There is this very poignant Bengali movie song : Chole jete jete din bole jaye..sung by Lata Mangeshkar. The movie : Mon Niye
The movie doesn't exactly concur with my generation, but the song is so well revered that one from my generation has grown up with the song as an integral part of cultural statement that an average Bengali family puts out.
The song has a gentle pathos, with a strongly fatalistic overtone. As if she knows how near the reality of death, but she's not afraid. She tries to find reason in life's realities, and lets a calmness pervading her being with which she romanticizes death as not an absolute end. Death opens for her a door, a gateway into a future, something she is hopeful of continuing her journey, mulling over the reality of life which merges with another reality, that of death.
My mother used to love this song.]
My first ever full bar scale changing harmonica befriended me on my 11th birthday. It was a very pleasant surprise when I saw her nicely dressed pack in Ma"s hand - a simple token of a simple love that a simple pair of ma -son. Years later it became quite disjointed and was definitely not making the right noises. I retired her. My mother said she'll keep it s' where 'safe' as a memento.
Twenty five years, it was the 14th-15th day after she expired, I was just reorganising photographs In her wardrobe. Here was a simple piece of paper gently Folded in the "locker' of her wardrobe. I took it out and opened the folds with a rather stoic frown. And here was this song, the words written by her looping hand-writing.
I wouldn't say much about what transpired between the lock inside me & the unlocked locker, except for the fact that she loved this song very much - I just paying tributes to the departed soul,by simple reminiscences.
I found it a bit "queer" which ended with a silent smile of mine - why would somebody write a song, a popular song, and keep it in a locker which was unlocked all the time. (apologies for My seeming insenstivity).
I guess I'd ve found it queer all my life. As I put my hand to place it (I remember taking a long time folding) and my fingers touched cold metal.
As I lowered my head for visual inspection, I saw my first harmonica which she, actually had used a paperweight of sorts the ensured that folds of the piece were kept crisp.
Too many 'M's. Music Morher Metal Memory! MADNESS?
Ok you show me the madness, I 'll show ORDER.
Let's Move on.
Dr.Anirban Chaudhuri,
Physician,
Mumbai, India.
http://jogyou963.blogspot.com
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Live Life on your own terms
