The introduction led to me surfing to find the first part of the above song {Door Deshi Gelaa Baabaa} I first saw this song as it starred my favourite Marathi pairing of Mukta Barve and Swapnil Joshi - and fell in love with it : which fast became my top favourite across all languages. This song now stands as the single best number I have ever heard in any music, in my opinion : Sar Sukhaachi Shravani Ke Naachraa Valiv Haa, Guntanyaa Atur Phiruni Aaz Vedaa Jeev Haa 



The list of videos on youtube guided me to another Swapnil Joshi starrer : a song with a powerful rhythm, and a quality, a haunting quality that draws you into the song, making it a near-unforgettable number with awesome music :  Devaa Tujhyaa Gaabhaaryaalaa Umbaraach Naahi, Saang Kuthe Theu Maathaa Kalanaach Kaahi...



These are the 3 songs that made me fall in love with Marathi Music, and make it the top-listened to language in my repertoir. I do not know why this is so, why does my mother tongue gel  with me so much... is it because of its freshness, as I have been away from the culture and the arts of my mother tongue for years; or is it because of the perceived purity of the music, which is devoid of western influences? Or is it something much deeper, relating to how my brain responds to my mother tongue? I do not know... but I have chronicled my journey just as it happened; The rest of the songs that are my top favourites, that lead to my continued attachment to my mother tongue's music  are :



Saang Naa Re Manaa : from the film Zenda



Malaa Ved Laagale Premache - Timepass




Man Aaz Naa Maazhe Raahile : Davpench




Malaa Saang Naa Re Manaa - Sharyat



Saazni : 



Kaa Kalenaa Kontyaa Kshani Haravte Man Kashe : Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai





And this one : making a list with a stunner at the start, and a stunner at the end : 


Nirbhay Manaane Zagnaar Mee : Satyamev Jayate : 



The point is not that these songs are the best: these are the ones that have pulled me into the matchless beauty - or what I perceive to be the matchless beauty of Marathi Music. Each has something unique, some individual quality to it; together they cover a range of emotions; further - there are other songs I have heard, but these stand out; these are the ones whose tunes I hum daily.  

What is most interesting is that I am not alone; I have met others who are closer to their culture, thanks to the pulls of Modern Life, and the exposure that technology gives. This may be a slight repetition of my previous article; but in my opinion it bears reiteration, given the exposure to westernization, and the hype around increasing inroads of western culture that is prevalent. The reverse also seems to be happening : Indians are coming closer to their parent culture, to their roots... aided by the tools of Modern Technology...

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