Asha gives contemporary twist to old RD songs

Giving a fresh touch to old Bengali songs by the late R D Burman, evergreen singer Asha Bhosle has re-recorded some of those songs.
"Burman had done these songs many years ago. After that new technology and machines have come up. We imagined if he had been with us now then how he would have done it. We did it with our heart and it was as if he is teaching me (himself) how to do it," the 81-year-old legendary singer told reporters here today.
Brought out by Saregama, the musical album 'Pancham Tumi Kothay' is a bouquet of eight songs selected by Bhosle which were originally composed and sung by Burman.

Bhosle had recently re-recorded these songs in her voice with new musical arrangements which have been done by Nitin Shankar.
She said in earlier days she used to do an album before Durga Puja every year but after the death of R D Burman, who was nicknamed 'Pancham', it stopped.
"Every album used to be hit. Now this is a tribute to him. It reminds me of him. I am the 'bahu' of Bengal so I had to do this for the people here," Bhosle, who had married Burman, said.

Saregama Chairman Sanjiv Goenka said after 1990 there has been no new Bengali songs by Bhosle who had recorded her first Bengali song under HMV label way back in 1958 with Binod Chattopadhyay as the music director.

Since then the singer has recorded more than 300 Bengali songs.
When asked if the new album is better than the old one, she said, "His was the original so it is the best. I have done it (in) a little filmy style."
The songs in the album include 'Shono Ei To Samay', 'Mone Pore Ruby Roy', 'Deke Deke Kato Kotha Chilo', 'Ele Na Tumi Je', 'Phire Esho Anuradha', 'Jete Jete Pathey Holo Deri', 'Shono Mon Boli Tomay' and 'Aage Ami Jodi Jantam'.
Goenka said it was an emotional moment for them to have a legend like Bhosle record a Puja album after a gap of 25 years.