Is Training In Classical Music Essential, to become a good playback singer? Options

[iqbal]

http://www.screenindia.com/jan15/music2.htm


Impression and expression

Is training in classical music essential to become a good playback singer? Why have singers with little or no classical training become so successful? Dr. Rajiv Vijayakar finds out.

One of the classic true stories of musicdom concerns a top-notch classical vocalist, playback singer Mukesh and veteran music director Kalyanji. The singer was leaving the composer's music room after a sitting when the classical luminary entered for a social call. After Mukesh departed, this worthy told Kalyanjibhai, "Look at the irony! What does that man know about classical raag and sur? And he drives a Mercedes and I have to travel by bus!"

Kalyanjibhai beckoned the man to sit next to him and asked him to sing Chandan sa badan chanchal chitwan along with the harmonium. The classical singer sang the line, with excessive murki as per his training.

Kalyanjibhai again explained to him the exact notes. Try as he might, the classical maestro could not get the requisite straight and heart-touching rendition needed for this Saraswatichandra classic. Gently, the composer drove home his point by telling him, Ab aap ko pataa chalaa ke woh Mercedes main kyoon ghoomte hain? (Do you now realise why he drives a Mercedes?)

The film song, let it be once and for all understood, is meant for a character and a situation. However far-fetched may be the film concept of a doctor, a farmer or a crook bursting into songs with an orchestral back-up, the fact remains that the song is meant to convey the mood of the moment, and if skillfully used, even to create a mood and drive the story forward.

Thus a foundation in vocal music is but one aspect of the whole picture, where a playback singer needs to be perfect in timing (especially today when he or she dubs on a pre-recorded track), microphone training, and above all in expression.

Mukesh was probably the least classically-accomplished among our master-singers, but he has an amazing 90 per cent success record among his songs. According to industry insiders, even K.L. Saigal, Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar were far from highly-trained.

Veteran Manna Dey, whose classical base is extensive, once bluntly told me that the could never aspire to overtake Rafi as "Rafisaab was a better singer than me". And last but not the least, in film playback more than anywhere else, the voice-quality and throw are of vital importance.

In the '80s, Anuradha Paudwal, untrained except for the bare essentials, became the first female singer to make a breakthrough in the mighty Mangeshkar bastion. And singers with far greater training had fallen or failed to make a mark for decades. Today Anuradha's rendition has lost its supple expression, probably due to her five-year sabbatical from playback singing, during which her only contact with film music was when she imitated Lata Mangeshkar in cover versions.

In sharp contrasts, Alka Yagnik, has grown in the last decade from someone who just musically read out the lyrics into a magnificent songstress who puts in a world of expression in her songs. Her latest numbers from Zakhm, Soldier, Kachche Dhaage and Kuch Kuch Hota Hain are sheer delight.

Again, this is in vivid contrast to some more classically-accomplished male and female singer (I won't mention them), who are so flat and monotonous that they have lost considerable ground in the last year. Only Kavita Krishnamurthi has mastered the perfect balance between a classical background and playback expression.

Of course, the music director is also a major factor in the whole affair. Kalyanji's younger brother, Anandji, would lay primes stress on emotional expression. So did all our other great composers, old and new.

The stark contrast between what Kumar Sanu sang for Nadeem-Shravan and what R.D. Burman extracted from him in 1942 - A Love Story is there for all to hear.

Singers would rave over the way the late Laxmikant taught a song. Rahman even opts for untrained voices to get an element of natural spontaneity in some of his compositions. And only Jatin-Lalit can still make Lata Mangeshkar sound sweet sixteen. But nevertheless, the composer can only take out what is already there. No one can tap potential which does not exist.

And that is why the fine art of playback singing differs from the mere vocalising of the finer points of classical technicalities. This is the reason why music directors will always prefer Kumar Sanu to Suresh Wadkar, Alka Yagnik to Sadhana Sargam, and the Raj Kapoor-Shanker Jaikishan combo to the musically-weightier Dilip Kumar-Naushad output.

Music is an art first and a craft last, and emotional expression will always win over attempts at calculated impressions.

[unni]

Thanks for that article, Iqbal-bhai. Makes interesting reading.

I guess natural singing-talent is something quite different from classical knowledge/training. And some of the playback singers are so talented that they overcome their lack of training. I suppose the composition is based on a 'raag', but the singer picks it up as a 'tune', without perhaps even having any idea of the 'raag'.

The Hindi movie "SUR SANGAM" was the remake of an extremely popular South Indian film called "SHANKARABARANAM". The story was about a classical singer and the film had several classical-based songs. If I am not mistaken, the Hindi version did not make much of an impression whereas the original versions (Tamil and Telugu) were resounding successes.

Just a thought: Perhaps the use of a classical artiste to render the songs in the Hindi version had a dampening effect. In the Tamil and Telugu versions, they used a very popular playback singer, S. P. Balasubramaniam, who is not trained in classical music. Yet, he picked up the requirements of the classical-based songs and rendered them with great effect and the songs became very popular. His natual talent being what it is, another very popular singer Yesudas, (who has trained in classical music and gives full-length concerts) wagered that with just six months of practice and training, SPB could perform a live classical concert!

[princeali]

Thanks for that article, Iqbal-bhai. Makes interesting reading.

I guess natural singing-talent is something quite different from classical knowledge/training. And some of the playback singers are so talented that they overcome their lack of training. I suppose the composition is based on a 'raag', but the singer picks it up as a 'tune', without perhaps even having any idea of the 'raag'.

The Hindi movie "SUR SANGAM" was the remake of an extremely popular South Indian film called "SHANKARABARANAM". The story was about a classical singer and the film had several classical-based songs. If I am not mistaken, the Hindi version did not make much of an impression whereas the original versions (Tamil and Telugu) were resounding successes.

