Thursday, July 31, 2014
Chanda Hai Tu - Sharmila Tagore & Rajesh Khanna - Classic Hindi Song - A...
Title: Chanda Hai Tu
Performers: Singer- Sharmila Tagore, Composer- S.D. Burman
Culture/Origin: Bollywood/India, Hindi Classic
Orchestration: Female vocals, guitar, string orchestra, bowed strings, hand drum
This is from the 1969 classic Bollywood movie, Aradhana. The translation to the lyrics are as follows:
You are my moon, you are my sun,
Oh, you are the star of my eyes.
I live just by looking at you.
You are solace for this broken heart.
You play different games; you are my toy. . .
To whom every hope of mine is bound.
You're that beautiful dream of mine.
You are so tiny; how beautiful you are!
You are my moon, you are my sun.
Dear, you're very happy; it's your doll's wedding today.
I am devoted to you, I sacrifice my life to you.
Beneath her veil, the doll grows shy.
Just like this, you will marry too one day.
You'll become a groom; you're a bachelor.
You are my moon, you are my sun.
The east wind flies through the forest; the birds fly through the garden.
God willing, someday when you're big,
You will fly through the sky like a cloud.
Whoever sees you will say,
What mother's darling are you?
You are my moon, you are my sun.
This is a love song and lullaby from a mother to her son. This song is wonderful for children in the culture to grow up singing and acting out. Many girls who are thinking of having their own baby boy one day could sing this to their doll as a lullaby. This affects socialization because it encourages the girls to dream of what it would be like to have a baby boy of their own grow up one day and be his mother. For the boys, this song allows them to fantasize about a mother who truly loves them with all their heart. It provides outlines for what the love between a mother and son might be like in the Hindi culture. Lew and Campbell mention in their article, "Children use play as a vehicle for cultural learning, and their play can serve as an important indicator and reflection of their development" (Lew and Campbell, 58). I believe this cultural playful song would be the cause and effect for developing gender roles for a mother and a son.
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Thanks for this example! When I was looking for a music example, I was trying to find a piece that would be easy to work into a classroom. I like how this example shows the socialization connection in a setting that can be inside the classroom and taught, but also used in real life. The thought of lullabies in general is a great example of introducing young children and babies to music for the purpose of getting a reaction from them. I automatically thought jumping around and having fun when I heard the word "play", but it really just has to be a response from a child when listening to music.
ReplyDeleteGreat connection to the readings and showing how music can shape the way people think about gender roles and their expectations when growing up.
Well written post. The song is definitely different than what we think love songs/lullabies sound like in our culture.
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