‘Gaane to humare zamane mein hua krte the’ (real music is what our generation enjoyed) is a common phrase uniting all 21st-century Indian households irrespective of their gender, class, religion, economic status. I happened to attend a recent music show of 40’s-70’s Bollywood music, which raised a lot of senior citizen eyebrows to see a young adult in the auditorium. Truth be told, the current scenario of remaking 90’s hits and garnishing them with auto-tunes is not something I appreciate.
The older generation considers all forms of ‘new’ music or ‘iss generation ke gaane’ (songs of this generation) as trash. For you, rap might not be a ‘song’ but for someone, it is their art, their passion, their religion and it’s unfair to ridicule it. Also, don’t you dare question the songs of unke zamane (their generation) unless you want to be infamous amongst the gossip circles as the arrogant and disrespectful youth.
In an age that is appreciative of English songs, I have often felt left out and inferior because I’d rather scream my lung out singing, ‘oh ho jane jana’. Why do we ascribe a sense of hierarchy to music? Why do we look down upon people who enjoy loud Punjabi music or ‘cliche’ 90’s Bollywood or, anyone for that matter, who doesn’t fit into the normative hypothetical music ascendancy?
No one is belittling the artists who formed the bedrock of Indian music but criticising those who are simply exploring different art forms is downright disrespectful too, no? If only we counted the number of parents gasping to Gully Boy and asking ‘ismeine koi gaana kyu nahi tha?’ (Why was there no song in this movie?) Tastes and preferences differ from generations and personal memories. Your father’s first crush must have passed him a letter on the backdrop of Main shayar toh Nahi, your mother might have had her first road trip singing Country roads take me home. We understand nostalgia, but please also understand our first crush’s Pehla Nasha and our first road trip song Yun hi chala chal.
As individuals, our uniqueness lies in our choices. Who determines these self-formed ingrained status differences? To all those who were mocked for not listening to Taylor Swift or Maroon 5, we got your back! To all those who were mocked for not listening to Bollywood songs, we got your back! To all those who were mocked for listening to mainstream music or unconventional music or regional music or instrumental or anything that you liked, we got your back too! You do you. You don’t need anyone to brand you as ‘cool’ simply because of your music taste; I swear there is so much more to life than giving in to the wave of popular music.
Music is simply an art form, a measure for every individual to enjoy on their own terms. Life already dictates enough norms to us, at least sing your own song!