Just a thought: Perhaps the use of a classical artiste to render the songs in the Hindi version had a dampening effect. In the Tamil and Telugu versions, they used the voice of the very popular playback singer, S. P. Balasubramaniam, who is not  trained in classical music. Yet, he picked up the requirements of the classical-based songs and rendered them with great effect and the songs became very popular. His natual talent being what it is, another very popular singer Yesudas, (who has trained in classical music and gives full-length concerts) wagered that with just six months of practice and training, SPB could perform a live classical concert!

Thanks for the article Iqbal bhai and a nice insight Unni ji.

Sur Sangam composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal did not receive alot of attention but the album was filled with quality songs even though it did not make an impact on the masses. L-P got classical singers Rajan and Saajan Mishra to sing the songs along with Lata, Kavita K. and Anuradha P. I just wish Rafi saab had been alive to render the songs of this film since it was released in 1985, a few years after he had passed away. I am sure the songs would have been composed differently if Rafi saab were around.

I guess presently, singers do not have to be trained in classical music to sing any type of song. What is required is the ability to just pick up the tune and impart the right amount of emotion and there you have it.

I have always admired SPB for his natural talent. It would have been nice if he had sung in HFM more than he did, but he has proved his talent in South Indian Films in a big way. In my list, he's right up there amongst the great singers India has produced.

[unni]

"SUR SANGAM" was from 1985. Wouldn't Manna Dey have been an option then? Wonder why L-P decided to go with "pure" classical singers instead of a popular film singer with extensive classical training. Of course, assuming that Manna Dey's voice was still in fine fettle then.

[princeali]

"SUR SANGAM" was from 1985. Wouldn't Manna Dey have been an option then? Wonder why L-P decided to go with "pure" classical singers instead of a popular film singer with extensive classical training. Of course, assuming that Manna Dey's voice was still in fine fettle then.

True, they could have had Manna Dey sing the songs at that time. L-P had used him earlier in Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) but that was an RK film, and we all know what role RK played in his music

[myawan]

Its an interesting topic and I want to add my bit too. Basic classical training in my opinion is necessary for any playback singer but not extensive training, many great composers always used professional playback singers rather than classical ustaads. Because playback singing not only involves singing capabilities but also adopting to the situation and whoever does this best is No.1. According to many MD's extensive classical training removes 'soz' in any voice which is most important if you want your music to appeal to masses.

[iqbal]

A great voice is God-gifted, all they then need to do is the essential schooling and hey presto!


There are many playback singers / Ustaad and Pandits who undergo all the advanced training but unfortunately very few get their deserved recognition due to the lack of appeal in their voice.

[Pulkit]

One of the best examples of totally untrained and yet extremely melodious and gifted singer that comes to my mind is of late Raj Kumari. She had no formal training and yet sang beautifully. Quite a few of her songs were classically based and she sang them well. Almost all singers begin sounding horrible as they age but her voice retained its original charm as she sang 'najariya ki maari' in Pakeezah (1971) followed by a great performance in Moratal Men Immortal Melodies Concert and 'har din to bita' in Kitaab(1986). An eyar before her deaths he appeared on Zee T.V. in Sa Re Ga Ma and yet at such an old age the charm in her voice was intact as she sang- suno bairi balam sach bol re ib kya hoga, jabse pii sang naina lage and najariya ki maari.

[imjagdish]

An interesting topic. Well, the answer to this question cannot be black or white, rather a grey shade. In playback singing, the singer should be aware of the character and emotions of the song that he/she is singing. This does not come through classical training..A classic example is Kishore Da (though there are other singers; and probably u guys know that he's my favourite- I am unbiased). His way of expressing a song by moulding his voice into a particular emotion or character is unthinkable. Countless examples sould be provided, but that would digress from the topic.
However it does not stop only at expressing the song. Classical training is not just about raag/ murki, etc. It basically widens the horizons as a singer. It helps to steady one's voice and holding the breath (extremely vital). A singer can play with his/ her voice as the situation demands. Unfortunately, with today's music scenario and the advent of pop-albums, the compositions are sub-standard as compared to the era of (60s to late 80s). So there can be a tendency to think that classical training is'nt necessary. To conclude this rather abruptly, classical training provides one with the necessary weapons and it's upto the singer to "use" this weapon properly and effectively.

[nirendram]

Hullo All

All classical music is meant to express some emotion. It may be that the emotion expressed in a raag is much more subtle than that required in a film song.

I don't think classical training should be thought of as a "weapon in one's arsenal". I would say playback singing would be like looking at a picture of a beautiful landscape and then trying to express it to somebody, while classical singing is like going out and experiencing that landscape for one's self, and then trying to express it.

Well, no simile is quite perfect, but I think I'll stick to that one

PS: "Music is an art first and a craft last" - Nowhere is that more true than in pure shaastriya sangeet. Sing with your heart, or you will never touch anyone else's.

[kurtcobain]

i agree with the point the author is making ....

music is art, not science, it is the expression in singing that gives life to a song

kumar sanu's father was a music teacher, and his brothers were more trained than him in classical music.... despite this he got success and his brothers didn't

thats because it doesn't matter to a layman person like me if sanu can perform a particular raaga/thumri or not, i'll leave that to bhimsen joshi

but i do know that listening to his song, 'kitna sukoon kitna araam hai' in an undisturbed ambience can make me cry every time, and thats why i am a fan of his voice and expression

the same applies to listening to rafi's rendition of 'tujhko pukare mera pyaar', mukesh's rendition of 'jaane kahaan gaaye woh din' and kishores rendition of 'apne jeewan ki uljhan ko'

thats why these singers are legends, while other more qualified singers are not