Litterateuse points us to this informative post of hers about plagiarism in the Indian music industry.
***Flashback sequence commences***
It’s the early 90s. In a flat in Bombay a family of 4 is hunched over the singular CRT television set waiting for the new show on the block “Superhit Muqabla”. The internet was half a decade away and flat screens were a better part of a decade and half in the future. The father complains loudly about the “quality of music these days” and how everything seems to be copied from “English music” and how music directors like S.D.Burman and O.P.Nayyar used to compose original melodious songs.
***End Flashback sequence***
Fast-forward to this post. There is no arguing the melodious aspect of these musical geniuses from the days of yore. But, uh, regarding them being original ….
S.D. Burman:
Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhagisi (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi) – 16 Tons (Tennessee Ernie Ford)
Hum The Woh Thi (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi) – The Watermelon Song (Tennessee Ernie Ford)
O.P. Nayyar:
Babuji Dheere (Aar Paar) – Perhaps (Doris Day – but originally a Mexican song)
Laakhon Hai Yahan Dilwaale (Kismat) – Red River Valley (Gene Autrey)
Yeh Hai Bombay (CID) – Clementine
If it’s any consolation as Litterateuse points out:
One way of looking at it is, everybody stole, but only a few got caught. But before we write anyone off, let us think about this – some of the best world melodies known to us today have been introduced to us through these people.
Also worth pointing out is the fact that the older songs often copied the tune of the original but made an effort to compose their own lyrics to fit in with the melody.
This list is, of course, restricted to Bollywood. I’ve come across Tamil and Telugu numbers that are often inspired/blatantly copied from American/European numbers.
But in the last decade, there appears to be some amount of cross pollination between Indian music and the American Top 20 charts. Bollywood continues to lift tunes from American/European top 20 charts and older Bollywood songs with impunity under the guise of remixing them. But also some American artists now sample desi numbers or remix them in its entirety.
***Linked hip hop videos may be slightly NSFW***
Missy Elliot’s “Get your freak on” had a bhangra heavy background track.
Eric Sermon’s React had a circa 50s Bollywood tune in the background and samplings of lyrics from an obscure number “Chandi ka Badan“.
Jay Z basically rapped to Panjabi MC in “Beware of the boyz”.
“Toda resham lagta hai” from “Jyoti spawned a Bollywood remix, Kaliyon ka chaman, which in turn inspired Truth Hurts by Addictive.
And more recently, Jai Ho from Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire inspired the Pussycat Dolls Top 20 hit.
Do you know of any other popular tunes on the American/UK/Europe top 20 charts inspired by any Indian songs, famous or obscure?
Update: Runa reminds us of MIA’s Jimmy Jimmy inspired by Mithunda’s Jimmy which was inspired by…?
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