Kishore Kumar, his songs and craze sprawling generations, the ‘Sil Sila’ goes on

Kishore Kumar, the legendary singer of the Indian music industry, left for his heavenly abode on this very day, October 13, 1987, however, his voice will be cherished for eternity. 

With his golden voice, Kishore Daa filled love in the hearts of all. His Yodeling was touchwood to the romantic songs as well as other enjoyable songs. During the reign of other legends like Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh and Manay Dey, Kishore Daa carved a niche with his melodious and soothing voice. 

Kishore Daa was amongst the first choices of several actors as a playback singer. The list of actors to whom Kishore Daa lent his voice includes Dev Anand, Shami Kapoor, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Sunil Dutt, etc. 

His esteem and fondness in the music world and Indian cine industry always remained at the top. His songs drove everyone crazy during his reign and the ‘Sil Sila’ goes on even after several decades. In true means, Kishore Daa’s songs are evergreen and will forever remain. 

65-year-old Narendra Kumar, a staunch admirer of Kishore Daa recalling the days of his youth time said, "Kishore Kumar's song had a sensation. Each of the words in the songs was meaningful and Kishore's melodious voice induced a charm which is beyond anything. His golden voice was indeed heart-touching. I used to listen to the songs of Mohd Rafi, Mukesh and Manna Dey along with Kishore, however, they had set a genre for themselves. Meanwhile, Kishore modulated his voice very flexibly to meet the requirements. 

Further, Narendra went on to add, “His Yodeling also is beyond any match. People in those times, when we were young, loved Kishore more in comparison to other singers. The craze for Kishore spread across youths like wildfire. Personally, I had a huge collection of reel cassettes of all singers, mostly Kishore. We had limited access to songs, unlike these days. Kishore Daa's voice synced up perfectly with Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna, and I have several golden memories from those days. Those were truly the golden era of music and songs. Though the voices of Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Abhijit and even Sonu Nigam are soothing, nothing matched to the charm of Kishore Daa.”

"Nowadays, the songs are quite lousy and loud without any meaning. Even, certain composers have tried to remake Kishore's songs in a different way, but have failed miserably. Songs these days are just meant to jump," said Narendra.

On the other hand, Itishree Purohit, a 30-year-old admirer of the singing legend said, “Kishore Daa's song still remains in trend. Several new-age singers have come up with remix versions of his songs to become popular, but have failed to reach close to his rendition. His songs have been always different. I believe, he was a visionary for which he came up with such songs that are being loved even today.  Kishore Daa's collection has a song for every mood.” 

“When I am happy, sad or in a happening mood, I always prefer listening to Kishore Daa's songs. There is no particular reason, mood or time to play his songs. When one feels broken, Kishore Daa, when anyone is in a romantic mood then Kishore Daa, when you are travelling then even Kishore Daa. A good listener is enough to realise the charm of his songs. Every music lover admires him and rather, I would say, Kishore Daa has no fans, instead, he is a part of the life of all people who have a love for music,” Itishree added.

Further, she went on to add, “He is above being a legend, he is one and only. My grandparents used to enjoy his songs and even my parents loved his songs. The legacy has been passed on to my generation as well. He was a trendsetter who inspired many singers and music composers to follow his path. We know him as a dedicated and strict singer which certainly is an inspiration. Kishore Daa is evergreen and many more generations will keep on cherishing his songs.”