Category: Desi Music

Tags: India, Hindi, Cinema, Indian, Punjabi, Film, Song, Mera, Salaam, Salam, 1981, Asha, Bhonsle, Bhosle, Stage, Dance, Bhangra, Theatre, Traditional, Women, Hae

'Hae Meri Aankh Par Di'['Oh, My Eye Is On Him'] is an interesting Indian stage song interpretation of Travelling Theatre Songs of the old Punjab. Visually, the song draws upon the colourful energetic personality of The Punjab, plus lots of block colours and sharp contrasting bold coloured traditional clothes. The dancing is a mix of BHANGRA [an energetic farmers' dance involving shaking shoulders and fast footwork and turns of the body alone or in groups] and CABARET. The production is quite naïve and gentle and would be unlikely to be produced nowadays. The stage show is a premise for two gentlemen to enter in dressed as women to sit with the ladies during this 'Ladies Only' performance. This is typical Punjabi comedy that is underlined by the slightly risqué words and ideas of the song where the performer says she is so suddenly 'in love' that her eye starts searching by itself and her 'heart is pounding'. The number comes from a curious low budget Hindi film, 'Mera Salaam' from 1981. It is a 'curious' film as apart from the movie's ticket grossing figures, there is little recorded information of the production. This is unusual as Indian films usually have a reasonable summary of information available Online? Further paradoxical features of 'Mera Salaam'['My Greeting'] is that the name infers a Muslim theme which was common 1950 to 1970 on the Indian Screen, but by the 1980s Muslim Dramas had gone out of fashion for Hindu-Style 'New Wave' films with huge Hindustani Culture beach songs by the likes of Bappi Lahiri. 'Mera Salaam' appears in some ways to be a Pakistani Film. Some of the actors, the insistence on traditional dress, older male actors, men in drag jokes, etc. All of these are hallmarks of the thriving Pakistani Punjabi Industry of the 1980s. The voice of PLAYBACK SINGER [a singer who records tracks for cinema actors to mime to as if the singer's voice is their own] ASHA BHONSLE'S sweet 'sassy' voice immediately stamps 'INDIA' on the film. Another feature is the costumes, India has presented more authentic Punjabi 'Lachcha' [wrap around long skirts] that look like the original traditional costume. The magnificent Pakistani Punjabi Cinema seemed to recreate Punjabi Cinema Costume with 'Lachcha' for ladies that was stitched front seam, plus male and female Punjabi Costume of 1980s Pakistan Screen were so splendid, much more like The Punjabi Mythology that Lahore Cinema so wonderfully promotes and presents. ORCHESTRATION The TONALITY [note and scale relationships] feel of the song is Indian rather than Pakistani. The TONALITY has a different SCALE [set of notes a song is constructed upon] choice than Pakistani Composers. There is a feeling of Hindustani Music, whereas Pakistani Punjabi Film Songs tend to involve more MIDDLE EASTERN elements possibly due to Islamic Influences on the music. The FORM [sections over time] is Western Pop Song: Intro + Chorus + Verse + Bridge 01 + Verse + Chorus + Bridge 02 + Verse + Chorus + Bridge 01 + Verse + Chorus + CODA LINEAR DESCRIPTION OF ORCHESTRATION IN THE VARIOUS SECTIONS ]* The whole song has some sort of BASS GUITAR layering low notes under -- Possibly recorded as an improvisation after orchestra and soloist had recorded]. INTRODUCTION Punjab DRUMS then with PERCUSSION [instruments you hit] CHOIR & SOLOIST ANTIPHONAL [question and answer] One note traditional Punjabi LUTE + SHAKER + TABLA Traditional FLUTES in octaves Western VIOLINS ANTIPHONAL to FLUTES ending in CADENCE [musical full stop] Traditional FLUTES in octaves LUTE and FLUTES to end of section CHORUS SOLOIST + LUTE SOLOIST + VIOLINS SOLOIST + CHOIR [ANTIPHONAL] VIOLINS SOLOIST + FLUTES [CADENCES] SOLIST SOLOIST + VIOLINS [CADENCES] CHOIR + SOLOIST [ANTIPHONAL/CADENCES] BRIDGE 01 LUTE + VIOLIN [ANTIPHONAL/CADENCES] Low FLUTE FLUTES and SHEHNAI [traditional OBOE] in octaves, DRUMS double then support. VIOLINS closing section VIOLINS I-V [note 1 to note 5] CADENCE to end section and lead to fifth note VERSE section VERSE [**Starting on fifth note 'Soh'/'Pa'] SOLOISTnew rhythm melody with DRUMS CHOIR [ANTIPHONAL and CADENCING] SOLOIST [more wordy less melodic long phrase] CHORUS [same as before] BRIDGE 02 VIOLINS low upward scale rhythmic repeated tune + new drumming [ANTIPHONAL] LUTE one note SHEHNAI 'snake dance' tune FLUTES in octaves [ANTIPHONAL two phrase melody + off beat drums] VIOLINS downward SEQUENCE ending section LUTE scalic Low FLUTES in octaves VIOLINS repeated ending CADENCE figure VERSE [as before] BRIDGE 01 [as before] VERSE [as before] CHORUS [as before] CODA [ending section] SOLOIST sings part of VERSE with LUTE [ANTIPHONY] CHOIR + SOLOIST CHORUS [ANTIPHONY] FLUTES in octaves repeat tune from INTRODUTION to end The ORCHESTRATION is changed every four bars and a lot of musical...

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