Punjabi pop songs
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Vulgar songs
In '80s, Chamkila sung double meaning songs
TNN | Jan 3, 2013 The Times of India
JALANDHAR: Honey Singh or Jazzy B are not the only singers, who are drawing flak for singing songs, which demean girls, but other Punjabi singers have also been crossing the line - a few with double meaning songs and others expressing explicitly and doing away with any subtlety.
The singer who started it all was Amar Chamkila in eighties and got popular with his double meaning songs even as Chamikla had to his credit a number of popular religious and other folk songs. Chamkila was warned by militants for vulgar songs, but as he carried on, he and his female co-singer Amarjot were gunned down in Mehsampur village on March 8, 1988.
Some of his songs were "Atte Wangu Gun diti begani put ne", "Oh Banda kahda", "Kohri hai jahan da", "kandhe na kandha jhera bhen di nanan da", "bhen meri de kurrian kurrian, ki taqdiran bherriya jurriaan", "mar la hor try ve ik vari jija, bhen saaliye teri ni hun kandam ho gai", "Chsaka pai gia saali da" .
"Though romanticism was always there in Punjabi folk and other popular songs, Chamkila had crossed the Lakshman Rekha and started openly using double meaning songs. After his killing, no Punjabi singer sang any vulgar song for around a decade," said Swaran Tehna, a well-known columnist on Punjabi music.
"But at that time there was no internet and only a few some had caste players and only those would hear Chamkila who would attend his akharas (open programmes) in villages. What these singers are singing today may even shame Chamkila as abuses and explicit words are being unabashedly used and these songs are reaching the bedroom of every youngster," he said.
Some of other Punjabi singers, who have been accused of singing vulgar songs include Ashok Masti, Geeta Zaildar, Diljit Dosanjh and even Gippy Grewal, both the latter have done lead roles in films "Jatt and Juliet" and "Carry on Jatta" respectively. Ashok Masti has sung "Idhar aaja salia teri bhen di .....a beep sound", Geeta Zaildar has to his credit songs like "Tu meri bukar vich hoven te vela hove raat da, dudh de vich neend dian golian paa ke mein saare tabbar nu tere lai piauni aan".
Diljit Dosanjh has sung "Mein jaagan savere te kudian chufere". Dilijit, Gippy and Zaildar had to apologize for their songs after women activists had staged dharnas in front of their residences. Some other Punjabi songs showing girls as mere objects of enjoyment include "Yaaro aaundian rehndia kudian te bassan" by Sherry Mann, "Tu athvin che pardi en das kidan yaar sambhlengi", by Jassi, "Dhai minute da kamm hai saada kudian fasaun da" by Sukh Sarkaria. Even most popular Punjabi female singer Miss Pooja could not resist the temptation of singing on similar lines and belted out "Ban gai beri de mithe ber vargi sohnia moonh vich pa la".
However, Dinesh of Speed Records, who has recently released Jazzy B and Honey Singh's song "Party Getting Hot" which is also facing flak for vulgar language, has a counter view. "If there is going to be a law of action then it should be for everybody. In Punjabi music we have been going to the extent where Bollywood had already reached, but nobody speaks out about Bollywood. If some limit is defined then we shall respect it," he said. Incidentally women activists had earlier protested outside the office of Speed Records and it had apologized also with the promise never to bring such stuff again.
