Music of my childhood

Music can be a soul-soother, and fortunately, some melodies are impossible to forget

BY SHAFEEN MUSTAQ

Is it old age when, no matter how catchy the tune of a new song may be, when you are feeling down you go back to the songs of your childhood? I needed a mood lift the other night and started sifting through the songs that defined my childhood. Here are my favourites, grouped by language for your listening pleasure too.

English

Growing up watching video hits surreptitiously with my sis and flicking back to Saturday Disney when the parents walked in was an integral part of my Saturday mornings. This was before Saturday Disney became almost as bad as video hits and video hits became the trash it is today. So many songs made it to our school lunchtime dramas, our bus and train rides, our graduation and final prom or graduation dinner. There were songs that we latched onto at first crush, songs that got us through high school dramas and ‘heartbreak’, songs that were so silly we laughed out loud in class long after we had sung them at the top of our voices in the playground. I wonder if any of you will remember

If I Let You Go (Westlife)

Hero (Enrique Iglesias)

Cup of Life (Ricky Martin)

I’m Blue (Eiffel 65)

Crazy Town (Butterfly)

Freestyler (Bomfunk MC’s)

The Boy is Mine (Brandy & Monica)

A Whole New World (Aladdin)

Hit Me Baby One More Time (Britney Spears)

My taste has matured somewhat and even though my playlist is now filled with more of the songs below, I like to revert back to the golden oldies on the odd occasion. But who can forget

Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)

Hotel California (Eagles)

Sweet Child of Mine (Guns and Roses)

Muse (Uprising)

The Black Keys (Lonely Boy)

Hindi

I will always remember my first Hindi film and the irreparable damage it has done to my life, as

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge turned a tomboy into a dreamer, a hopeless romantic waiting for her Prince Charming who would come along in his cheeky boisterous manner and sweep her away. Well, that hasn’t happened yet, but I did become hopelessly addicted to the music and melodrama of Indian cinema and pop. There were songs to dream to, songs to cry to, songs to dance to, songs to laugh to.... songs we heard with cousins, played at weddings, songs for almost every memory. Here are just a few, and there are very many more

Tujhe Dekha To Ye Jaana Sanam (DDLJ)

Oh Oh Jane Jana (Pyar Kiya to Darna

Kya)

Dum Duma Dum (Dil)

Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein (Pankaj

Udhas)

Gori Teri Ankhen Kahe (Lucky Ali)

Piya Basanti (Ustad Sultan Khan & Chitra)

Kabhi Aana Tu Meri Gali (Euphoria Gully)

Kajra Re (Bunty Aur Babli)

Teri Meri Prem Kahani (Bodyguard)

Bangla

I was never a big fan of Bangla music: it always sounded so old, boring and sad. But at 10 I went to dance school, and a term of dancing to Lal Tuk Tuke Bou (Little red bride) with my dance class was enough to enamour me to the wide world of children’s music and folk songs, for which Bangladesh is so renowned. I began to discover musicians like James and Srikanto on my trips to Bangladesh, and then Habib and Arnob became international sensations with their modern music. It is a testament to some of the current talent that I like some of the songs coming from the rock and pop scene in Bangladesh. Below are a few I grew up with, and a few that grew on me.

Jokhon Ami Boro Hobo (Singer unknown)

Lal Tuk Tuke Bou (Singer unknown)

Rokto Lal (Singer unknown)

Raat Nirghum (Habib)

She Je Bosche Ache (Arnob)

Brishti Tomake Dilam (Srikanto) korean

I am Bengali, I live in an Englishspeaking country and I enjoy Indian and Pakistani musical influences. But I cannot write about music without mentioning my newfound love for Korean dramas and movies, which have some really good OSTs. They are songs that capture the music and emotions of Hindi songs

I will always remember my first Hindi film and the irreparable damage it has done to my life, as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge turned a tomboy into a dreamer

Top: Kajol-SRK in DDLJ

Left: Psy: Gangnam Style with lyrics reminiscent of the Backstreet Boys, a combination you can’t help but love. Here are a few that I really enjoy and you would be doing yourself a huge favour by checking out the dramas themselves too!

You’re Beautiful OST 2 – 03 What Should I Do (Park Da Yae)

Heartstrings OST Because I Miss You (Jung Yong Hwa of CN Blue)

Personal Taste OST Like An Idiot Like a Fool (2AM)

Boys Over Flowers OST Stand By Me (Shinee)

And of course, a tribute to the current rage about an oppa (man) who loves a yoja (woman) who likes her kopi (coffee), Psy’s Gangnam Style!

Enjoy!