Naushad brought accordion to cinema for the first time in 1950.
Now let us come directly to the year 1950. Young and veteran Bollywood musician Naushad was looking for a new tune and sound for the songs of his/her upcoming film ‘Dastaan’. The film was being produced by AR Kardar. he/she wanted an accordionist who could add some new tunes to his/her compositions. There was a Parsi drummer named Kawas Lord in his/her orchestra. This drummer knew a man who had his/her own band and also played accordion in Parsi plays. Her name was Gudi Sirvai. he/she brought him/her to the studio and introduced him/her to Naushad. From here a new chapter in Hindi film music began. For the first time, the music was played through accordion in the song ‘Ta Ra Ri Ta Ra Ri…’.
The shape of the accordion changed over time
With time, many changes took place in the Accordion Instrument. The methods of playing it also changed. Various instruments like button accordion, unisonoric and bisonoric accordion, concertina, bandoneon, piano accordion etc. were made. Of all these, piano accordion was the most popular in Hindi film music. This is also because the way of playing it was like a piano keyboard.
he/she was the accordion legend in Bollywood for the next 40 years.
Even though Naushad introduced Accordion Music to Indian cinema, it was the instrument that immediately caught the attention of Shankar Jaikishan. he/she used it freely in his/her music. Shankar Jaikishan was the first music director who used piano accordion in every possible way, from songs to title music to background score. So, who were the players who played all these songs and scores? Well, there were few but expert musicians who could and did play it. Then Gudi Sirvai, Kersi Lord, Sumit Mitra, Dheeraj Dhanak, K. Bharat, Enoch Daniel, Sammy Reuben and Suraj Sathe, these were the names who made Hindi cinema and its audience crazy by playing accordion brilliantly in Hindi songs for four decades.
Accordion became the life of Raj Kapoor
The use of accordion increased in Hindi cinema. But if any film director gets the credit for making it the most popular, then it is Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor liked the accordion so much that he/she even got the signature music of RK Films composed on it. Raj Kapoor was one of those Bollywood filmmakers who started using accordion in every film. The musicians assumed that if it was an RK movie, then the accordion was bound to be there. RK and accordion became synonymous with each other in Hindi films.
Ta Ra Ri Ta Ra Ri – Dastaan (1950)
This is the first song in Hindi cinema in which accordion was used. Gudi Sirvai played the accordion in this. The song was sung by Suraiya and Mohammed Rafi, the lyrics were written by Shakeel Badayun and the music was composed by Naushad.
Aaja Sanam Madhur Chandni Mein – Chori Chori (1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIkFW78x6UA
The lyrics of this song sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey have been written by Hasrat Jaipuri. Music is by Shankar Jaikishan.
Baar Baar Dekho Hazaabar Baar Dekho – China Town (1962)
Mohammad Rafi has sung this song. Lyrics are written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and music is by Ravi. The accordion has been used in almost all genres of music, such as rock n roll, jazz, pop etc. Composer Ravi used it in interludes along with Mohammed Rafi’s singing.
I am not a poet – Bobby (1973)
The tradition of the accordion was kept alive by Laxmikant Pyarelal when he/she took the reins of the music for ‘Bobby’. It was also a tribute from him/her to his/her guru Shankar Jaikishan. he/she prominently used the accordion in this song and also added bass flute notes to the song.
