Begum made her debut on radio on Peshawar Radio in Lahore
on December 16, 1937, captivating the hearts of her listeners
with the enchanting depth of her voice. Shamshad was very
much conscious of her not so beautiful face and she never
posed for any pictures and not many people saw her pictures
anywhere. Until the end of the 1970s, nobody knew her face
at all, though everybody could recognise her melodious voice
as it was used by the great maestros like Naushad Ali and
O. P. Nayyar. Even today, her songs from the 1950s, 1960s
and early 1970s are popular and continue to be remixed by
music directors.
Begum
sang for the All India Radio (AIR) through her musical group
'The Crown Imperial Theatrical Company of Performing Arts',
set up in Delhi. The then AIR Lahore helped her entering the
world of movies as they frequently broadcast her songs, which
induced music directors to use her voice for their films.
Shamshad also recorded "naats" and devotional music
for a couple of gramophone recording companies. Her crystal-clear
voice caught the attention of sarangi maestro Ustad Hussain
Bakshwale Saheb, who took her as his disciple. Lahore-based
composer Ghulam Haider used her voice skillfully in some of
his earlier films like Khazanchi (1941) and Khandaan (1942).
When he moved to Bombay in 1944, Shamshad went with him as
a member of his team, leaving behind her family and staying
with her Chacha (paternal uncle). She is credited with singing
one of the first Westernised songs, Meri jaan...Sunday ke
Sunday by C. Ramchandra. O.P. Nayyar describes her voice as
that of a "temple bell" for its clarity of tone.
In
1944, when Mehboob Khan launched his historical venture Humayun,
Master Ghulam Haider used her voice in the film. That was
the time when Amirbai Karnatki was considered the number one
playback singer in Bombay. With the introduction of Shamshad
Begum in the film world of Bombay, contemporary composers
almost fell over each other in booking her for recording of
their songs leading to a prolific career until the mid-late
1950s. Music directors like C. Ramchandra, S.D. Burman, Naushad,
and O.P.Nayyar used her as their prime female vocalist in
the early part of their careers. Shamshad became a national
rage between the 1940s and the late 1950s rendering songs
with her nasal voice, which helped her carve her independent
image--a voice different from her peers--Lata, Asha, Geeta,
etc.
Most
of her songs were memorable hits. Even the one rendered in
1960s for Kismat, after her retirement: "Kajra mohabbatwala
ankhiyon mein aisa dala" composed by O.P. Nayyar, proved
a superhit. Her duet with Kishore Kumar, "Meri neendon
main tum, meri khwabon mein tum" from Naya Andaz (composed
by O. P. Nayyar), similarly, remains almost a touchstone of
melodious romance. Throughout her film singing career, she
remained a particular favorite with Naushad and Nayyar who
used her voice not only to its fullest range but to the maximum
extent possible. She became a rage with songs like "O,
Lagi Lagi" (Aaan), "Dhadkar Mera Dil" (Babul),
"Teri Mehfil Main Kismat Azma kar Hum Bhi Dekhange"
(Mughal-E-Azam), "Chhau Main Rakha Virana" (Deedar),
"Holi Aayi Re Kanhai" (Mother India)--all hits for
which music was directed by Naushad.
Similarly,
she gave superhits for Nayyar like "Kabhi Aar, Kabhi
Paar" (Aar Paar), "Poochh Mera Kya Naam Re, Nadi
Kinare Gaon Re" (CID). Among other notable numbers she
rendered were "Saiyan Dil main Aana Re, Aake Chhup Na
Jana Re" (Bahaar - S. D. Burman), "Ai Dil Na Mujhe
Yaad Dila" (Saawan Aaya Re - Khemchand Prakash) and "Kaahe
Koyal Shor Machaye" (Aaag - Ram Ganguly).
Sourced
from wikipedia
and meant for information only.
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