Talat Mahmood - singer unnoticed by India Post…

 

 

Hain Sab se Madhur Woh Geet Jinhen Hum Dard ke sur men Gate Hain…..

9th May is the death anniversary of  great Gahazal King Talat Mahmood whose soft velvety voice touched millions of hearts. His unforgettable songs “ Jalte Hain Jiske Liye”…Hain sab se Madhur woh Geet  Jinhen Hum Dard Ke sur men Gate Hain..are still remembered…

With Talat Mahmood at a Music Concert - Kanpur 1989

While writing this post about the great singer..I remember a music concert at Kanpur when I met him. Here is the photo of a concert at Kanpur held in 1989. From my school days I was a great fan of him and here I am pleased to share photo with his autograph given to me !!  His voice had always given me an extraordinary  cool and soft feeling ……That’s why I  love his songs…… As a person he was as gentle as his soft voice….I am proud to have a personal letter written by Talat Mahmood  to me…of course at that time I was too young and normally school and college students at that time  did not like to listen to old singers as it was the time of Jagjit Singh Pankaj Udhas and Talat Aziz… However Kishore Rafi Mukesh Lata Asha and Hemant were always popular with all and even today .…..My taste was quite different from my friends of my age group….With new songs I also loved to listen old songs…. I  wish to share here that How I developed a liking for old songs it is only because of my Uncle Dr Rakesh Pratap Singh who has the finest collection of  Hindi Film songs in India on 78 R.P.M. Gramophone Records cassettes and now on CDs ! Now he has prepared a complete digital data of the songs chronologically and artiste wise ! In his collection he has some very rare songs on 78 RPM records which are not available any where. I got a chance to listen old songs from the very young age…..But today the time has changed …… new songs come and go…but a good music  always leaves an impact on the listener’s ears…Those songs are never forgotten and remembered always…!!   

This Post is a tribute to the great singer Talat Mahmood and I have an earnest request to India Post  to issue a commemorative stamp on him !!

Talat Mahmood (February 24, 1924 – May 9, 1998) was a popular Indian playback singer and film actor. A recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1992, he had a unique style of singing. He was famous for singing ghazals. He was honored with the First 'BEGUM AKHTAR AWARD' in 1975 for ghazal singing .His voice was full of pathos and emotions and his flawless rendering of songs always touched the heart of people.

Like his other contemporary singers he was never tempted to sing the sub-standard lyrics only for the sake of money.

In August 1991, Dr. Rakesh Pratap Singh of Kanpur, published his compilation of all the film and non-film songs, geet, ghazals,etc.sung by Shri Talat Mahmood,named as"TALAT GEET KOSH".This book was releasdd by Talat Mahmood and Naushad at Talat Saheb's residence in Bandra,Mumbai.

Indian Postage Stamps have already released  stamps to commemorate the works of his contemporary singers: Hemant Kumar, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar and Mohd Rafi.Therefore we all music lovers of India strongly recommend for the release of a 'Postage Stamp' in memory of great singer Talat Mahmood.

 

Talat Mahnood

'King of Ghazals' Talat Mahmood was born in a highly cultured but conservative family in Lucknow, India, on Feb. 24, 1924. Talat showed his musical leanings from a very young age and would enjoy sitting through all-night music soiree's listening patiently to some of the biggest names in Indian classical music. Later, for a very short period of time Talat studied music at Marris Music College, before people began noticing his natural singing talent and offers to sing began to pour in.

Talat Mahmood began his music career at the young age of 16 when he began singing the ghazals of Ghalib, Dagh, Mir and Jigar on All India Radio, Lucknow. His voice had a quality distinct from all other singers. HMV was quick to notice this and offered Talat his first disc in 1941, "Sab din ek samaan nahin tha, ban jaoonga kya se kya main, iska to kuch dhyan nahin tha". Indeed how prophetic were these words. Little did Talat know that he was soon to rise to become the greatest name in ghazals on the Indian sub-continent !

In 1944 came the smash hit "Tasveer teri dil mera behela na sakegi". It took the country by storm. It's popularity was so phenomenal and unrivalled that even today it remains one of the biggest non-film hits! This disc brought Talat fame throughout India and soon he was beckoned by the Calcutta Film Industry, which was then the premiere hub of film production in the 40's. Apart from singing many hits, Talat also acted in the first 3 of his 13 films there - "RAJLAXMI", "TUM AUR MAIN" and "SAMAPTI".

