Customer Reviews

Best of Asha Bhosle: The Golden Voice of Bollywood

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It is amazing that the most significant things that touch us while growing up, did not seem to matter when they did until years later. The voice of Asha Bhosle came through almost everyday in the local markets, stores, and streets of Northern Nigeria where I spent my early and teenage years. Northern Nigeria was addicted to movies, but the category of Indian movies and music was especially respected. As children and then as teenagers we went to these movies. The music and the voices stay with you interminably.

There were many voices, such as shashi Kapoor, etc, -- and they all stir a certain radical emotion within, but the voice of Asha Bhosle did something else to the human soul. Like the sweet soul music of black America, Asha's voice calls forth the internal complicity of love, anxiety, and recollectivity all at once. Asha's voice begins by leading the way. She titilates, teases, compacts the emotions and then she releases the listener into a complete medium of soulful excitation. The listener becomes the dancer and the dancer becomes the listener, and in seconds the singer, listener and dancer all become one in an indescrible event that culminates in total serenity.

Take Dum Maro Dum for instance, the listener is enticed into a melo and gentle beginning, and in no time is pulled into a chorus of rythmic complicity. The raciness of the song and music forces the listener to engage and to let go of other thoughts. In that and other songs in this callection, Asha is felt directly singing to the listener.

Asha Bhosle uses her voice to invite the listener. This is a simple enough invitation, until the listener fails to realize that her or his attention is now totally wrapped in this prodigious, immaculate, and soulful voice and spirit. This entire CD brings back incredible and sumptuous memories. Anyone who chooses to listen to this collection and to other pieces (about 20,000 over the years) will without hesitation be drawn into a radically stirring and melodious world of soulfulness. The incredible world and contribution of Asha Bhosle remains a beacon of musical ingenuity in India, Africa, Europe and many parts of the world. I am especially glad that it has found a place in the North America.

i am so excited, this is asha-jee's first album on amazon.com.(when i say asha-jee, or asha-ji, i mean that as a term out of respect- she is known as that all throughout india, by indians and non-indians alike). i can do a REAL review, rather than just talk about her in my personal profile. way to go amazon! okay, here it is- my favorite song on this album, which also happens to be my favorite song of hers out of all 12,000- #3, "O Mere Sona". it's incredible and has an ingenius melody. it just brings you to life- it has incredible energy and vitality- LIKE her voice. i just have to say- anyone who reads this should know- HERE is my favorite singer in the world. she is right here, right on this very page. i love NO one more. she has such a phenomenally adorable voice. that i would say is her most enchanting characteristic. she doesn't necessarily have the typical voice that most americans would consider "great" but to me, she is absolutely divine. just hearing her name lights up my eyes. she has this inexhaustible, impetuous quality to her voice that just zaps the listener with electricity. Asha must be at least 4 or 5 years old at heart, and not a day older. though amazingly, in real life, she is nearing 70. i only wish her many more years on earth, because it needs her. she has graced thousands upon thousands of precious songs, the music world without which, would never be the same. she is a most gifted artiste, and i thank her for all of the happiness and inspiration she has given me.

There is nothing wrong with the music on this disc...it is all good, and does paint a pretty good picture of Asha's music. However, as a really solid overview or a good introduction, it has been far outdone elsewhere. For a collection truly packed with classics, find a copy of the 2-CD set "The Golden Collection," or, for a more thorough overview which leaves few gems overlooked, the 5-discs of "Legends - the Enchantress." If neither of those is available, then this remains an adequate place to start.

My first foray into Bollywood also proved to be my most enduring favorite. What a beautiful voice! Its uplifting and dramatic and rhythmic and brilliant. I don't speak a word of hindi, but that's okay. I recommend this without reservations to anyone interested in this type of music...even those that aren't.

Standout songs: o mera sona, dum maro dum, chura liya hai tum ne, lekar ham diwana di...really I like all of them

Asha Bhosle has the distinction of being one of the most recorded voices in human history. The output of the Indian film industry helped make this possible (India produces far more movies per year than Hollywood ever has, the vast majority of which are musicals). Bhosle has been singing over five decades and has recorded thousands of tracks. The task of reducing this staggering ouvre down into 14 songs must have been daunting and painful. Still, this CD stands as a good introduction to one of humanity's most prolific singers. The differences between the decades can be heard, and the variety of styles and ranges is amazing. The CD gatefold includes more information about Bhosle's legacy and what sets her apart from other Bollywood singers. Many of the songs on this CD will stick in your head after a single listen. "Dum Maro Dum" is a hard one to shake once it's heard. Though this might not be the best introduction to Indian film music in general, it's likely the best introduction of one of the genre's best known performers.

the collection is average for an indian like me, who has been hearing countless beautiful songs by her, now vampy, now wispy, now delicate, now demanding, now the empress, now the soul, now the sorrow.....what not from her. it could have helped for non-indians to appreciate her magic including songs like Mera kuch saman- fm ijazat, phir se aaiyo, kaali haath sham aaye, gaa mere man gaa, etc.

if anyone wants to savour her songs...listen to her with your eyes closed..or not...she will enchant you with her magic...yes for me...magic of the voice is asha bhosle.

Finding mere words to describe the talent of Asha Bhosle is an amazingly difficult task. The collection of songs in this album represents only the tip of the iceberg for a singer whose incredible range and outstanding versatility have been widely acknowledged throughout the globe. This legendary singer,the one and only Asha Bhosle, is simply the best! Go ahead, hear her for yourself!

Simboonath Singh
Michigan, USA

Asha Bhosle is a name becoming more familiar in the west with the growing fashionability of Bollywood movies. Bhosle was one of the first and certainly one of the most prolific and successful singers of the songs which punctuate most Bollywood product. She was never seen, however, the stars of the movies mimed on screen to her recorded voice. This collection is a good one for the curious and anyone new to the genre: it's a broad selection and it slush and often crazy arrangements are typical of Bollywood at its best (or worst, depending on your point of view). It makes a good companion and comparison piece to her collaboration with Kronos Quartet.

Really all the songs are simply great ! They are one of the greatest hits in Bollywood music. It also covers all the music directors for whom Asha worked .