On an average, every Indian remembers about 500 songs at a time and can sing unabashedly whenever and wherever they feel like. We are proud of this talent of ours. Thanks to our catchy Indian tracks which make us hit that replay button again and again, such that the songs ultimately find their way into our veins and their singers to our heart. Unfortunately, some singers who once lived their heyday, have now receded to the background and are not often heard of.
Some of those legends are Alisha Chinai, Kailash Kher, Palash Sen and Lucky Ali. Though their songs do not make to the trending playlists today but we do a little YouTube cheat code once in a while for a spew of nostalgia and composure.
Alisha Chinai
Made In India (1995) made an instant place in our hearts. The lethal pair of Alisha’s voice and Milind Soman’s looks made it a total package. Alisha’s voice texture and style remain unparalleled in Bollywood till date. She sang for many A-list actresses from Aishwarya Rai to Priyanka Chopra and gave them their most popular songs like Kajrare and Tinka Tinka. We wish she returns with a bang and smite us with her voice all over again.
Palash Sen
Any talk of independent Indian music is not complete until we mention Palash Sen, the founder and lead vocalist of Euphoria. It has been over 20 years when his catchy and peppy tracks like Maeri, Dhoom Pichak Dhoom, and Kabhi Ana Tu Meri Gali released, but still are as fresh as ever. Sen was and still is a great bastion of non-film music. He succeeded well enough to make his mark in this territory and gave us absolute brilliance in form of his music over years. We still crave for such songs which continue to mesmerize us.
Kailash Kher
We wouldn’t blame you if, at the sound of Kailash Kher, your head started playing Teri Deewani…because that’s just a reminder of the kind of impact Kher’s songs had on us. His debut album Kailasa (2006) took the music industry by storm and gave us songs like Teri Deewani, Tauba Tauba, Dilruba and Jana Jogi De Naal. Of course, how can we miss the soulfully acoustic Allah Ke Bande which continues to stir our hearts? Kailash Kher is one of the few singers who remain irreplaceable because of the nuance and husk he brings to his songs.
Lucky Ali
In the era of recreation and autotune we are ‘lucky’ to even think of someone whose songs remain a part of our playlists. Lucky Ali made the childhood of every 90’s kid beautiful and musical with his songs. After making his mark with his hit solos like Sunoh, O Sanam, and Kabhi Aisa Lagta Hai, he ventured into Bollywood and gave all-time hits like Na Tum Jano Na Hum, Aa Bhi Ja, Ek Pal Ka Jeena and his latest road trip song from Tamasha (2015), Safarnama. We can unanimously agree to it that his songs can never get old. He is truly The Magician par excellence who added ‘Sur’ in all our lives. Sir, you make us miss the good old days of Pop music terribly.
Shaan
Another talented vocalist to join this league is our melodious maestro Shaan. Shaan has been one of the most loved singers over the years. From being a host on Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa to being a contestant on Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Shaan has done it all to stay in the public eye. But coming straight from the horse’s mouth, he says that he rarely gets song offers now. Well, we truly miss the soothing voice behind Chand Sifarish, Jab Se Tere Naina, and Tanha Dil; and expect Shaan to make a comeback pretty soon.
The musical landscape created by these legends can never be recreated. It is heart-wrenching for music lovers to see such a dearth of originality nowadays where monotonous is the word. We can just hope to see better times for music industry and anticipate the birth of more Alisha Chinais and Lucky Alis to blow life into the comatose music scenario of today.