But fate had even bigger things in store for Talat and in 1949 he came to the Hollywood of India - Mumbai. His name and fame had already preceded him and people in the Mumbai Film Industry were already aware of this handsome and talented young singer and soon he was offered the song "Ae dil mujhe aisi jagha le chal jahan koi na ho" composed by the then reigning music director Anil Biswas and picturised  on the great Dilip Kumar. The combination was electrifying ! The record was an overnight success and set the trend for the filmi ghazal.

In Talat Mahmood, the music directors  found the perfect voice for ghazals. His diction and intonation were word perfect. His expressive style and emotional nuances were unparalleled. The mellowness, sweetness and pathos in his voice set him apart from all the other singers. Here was a voice that was fresh !  The style absolutely new !!  He was unanimously hailed as "The King Of Ghazals", a title  he consolidated over the period of years to become the greatest name in ghazals !!!  His film solo's and romantic duets numbered in hundreds as hit after hit followed. Talat soon grew into a living legend.

However, the handsome young  'King of Ghazals' did not go unnoticed by the film producers, who besieged him with offers to act in their films. Such was Talat's aura, that for his film 'Dil-e-Nadaan', producer-director A.R. Kardar, launched an 'All India Beauty Contest' to hunt for a beautiful girl who would play the heroine opposite the young and immensely talented superstar Talat Mahmood !!!  Talat was to finally accept 13 films with top heroines like Nutan, Mala Sinha, Suraiya, Shyama, Nadira and others before he decided that acting was not his forte.  And hence, Talat gave up acting to concentrate on singing.

Pyar Par Bas to Nahin one of my favourite songs of film Sone Ki Chidiya . This song is picturised on Talat Mahmood and Nutan.

Towards the late 60's the filmi ghazals and good romantic songs gave way to the electronic rhythms of the disco generation. Disliking the new trend towards loud meaningless music, Talat decided to cut down his film singing assignments but continued his non-film ghazal recordings.

As a singer, Talat has already secured a place in history. Over the years, the King of Ghazals has created a catalogue of songs for generations to come. His fan following straddles the globe. He strides like a colossus in the field of ghazals - a KING whose name is surpassed by none !!!

Talat Geet Kosh :

A Catalogue of all songs of Talat Mahmood

by Dr Rakesh Pratap Singh

This is a complete book on songs of Talat Mahmood. The book includes film and non film songs of Talat in Hindi and other regional languages. The book is available with the author.  Those interested in this book may contact Mr Rakesh Pratap Singh Email : rakeshpsingh@yahoo.com Ph 09450141410

Author with Talat Mahmood

 

 

Read more about of Talat Mahmood :  A Golden Voice Talat Mahmood

View : Ek Shaam Talat Ji Ke saath

: Dr R C MIshra – Kanpur  - Blog : Life And Music

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New stamps on Music and Fine arts…

 

 

Date of Issue : 30 March 2012

On March 30, 2012 Serbia Post released a new set of 3  stamps today  dedicated to Music and Fine arts  and 150 Years of Gymnasium in Pozarevac. . The first stamp is dedicated to 75 Years of the Academy of Music in Belgrade; the second stamp commemorates 75 Years of the Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade and the third one - 150 Years of the Gymnasium in Pozarevac.

Belgrade Music Academy, the nowadays Faculty of Music Art was founded 75 years ago, by the decree of the Ministry of Education of the prewar Yugoslavia. The guiding thought of the first professors and Faculty's founders was to form artists and pedagogues who will, through their concert and teaching activities, create a specific artistic consciousness and by it transform and ennoble the wider social community. This artistic process of development is being continued even today with great enthusiasm by new generations of students and professors.

The Academy of Fine Arts in Belgrade was founded in 1937, and in 1973 was renamed the Faculty of Fine Arts. In seventy five years of its existence, 2.887 students graduated from the Faculty and 1.146 completed post-graduate studies. Since its founding until today, 138 prominent artists from Serbia and wider Balkan region have been teaching at the Faculty.

Pozarevac Grammar School was founded by a decree of Prince Mihailo Obrenovic on September 24th 1862 as Pozarevac Middle School. In the following years it has changed names several times. Since May 22nd 2001 it has been known as Pozarevac Grammar School.

 

Club News

Seminar on Promotion of Philately & Stamp Bazar at Ludhiana

The Philatelic Congress of Punjab and Ludhiana Philatelic Club with the collaboration of Dept of Posts are jointly organizing a Seminar on Promotion of Philately on April 21-22
at Lions Bhawan, Udham Singh Nagar, Ludhiana. On this occasion Ludhiana Philatelic Club is also holding a Stamp Bazaar.

