..Where music dwells..

There was a time when I would be sitting on a mountain top, strumming a wooden guitar and singing to keep myself company. Those, unarguably, were the best days of my life.
I was all of five, when Dad introduced me to music. He had a small white Casio keyboard, on which he taught me my very first songs! And then there was no turning back.
Dad played the guitar. He worshiped Clapton, Roger Waters and Jimi Hendrix. He had a band of his own initially. But later on, he went solo. He was the first one to introduce me to some mind-blowing music - Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Don Williams, John Denver to name a few! He was the reason I got interested in Rabindra Sangeet. He was the first one to introduce 'Mohiner Ghoraguli' and 'Suman`s music to me.
I never thought much of it, until The G came along. He was hugely surprised to see Dad`s music collection. He pointed out how rare, how precious it is - To have a Dad who not only shares the same taste in music, but who knows it all, who is actually a 'musical mentor' who introduced me to the kind of music I so love, to the music I grew up listening and still do!
To me and to all others who knew him, Music defined my Dad. Oh!How I aspire to be that person he was. To nurture his legacy. To develop the kind of gift and talent he had, and what he taught me. To center one`s life around music. To make soul stirring music and share them with one`s daughters. To enrich them and help them grow musically. To never accept imperfection but patiently wait for them to catch up,wait till they get the notes just right. To pleasantly surprise the grown up daughters with his deep understanding and knowledge of music. To make the daughters feel proud.
Until his last breath(and I mean it literally), he heard the 'Sound of Silence' by Simon & Garfunkel. It was his favorite song. The song is about a growing apathy towards one another and how interpersonal communication appears to have broken down, how no one cares to listen anymore. Dad cried every single time he heard this song. And I would often wonder why. It is only now that I understand a more personal, a more deeper meaning to the song. I guess it wasnt a single reason but a collage of images the song can conjure up in the mind - the finality of silence from a personal perspective, the loneliness, the isolation, the reaching out of hands for one last touch - I guess that is what the song really means and the reason why it affected Dad so much. It was Dad`s favorite song. I haven't heard it ever since.
But I do think about Dad and his music often. I try not to give it up. It`s the richest legacy Dad left behind. And so I hang on, hoping to make him proud someday.

A long,long time ago, Renu tagged me to do a post on my favorite slow,soulful,melodies. I wonder why soulful music is always slow and sad. Why can the mind accept jarring,blaring notes as soulful? :)
Anyway,I guess I was to compile a list of 10 songs only. But that`s an impossible task. So I`m going to mention all the ones I can think of right now. This isnt a complete list of course. There can never be..

1. Sili Hawa Choo Gayi

2. Zindagi Ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hain Jo Maqam

3. Badi Suni Suni Hai

4. Tujhse Naraaz Nahi, Zindagi, Hairaan Hoon Mai

5. Koi Yeh Kaise Bataye Ki Woh Tanha Kyu Hai

6. Yeh Na Thi Hamari Kismat - Chitra Singh in Mirza Ghalib

7. Baat Niklegi to Door Talaq Jayegi - Jagjit Singh

8. Man Re Tu Kahe na Dheer Dhare - Mohammad Rafi

9. Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho - Jagjit Singh

10. Mera Kuch Samaan - Asha Bhonsle

Some Others that I have been listening to, this past week - and that all of you must listen to, atleast once!!
1. Patience - Guns N` Roses

2. Girl in the War - Josh Ritter

3. Why Worry - Dire Straits

4. Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

5. Bridge over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel

6. Coming Back to Life - Pink Floyd

7. Suzanne - Leonard Cohen

8. Walls of Red Wing - Bob Dylan

9. Handle me With Care - Traveling Wilburys

10. Most of the Time - Bob Dylan

11. Green Green Grass of Home - Tom Jones

12. Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

13. This Land is My Land - Woody Guthrie

14. Fix You - ColdPlay

15. I Still Havent Found What I`m Looking For - U2

16. Girl from Yesterday - Eagles

And saving up the best for the last :
17. Mousumi Bhowmik - Aami shunechi she din tumi
I will try and translate this Bengali song into English and post it. It is too beautiful a song to miss.

So go on, listen up People. I hope you enjoy these songs, as much as I do :)