July 13th, 2011

Maane na Maane na – Geeta Dutt – Savera (1958)

This lesser known song composed by an even lesser known music composer Sailesh shows Geeta’s singing abilities at her best. This is a rather fast paced, typical mujra song, with a flamboyant orchestral backdrop, rich with a medley of instruments and a vibrant beat. One of the most striking features of this tune is the way the mukhdaa is composed: it’s like a vertical, high-gradient parabola. The first two “maane na”s are in low notes, and the third one (specifically the “na”) suddenly lofts her an entire octave higher, hovers at those heights awhile with the second line, and then brings her sliding down with the third and fourth (the “raam haaye raam”). Very imaginatively composed (the “haaye raam” descent is lovely), and Geeta comes across triumphant in the vocal gymnastics… her voice displays just the optimal amount of (for want of a better word) elasticity to make the rendition sound almost effortless despite the complexities in the tune. This song is a pleasure to listen to… one of her best, I’d say – ( Hrishi Dixit – ATMJH)

Song Clips