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Australian Broadcast Company, Interview >>
INDIA: Asha Bhosle's musical contribution to Bollywood
Asha Bhosle may not be well known to world audiences, but the singer is a household name in India. Some call Ms. Bhosle the "Barbara Streisand of India," with a successful career as a singer. More accurately, Asha Bhosle may be compared to Marni Nixon, Hollywood's vocal dubbing artiste, this is because Ms. Bhosle too, does the singing for many a Bollywood actress. Asha Bhosle overcame an abusive marriage and a lot of male prejudice to forge her career.
Presenter/Interviewer: Reese Erlich
Speakers: Indian singing star Ashe Bhosle
ERLICH: Stop people at random in any music store in New Delhi, and everyone knows the name Asha Bhosle.
STORE EMPLOYEE: Asha Bhosle is a very popular singer in India. Her voice is very nice. She sings very well all kinds of songs, modern and classical kind of singing.
ERLICH: This store stocks 15 of her CDs, more than almost any other singer.
Bhosle began her career at age 10, when she and her two sisters provided voice over singing for an Indian film. In India, the actors rarely sing their own songs. That job belongs almost exclusively to voice over singers such as Bhosle and her famous sister Lata Mangeshkar. Bhosle says, at first, she didn't like singing for films because she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father, a classical singer.
BHOSLE: I was very nervous and very afraid. I thought at that time I would never sing again. I like to sing classical. In 47 I was in Hindi film industry. I decided to sing. I had to sing so many different styles of songs: dance song, chord song, cabaret, slow songs. Everything. I used to it then.
ERLICH: Bhosle was married to her first husband for 12 years, but suffered physical and mental abuse. She separated from him, and as a result Indian film music directors stopped hiring her for important films. She was only 27 years old. Bhosle says these male music directors had a lot of misconceptions about divorced women.
BHOSLE: Musical directors they thought she can't sing now. They did not call me. That time was difficult. Because Indian mentality like that. They think she must be very upset. She can't sing. Her voice no good. This and that. They think like that.
ERLICH: The discrimination lasted four years but Bhosle returned even stronger, becoming one of the most popular voice over artists in India. Bhosle says it takes particular skills to voice the songs for Bollywood films. She must adapt her voice to whatever actor is on the screen.
BHOSLE: I have to see them, how they are talking. Then I change my style. We have to give feelings in 3 minutes, everything. Classical singers they sit and have three hours to sing. They are performing slowly, slowly. We don't have time that much.
ERLICH: Bhosle just released a two-CD set in North America called Love Supreme. It includes some of her favorites performed in concert as well as tunes that made her famous in Bollywood.
ERLICH: Back at the music shop, this store employee says, while still a favorite, Bhosle is less popular among young people. They favor strong beats and remixes.
ERLICH: What kind of people buy her music?
STORE EMPLOYEE: 40+, maybe 30+
ERLICH: Really old
STORE EMPLOYEE: Yeah.
ERLICH: But don't tell Bhosle that her audience is getting older. She says her version of an old 60s American song is a hit among young Indians.
BHOSLE: One two cha, cha, cha. It's a big hit. Children they're dancing. It's very popular.
ERLICH: This 40-something music store customer says he always listens to Bhosle's music. What advice would he give to Australians not familiar with her sound?
STORE CUSTOMER: They should listen to the music. They should come to that t mood she wants.
ERLICH: : What is that mood?
STORE CUSTOMER: It's like soft, soothing, romantic, a bit of seriousness. Mainly the depth in the song.
ERLICH: We would say she's got soul.
STORE CUSTOMER: Yeah, definitely 05/12/06 >> go there
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