The birth of Jazz in Bollywood dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, and the credit goes to Frank Fernand, Sebastian D’ Souza, and Anthony Gonsalves, who fused Indian classical music with western classical. Jazz has been incorporated in the works of famous Bollywood legends like Rahul Dev Barman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, and Shankar-Jaikishen. The earliest example of Jazz music in Bollywood is “Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo” from the movie Howrah Bridge, and since then, Jazz has had a permanent influence on the music of Bollywood. Great singers and composers like Sonu Nigam, Anurag Kashyap are great fans of Jazz, and it has been very clearly portrayed in their musical work.
Though the 1950s was known as the Golden Era of B town because of its music and, of course, the impeccable stars it produced, the music has been passed on through the generations and the trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, which form the unmistakable tone of Jazz, still rules our hearts. Bollywood composers have, in their own ways, tried to walk in the shoes of yester year legendary music composers. Though they have not managed to live up to their level of panache in incorporating Jazz in Bollywood music, they have done a great job. Here are some of the popular jazz songs of Bollywood:
Mohabbat Buri Bimari – Bombay Velvet
This Anurag Kashyap move created a buzz all across Bollywood, mainly due to its retro music. The music of this film takes us back to the Jazz era of 1960s. The most famous Jazz song of the movie is “Muhabbat Buri Bimari”. Amit Trivedi is the music composer of the movie, and he certainly has given a different flavor to the music of the movie and the Jazz music gives a different feel to the movie.
Kaisi Paheli Zindagani – Parineeta
With Shantanu Moitra’s music and sunidhi Chauhan’s sensuous rendition, Kaisi Paheli Zindagani is till date remembered by one and all. While all the sound tracks of the movie are equally good, but this is a special one for its jazz influence and retro music, and of course, the amazing play of saxophone. Our special attention was, however, on Rekha, who showed us that age is just a number, and rocked the song with her tantalizing expressions.
Muskaanein Jhoothi Hai – Talaash
Composed by Ram Sampath, this sound track from the Aamir Khan starrer Talaash, begins on a retro note. The song has an undertone of suspense, which is enhanced by the creative use of the jazz notes and the cabaret style of the song. This song was immensely popular in the suspense thriller, and the use of jazz here is more modern than retro.
Khwabon Ke Parindey – Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
This beautiful piece of perfection was penned by Javed Akhtar, and it sort of went unnoticed amidst the glitz of the movie. But true music lovers recognize the intricate use of Jazz chords in the song, and that is what sets it apart from the remaining soundtrack of the movie. We get lost in the beauty of Spain as Alyssa Mendonsa and Mohit Chauhan’s soulful voice take us to a different time.
Aunty Ji – Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
This rocking jazz number from Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu by Ash King has made its mark in Bollywood, urging the pretty aunties to get grooving. The rock and roll music, paired with Jazz undertones made the song an instant hit with the youngsters and it also emerged as one of the very popular dance numbers.
Girls Like To Swing – Dil Dhadakne Do
The movie didn’t do quite well in box office. However, this song sure did. Anushka Sharma carries forward her role of Rosie from Bombay Velvet and swings it along with Priyanka Chopra. This peppy number, with its jazz number, surely did so much better than the movie itself and we all remember how it infused us all with so much energy. The famous trio, Shankar Ehsaan Loy have created a catchy jazz number, which we grabbed our attention considerably.
So, how about jazzing up your playlist with sme desi jazz numbers?
