The World of Salil Chowdhury

Introduction to Bengali Basic Songs

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Virtually every well-known singer of Bengal (some also from outside Bengal) in the '50s to the '80s recorded for Salil. Some recorded just a couple of songs and others a few more. But each singer and each song was unique. Singers like Utpala Sen, Pintu Bhattyacharya, Protima Bandyopadhaya etc will always be remembered for those exquisite Salil songs they recorded. Salil had this wonderful gift of composing just the right type of song for a singer. The song would just fit the singer's voice and his or her personality. Just listen to Manobendra Mukhopadhaya's 'Aami paarini bujhite paarini'. Just suits his style, doesn't it ? Salil even wrote songs for the then famous and handsome film actor Biswajeet. In stead of dedicating one page to each singer I have tried to list them together in one page. This does not, in any way, show disrespect to the singers nor does it make these songs less important. In fact some of Salil's best compositions are here.
Salil's first record released as a lyricist and a composer contained the first two songs listed here. He composed them for IPTA and sings them as well !

Hnd = Hindi; Mal = Malayalam; Tam = Tamil; Tel = Telegu; Kan = Kannada; Bng = Bengali; Oth = Other

Nr	Song	Year	Other known Variations
Nr	Song	Year	Hnd	Mal	Tam	Tel	Kan	Bng	Oth
Utpala Sen
OS1	Amaar kichhu moner aasha	1953	EK5	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS2	Prantarero gaan amaar	1953	CD5	-	-	-	-	-	-
Hiralal Sarkhel
OS3	Brishti parey tapur tupur Lyric: Bhaskar Bose	1954	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bani Ghosal
OS4	Iskaboner deshey	1954	-	-	-	-	-	AN11	-
OS5	Teler shishi bhaanglo boley Lyric:Annada Shankar Roy	1954	-	-	-	-	-	AN12	-
Protima Bandyopadhaay
OS6	Ghoom aay re aay Lyric: Mangalacharan Chattopadhaay	1955	DZ4	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS7	Naao gaan bhorey	1955	-	-	-	-	-	SC45	-
Sachin Gupta
OS8	Ebaar aami amaar thekey	1961	-	-	-	-	-	LM24	-
OS9	Jaani naa jaani naa	1961	HM6	-	-	-	-	SS5	-
Manobendra Mukhopadhaya
OS10	Jodi jaante, O tumi jaante	1962	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS11	Aami paarini bujhite paarini	1962	CS4	-	-	-	-	-	-
Jatileshwar Mukhopadhaya
OS12	Paagol hawaa	1962	CB2	-	-	-	-	SS10	-
OS13	Aamaar e jibone sudhu	1962	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bishnupada Das
OS14	Bhaangaa gharey o baroshaa	1962	JR1	-	-	-	-	SB56	-
OS15	Mon moyur ponkhi	1962	-	-	-	-	-	-	SB3
Nirmala Misra
OS16	E mon more jaani na Lyric: Pulak Banerjee	1963	PP5	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS17	Aamaar e bedon maajhe Lyric: Pulak Banerjee	1963	PP3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Krishna Chattopadhaya
OS18	Gun gun gun gun mon bhromoraa	1963	JH3	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS19	Kaachhey thekey bhuley gachhey	1963	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Dhananjoy Bhattyacharya
OS20	Antabiheen Ei andha raater sesh	1963	PK3	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS21	Jhanana jhanana	1963	CS2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nirmalendu Choudhury
OS22	Sunayoni,Sunayoni aar e pathey	1967	JJ2	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS23	Haay haay ki herilaam	1967	CM4	-	-	-	-	-	-
Chandrani Mukhopadhaya
OS24	Jaay jodi jaak na	1967	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS25	Jomuna dhire dhire baho na	1967	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Biswajeet
OS26	Jhar jhar more	1967	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS27	Jhir jhir jhir jhir jhare	1967	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS28	Jaay jaay din	1969	AK3	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS29	Baaje jhanana jhanan	1969	-	-	-	-	SL3	-	-
Mukesh
OS30	Jhunjhun moinaa naacho na	1968	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS31	Mon maataal saanjh sakaal	1968	MT1	OB28	-	-	-	OS65	-
Manas Mukherjee
OS32	Shudhu tomaari jonney	1969/70	ND2	-	-	-	-	OS62 SC15 JB1 MW15	-
OS33	Champaaboti ogo kanyaa	1969/70	AN5	-	-	-	SL4	LM29	-
*Tarun Bandyopadhaya*
OS34	Eso kaachhe boso	1971	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS35	Aar deri nei aami aashchhi	1971	-	SW3	-	-	-	OB26	-
Pintu Bhattyacharya
OS36	Aami cholte cholte theme gechhi	1972	RJ1	-	-	CM1	-	OS66 LM30	-
OS37	Ogo amaar kuntalini priye	1972	AD3	-	-	-	-	-	-
Anup Ghosal
OS38	Emni chirodin to kobhu jaayna	1973	JY1	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS39	Haay phaguno din	1973	-	TV2	-	-	-	-	OB5
Ranu Mukhopadhaya
OS40	Aakaash kusum diye aami	1976	-	TS3	-	-	-	AN22	-
OS41	Kuheli raat aka aka	1976	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Usha Mangeshkar
OS42	Doore prantore	1976	DD3	MS2	PV2	AP1	-	-	-
OS43	Jaa jaa re gaaner paakhi jaare	1976	MP2	-	-	-	-	AS14 SC57	-
OS44	Bolo ki kore bojhaai	1977	KU2 DD1	MS4	PV1	AP2	-	-	-
OS45	O phooler dal	1977	DD2 MD1	MS6	PV3	AP3	-	-	-
Salil Chowdhury
OS46	Ei roko prithibeer gaarita thamaao	1978	RN4	-	-	-	-	-	-
Pankaj Mitra
OS47	Aar deri noy	1978	-	EG4	-	-	-	SK8	-
OS48	O bhaai re bhaai	1978	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sagar Sen
OS49	Ki holo chaand kano	1980	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS50	Ei jibon emni korey	1980	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Banashree Sengupta
OS51	Kano mon kamon kamon	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS52	Ei to pher elaam	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS53	Akbaar duibaar	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS54	Mon mon mon thakataai jantrona	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Kartik and Basanta
OS55	Swaraswatee nodi tirey	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS56	Naam taar mollikaa	1982	HT1	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS57	Taalpukurey aagoon legey	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS58	Ohe nandalaal	1982	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sunanda Mukherjee
OS59	Chole je jaay din	1982	AN4	-	-	-	-	MW13 AS22	-
OS60	Ei Jibon	1982	ND1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Suparna Guha
OS61	Aar naa, e bhaabe bhirur moto (with Salil Chowdhury)	1982	-	-	-	-	-	HS10	-
OS62	Jodi sabaar jonnei	1982	ND2	-	-	-	-	OS32 SC15 JB1 MW16	-
Gautam Dasgupta
OS63	Swadeshey bideshey	1983	MM1	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS64	Jodi na aastey bhaalobaastey	1983	MM6	-	-	-	-	JB4	-
OS65	Ei pather sesh kothaay	1983	MT1	-	-	-	-	OS31	-
OS66	Kotobaar chhondo bodlaabey	1983	-	OB27	-	-	-	OS36 LM30	CM1
Usha Utthup
OS67	Ei haashi ei gaan	1995	HT5	-	-	-	-	-	-
OS68	O maajhi bhaiyo	1995	-	-	-	-	-	HM5	-

