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Westernisation is killing Hindi music: Lata

Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar has expressed concern over the deteriorating quality of Hindi film music and its rapid Westernisation. She said people would soon get fed up with this if steps are not taken to preserve Indian cultural ethos.

Talking to newsmen after announcing the Dinanath Smruti Pratishthan awards in memory of her father, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar, she said, ''The lyrics and presentation of Indian film songs has been distorted beyond recognition. Something needs to be done to preserve its identity.''

The 67-year-old Mangeshkar, whose name figures in the Guiness Book of World Records for recording the maximum number of songs, in over 17 languages, said it was embarrassing for a family to see many of the Hindi songs with children around.

Asked what needs to be done to prevent further deterioration by "remix and fusion," Mangeshkar said ''I cannot do anything myself. The film world and media should come together and save the industry from the clutches of western culture."

''People have an understanding of good and bad. The masses will throw out this culture on their own,'' the melody queen remarked.

Everything has fallen in society. "Though it may seem orthodox," she said, "India has its own values and culture. We cannot escape from it."

The sharp rise in television viewers has only compounded the problem. Nowadays people, especially the younger generation, is more interested in western music. "But a time will come," Mageshkar predicted, "when people will be fed up with the low class music.''

Mangeshkar, who has completed 56 years in the music world, said, ''I sing songs of my liking and do justice to the song.'' She would not accept any song that did not fit to the Indian culture.

Asked why she had not initiated a campaign against deteriorating standards, Mangeshkar said she alone would not be able to start a campaign. And the time was not appropriate.

Speaking about the current crop of singers, Mangeshkar said fortunately the industry had many good singers like Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamurthi.

She urged the Maharashtra government to make timely efforts to preserve the forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji's era. She said the 'beer culture' has crept into the Panhala fort in western Maharashtra's Satara, after its commercialisation -- the government should not have given permission for setting up hotels there.

Mangeshkar pointed out that many forts are in a bad shape and requires renovation. The government should take up the issue on a priority basis.

UNI

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