Stamp Bazaar will enable the philatelists and the general public to buy stamps and other philatelic material. The tariff for dealer booth will be Rs. 2000/- and will include refreshment for both days.  The dealers will be provided with one table and two chairs.

In addition, a spot stamps auction will be held on April 22, 2012. No Buyer's Premium. 10% of realization shall be charged on the hammer price from the seller.

Those desirous of setting up their stalls are requested to contact Mr. Mukesh Malhotra PRO (M): 9023084608

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Israel Memorial Day…

 

Hi !

Here is a beautiful stamp to be issued by Israel Post in April 2012 to mark Israel Memorial Day 2012. The stamp is beautifully designed to express the tributes to those heroes who lost their life in the War Independence. This is a very special way to remember the heroes of the war and console the bereaved families !! The design of the stamp features a child and  a red balloon in the sky with a special tab of Israel Post ! On the right side of Tab  is the Coat of Arms of the Israeli Defense Army on Israeli flag .

Israel Memorial Day 2012

The letter card, cover and stamp – all of which are special and unique to Memorial Day –constitute the basis of a sensitive, original and extraordinary tradition that came into being following the War of Independence. Since Memorial Day 1952, a long line of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Ministers of Defense have signed personal letters to bereaved families of the fallen and Israel's premier artists take part in designing the covers and stamps for this commemorative day. Thus, from year to year, an unprecedented tradition has formed which, over time, has become one of the most recognized and extraordinary ambassadors of Israel's commemorative culture.

The graphic design of the Memorial Day stamps has been expressed over the years symbolically and through monuments. The design of this stamp reflects the words of the song "Mi Shechalam" (He Who Dreamt).

Lyrics: Didi Menusi, Music: Yochanan Zarai.

A thousand flowers shall yet flower in and between the fields And shall bear witness that they are  remembered always !.

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From our Readers…

Fancy number on Indian currency Note of Rs 1000

From OAE 000001 1 to  OAE 000010

: : Ashwani Dubey - Gorakhpur

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Stamps from Bangladesh….

 

Birds of Sundarbans

Date of Issue : 17 July 2011

Rare animals of Bangladesh

Date of Issue : 17 July 2011

Coins of Independent Sultans of Bengal

Date of Issue : 21 July 2011

Philanippon 2011

Date of Issue : 21 July 2011

Traditional Musical Instruments

Date of Issue : 21 July 2011

Centenary of Dhaka Club

Date of Issue : 19 August 2011

E- Asia 2011

Date of Issue : 1 December 2011

: Pradip Jain – Patna - email : philapradip@gmail.com

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Stamp exhibition on Beethoven

 

Special exhibition : Beethoven on Postage Stamps

A collection from Japan on Beethoven and his lifetime

19th March until 24th June 2012

 

The Beethoven-Haus presents in a new special exhibition a prize-winning collection from Japan of postage stamps relating to Beethoven and his lifetime.

19th March until 24th June 2012

From 19^th March the Beethoven-Haus invites its visitors on an unusual journey back to Beethoven's era. A special exhibition named "Ludwig van Beethoven – His Life and Times" presents a collection from Japan which concentrates entirely on Beethoven and his lifetime.

    

In Wikipedia postage stamps are described as being "small pieces of paper that are purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage". As can be seen in the exhibition, they are much more than that. They are contemporary historical documents, sometimes even genuine works of art and, most particularly, they can tell a story or illustrate a particular topic.

 

The Japanese stamp collector Yukio Onuma, president of the Music Philately Group within the Japan Philatelic Society, has concentrated for many years on the topic of Beethoven and from his many collections he has put together a Beethoven exhibition which has won many prizes, the most recent being the gold medal at the World Stamp Exhibition PhilaNippon in 2011. Onuma continues to develop his exhibition with the aim of presenting the most comprehensive picture possible of Beethoven and the prevailing circumstances which surrounded, influenced and formed him. The story of his life is told kaleidoscopically with the greatest possible variety of philatelic exhibits. In addition to elaborately designed postage stamps the exhibition also contains such rarities as the original master drawings, die proofs, colour trials and printing errors. Meter stamps and postal stationery, i.e. stamped and franked postcards and special postmarks, provide additional variety.

