Rough Guide to Asha Bhosle

To those unfamiliar with Asha Bhosle (and, by logical extension, with Bollywood), it may seem strange that an entire “Rough guide” album has been dedicated to one artist, as opposed to the entire genre of music that Rough Guide albums typically cover. To those who admire and know Asha, however (e.g. moi), this CD is long overdue. Simply put, Asha represents everything that Bollywood has been in the last 50 years.

I must point out two things here. First, the tracks included in this selection are Asha’s “famous” numbers (for the most part). This is unfortunate, because Asha’s real gems (for those who really know Bollywood) are her lesser-known tracks. Second, it may be difficult for a western audience to understand what Asha’s magic is all about without following the lyrics on some of these tracks, to which she imparts an expression that is impossible for anyone else to replicate.

That being said, this is a great introduction to the sheer versatility of Asha, the range of her music, and the progression of her voice (over 50 years!). The liner notes do a good job of explaining the background of most of these songs. Recommended.

Track 1, Ina mina dika: 1950s, Rock-n-roll.
Track 2, Jawani janeman: 1980s, Disco.
Track 4, Dil cheez kya hai: 1980s, Ghazal. Asha sang an octave lower than her normal range and won her first national award.
Track 6, Mera kuch samaan: 1980s, Ballad. Asha sang poetry (in blank verse) about lost and broken relationships and won another national award.
Track 12, Karle pyar: 1960s, More rock-n-roll.
Track 13, Teri meri yari: 1970s, Operatic vocal gymnastics. Warning: cheesy choir/music.
Track 15, Rang de: 1990s, Folksy dance number. Composed by avant-garde musician A R Rahman. A 70+ year old Asha sings "rang de" = color me wild.