Literature on music in cinema
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Prof. Kolitha Banu
The launch of Parani Hindi Chitrapata Geeta Vimarshana (A research on Old Hindi Film songs) and Sangeetha Sancharika (a collection of academic articles) authored by Prof. Kolitha Bhanu Dissanayake will be held on November 27 at 3.00p.m. at the Nawa Ranga Shalawa of the Faculty of Dancing of the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Albert Crescent Colombo 07.
‘Parani Hindi Chitrapata Geeta Vimarshana’ is confined to the in-depth study of old Hindi film songs from 1931 to 1991. It is an ideological study of the music texture and music readings of the old Hindi Film Songs. The publication does not deal with the history of Old Hindi Films Songs but extensively deals with unique music signature of the musicians who composed music for the Hindi film songs. What is important is that the author has convincingly theorised the confluence of diverse factors which spearheaded this unique evolution of music movement that marks a seminal juncture in Hindi film songs.
The author comes out with three major theoretical strands; Drushya Chalan , Chaithisica Chalana and Sanscara Chalana. The author puts forward the argument that a musician would, first, acquire a broader understanding of visual registry of a given culture (Drushya). The musicians who composed music for Old Hindi film Songs have derived the multi-cultural visual registry.
The author also discusses, in detail, spiritual and mundane concepts that are at work in the creative minds of the musicians in composing music for films (Spiritual concepts such as intense devotion and worshiping of the god and mundane concepts such as love, sorrow and nostalgia). However, an inborn power of perception coupled with physical strengths would make it possible for a musician to come out with masterpieces in music.
Sangeetha Sancharica, a collection of 25 academic articles, deals with diverse themes. The publication is divided into several categories such as North Indian Classical Music, Music Appreciation and Singing, Sri Lankan Ballet Music (unique tradition of music created out of Western Ballet Music) and pioneers in that movement such as Maestro Chithrasena , Premakumara Epitawala and Shesha Palihakkara. The title of the publication Sangeetha Sancharica (Exploration of Music) marks the milestones in the Author’s long career in music.