The song 'Prantarero gaan amaar' made immortal by Utpala Sen was originally recorded by Kanika Banerjee, the famous Rabindrasangeet singer. However, as Salil writes in his book 'Jibon Ujjibon', Biswa Bharoti didn't allow Kanika to sing non-Rabindrasangeet and as a result Kanika's record was never released.Utpala Sen recorded it later. Rumour has it that Kanika's record, although never released, is still in existence. So, who knows. May be one day some fanatic collector may find it.
It is also interesting to see that Salil got even Biswajeet to record four songs for him. The handsome and debonair Bengali actor who was quite well-known in the sixties and had been singing in films since '60-'61. He even made a few films in Bombay.
Salil even got Usha Utthup to sing his songs and I must say she did a wonderful job. Specially her version of that Hemanta classic 'O maajhi bhaiyo' is excellent.
Gautam Dasgupta, a Columbia University Professor and a great Salil admirer recorded four songs during Salil's first visit to the United States in the early eighties. The album was released under the CBS label in 1983. Salil wrote new lyrics for these well-known songs.This is when Salil recorded a wonderful long playing album 'Uttaran' also in the US using some of the local talents. This album was privately produced and distributed and since then it has become a collector's item.
At the same time Salil recorded four other songs (#OS59 to #OS62) which were release on an EP. One of them "Aar naa, e bhaabe bhirur moto haar maanaa naa" is a new composition with Salil himself singing with Suparna Guha.