This is one of my absolute favourite topics to talk about. For as long as I can remember I have associated my memories with songs. This post has a special significance for me because I won't just be telling you about me. I asked a few good friends to help me out here, to shake things up a bit. They were kind enough to share some snippets of their lives with me, for which I will forever be grateful to them.
But before I go further, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my posts, share them and send me your valuable feedback. It means the world to me. I'm not really good at emoting my emotions most of the time so I'll send out a warm hug and a heartfelt thanks to you.
Among all the stories, songs, and memories everyone shared with me, some I knew while some were new (I didn't really have to do this, did I?). So I was having a tough time picking and choosing, so much so, I procrastinated till I could no more. But jokes apart here are a few favourites.
My oldest memory of a song that will last forever is hearing my sister sing Katra Katra Milti Hai, in that uniquely wonderful voice that only toddlers have. No other version of the song sounded as sweet as that to me, ever since. We have had our share of ups and downs but we have always relied on each other for sending a link to a song, which by some cosmic connection, is just what we needed to hear.
Sorting through the stories I came across one that I absolutely adored. My friend Ayush has this lovely memory from his childhood of how his grandfather would play the radio and how his mum continues the tradition. The beauty of the legacy, the memories I feel this activity brings up, fills me with so much joy.
Growing up, I have seen my mamu turn the radio on, the moment he wakes up, every day, without fail. His habit has become so ingrained into our daily routine that things don't feel right if the sound of the radio isn't the one we wake up to. It fills me with so much wonder how such tiny details fill us with so much joy and happiness.
Another memory that I feel every Bengali who has lived in Kolkata will connect with is listening to Mahalaya on the radio. At precisely four in the morning someone would turn on the radio and as the morning light broke through, Rupam Dehi, Jayam Dehi, Yasho Dehi, Dvisho Jahi would herald with it the Durga Pujo vibes. We would have elaborate plans how the entire family (I come from a joint family) would listen to the broadcast together, and we would.
I remember this time when our radio broke down the day before Mahalaya, and my baba went and got a new one the very same evening so we could listen to it. We slept through the alarm, that time and only caught the last twenty minutes.
Fast forward to my teenage years I decided to revolt (don't ask me why). Everyone in the house had similar tastes in music so I decided I would be different. My (big) rebellion introduced me to this world of music that exists outside of movie albums and remains hidden amongst YouTube suggestions. Best decision ever. Oh, and my family still think my taste in music is preposterous (they don't say it in so many words but it is the truth).
However, I digress. Another friend of mine prefers to remedy his heartbreak and failed relationships with ghazals and semi-classical music. There was a girl he really liked and he would always sing Abhi Na Jaao Chodd Kar and Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Na Karo. While the girl didn't take note, he and I bonded really well over our love for music.
This post would be incomplete if I didn't mention my friends "A Guy Has No Name" and "Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman" whose favourites are basically my entire teenage years in one place.
There are several more that I wanted to include here, like the time I decided that I won't allow Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai to be played or sung in my presence. Or the time I made a whole bunch of friends during an Antakshari session. Or that time I almost had to pay a fine to the traffic police for having my earphones around my neck. Or even the time when my elder sister kept singing Ek Pal Ka Jeena till I finally went to sleep. But those are a story for another day.
It was a tough time deciding upon the stories I wanted to share. So I tried sharing the ones that reminded me of something similar in the past or the ones I felt were worth sharing. For the rest, there's always the next post. I loved listening to your stories and I hope I have done justice to them.
Please note that this will be the last music-related post for the time being. Next week I will be back with some interesting insights on something I feel needs to be discussed more. Follow this space for more.
Thank you, if you've made it this far. Please watch this space for more stories. Drop a heart or a comment if you liked this piece. Let me know what you want me to talk about next. I hope this post brought back fond memories for you as well. A big shoutout to everyone who reached out and shared their stories. I will forever be grateful to you.
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See you next time. Till then do stay safe and take care.
Love,
Dia.
Please note that this will be the last music-related post for the time being. Next week I will be back with some interesting insights on something I feel needs to be discussed more. Follow this space for more.
Do you think I should make a playlist for the most nostalgia-inducing songs? Which songs would you like to have on that list? Who knows, we might come up with something extraordinary. Let me know your thoughts.
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