The hugely popular weekly show 'Binaca Geetmala' that aired top Bollywood songs during 1952-1994, is back with a different tune.
The show, which was anchored by veteran radio host Ameen Sayani, garnered millions of regular fans and is now back in a unique concept album format titled 'Geetmala ki Chhaon Mein'. The album was released under the Saregama label on 26 January 2009.
'Geetmala ki Chhaon Mein' brings back the radio industry's icon, Ameen Sayani in an album series comprising five volumes. The concept album contains gems from Indian film music from 1930s to the 1950s. This time, the veteran broadcaster has picked up songs which missed the limelight by a whisker. "I went half mad doing the short listing. I had to think of a lot of angles. In this compilation I am highlighting the songs that maybe did not headline too much. For the first three volumes, I hunted for the songs I thought were outstanding but did not really got that much acclaim." Sayani said.
The remarkable repertoire of songs selected for 'Geetmala ki Chhaon Mein' has been interwoven with interview snatches of filmstars like Amitabh Bachchan, Kishore Kumar, Meena Kumari, Ashok Kumar, Nutan, Sunil Dutt and many more. "The listeners will get a unique feel - a feel of listening to the radio. Besides this, there are many star interviews and a brief snippet of what was happening generally in India during that time - it's an mixuture of humor, nostalgia and poetry." Sayani adds, "It will definelty remind them of Binaca Geet Mala."
At a time when SMS and emails were yet to appear on the horizon, the success of the radio show was clear – it drew 9,000 letters after its first show and thereafter an astounding 60, 000 letters a week! This album is courtesy to the non stop requests that listeners have been making, for more Ameen Sayani and 'Geetmala'. The veteran broadcaster has a deep understanding of music and it's nature, Sayani say's, "Music, like civilization, is a river. It's origins are way back in past and as it flows it keeps gathering treasures through his shores therefore it continually flows in past present and moving in future." With 'Geetmala ki Chhaon Mein, hopefully the magic will return. (Source: Radioandmusic.com)