The exhibition begins with Beethoven's adolescence in Bonn, and an illustration of his birthplace in the series of definitive stamps "Places of Interest" reflects Bonn's conception of itself as the Beethoven city. His later homes in the Vienna area, for instance in Heiligenstadt, adorn stamps from all over the world (the Maldives, Togo). Several stamps show examples of architecture in the magnificent and mighty centre of music which was Vienna as Beethoven found it in 1792. There are also stamps which commemorate his Viennese teachers Haydn, Salieri und Albrechtsberger. A great many interesting exhibits address the topic of Beethoven and his most important works. On display, for instance, are the "Moonlight Sonata" from Dahomey (now Benin), the "Appassionata" from the Soviet Union, the Fifth Symphony from the German Democratic Republic, "Egmont" from Belgium, the "Eroica" from Senegal and the Ninth, of course as the Anthem of Europe but also in the context of its first performance in the prisoner-of-war camp in Bando in 1918.

Numerous stamps depict Beethoven and are based on portraits which as originals are in the collection of the Beethoven-Haus. Thus the visitor to the exhibition has a unique opportunity to compare the original portraits with interpretations "en miniature", some of them more artistically successful than others.

 

Special exhibition : Beethoven on Postage Stamps

A collection from Japan on Beethoven and his lifetime

19th March until 24th June 2012

Contact:

Beethoven-Haus Bonn (Germany)

Ursula Timmer-Fontani  Tel. 0049 228 98175-16

email :     ursula.timmer@beethoven-haus-bonn.de

Yukio Onuma  (Japan, in English only) Tel. 0081 3 3414 6258

email : y-onuma@sage.ocn.ne.jp

Source : World Stamp News

View :

Beetoven on Phone Cards

Musicians and Composers on stamps

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Titanic Centenary…

 

 

Hi ! Here is the wonderful set of the Centenary of famous Ship Titanic, to be issued on 31st January 2012 by Gibraltar Post. The stamps are very nice. Famous Film Titanic was a great hit… I  wish to share here my favourite song of film Titanic which I have seen many times….and love to see it again and  again !!

 Date of Issue : 31 January 2012

 

 

 

RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, and sank on 15 April 1912, resulting in the deaths of 1,517 people in one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.

The largest passenger steamship in the world at the time, the Olympic-class Royal Mail Ship RMS Titanic was owned by the White Star Line and constructed at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, UK. After setting sail for New York City on 10 April 1912 with 2,223 people on board, she hit an iceberg four days into the crossing, at 11:40 pm on 14 April 1912, and sank at 2:20 am on the morning of 15 April. The high casualty rate resulting from the sinking was due in part to the fact that, although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship carried lifeboats for only 1,178 people. A disproportionate number of men died due to the "women and children first" protocol that was enforced by the ship's crew.

Titanic was designed by experienced engineers, using some of the most advanced technologies and extensive safety features of the time. The sinking of a passenger liner on her maiden voyage, the high loss of life and media frenzy over Titanic's famous victims, the legends about the sinking, the resulting changes in maritime law, and the discovery of the wreck have all contributed to the enduring interest in Titanic.

Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater, Gloria Stuart as Old Rose, and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal Hockley. Jack and Rose are members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during its ill-fated maiden voyage.

Every Night in my dreams I see you…..

 

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New Special Cover from Guwahati..

 

50 Years of Guwahati Refinery 

Date of Issue : 1 January 2012

: Mahendra Sharma, Guwhati

 

 

World's first musical stamp from Netherland

It looks like an ordinary postage stamp, but if you scan it with your smart phone it plays 'Radar Love' by the Dutch band Golden Earring.

This world first from Dutch postal company PostNL can be used as a normal stamp to send letters and parcels. The company plans to issue more musical stamps in the next few months, with well known songs by Dutch bands Cuby + Blizzards and De Dijk.

To listen to the stamp you need to install the Chameleon Explorer app on your smart phone. Scan the code on the stamp and this is what you hear.

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Club News

 

Rainbow  Stamp News completes 4 years of publication

 

Hi ! I have just posted December 2011 issue No. 48 on Blog. With this issue Rainbow stamp News completes 4 years of publication and enters the fifth year.

Click following link to view this special issue !!

http://rainbowstampnews.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Tributes to Legendary actor of Indian Cinema –Dev Anand

Dev Anand (26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011),was an Indian film actor, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2001 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2002 for his contribution to Indian cinema. His career spanned more than 65 years.One of his most popular films was Guide, based on a novel by celebrated Indian writer RK Narayan. Dev Anand died on 3 December 2011 in London of a heart attack.

He was known as the Adonis of Indian cinema for his good looks and the ease with which he played romantic roles.His films included Guide, Paying Guest and Jewel Thief. He continued to direct almost until his death, releasing his last film, Chargesheet, in September.

Over the course of his 65-year career, which began in 1946, Anand became one of India's iconic actor-directors.

Tributes to the hero of the Millenium !!

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