From Rabindranath Tagore to Oliver Sacks, some of the world’s best minds have contemplated the power of music, pondering on why it moves us, how it heals us, and the way it holds memories. Lyrics may be forgotten or misheard but the music, the tune—often brought to life by the singer—is hard to forget. Songs don’t just mark the passage of time but also our own growth, and that’s probably why we feel the passing of singers like Lata Mangeshkar so deeply, so personally.
Also read: There is a Lata song for everyone
For many people in these pages, and across the country, her voice accompanied them as they grew up, fell in and out of love, moved cities and countries, made lives for themselves; it helped them feel alive and connected to their past and gave them hope for their future.
There seems to be a Lata Mangeshkar song for every sentiment—happy, sad, confused, grieving, celebratory, angry—as those recalling memories linked to particular songs, for Lounge, tell us. It’s the kind of voice that has the power to hold and convey emotion, a voice that lets us know immediately what a fundamental role music plays in helping us explore and express, share and bond.
As a counter to all this nostalgia for a music of the past, we have a piece advocating mixing things up a bit and listening to some new songs—whether it’s the disco-inspired Dua Lipa, the cheesy tunes of Encanto, maybe a form of classical music you have always been intimidated by, or something you would otherwise deem “new and noisy”. As comforting as the familiar may be, trying to make sense of new music is really good for your brain, helps you connect to all kinds of cultures, and keeps you young. So, make yourself a new playlist this weekend that captures the best of both worlds.
Write to the Lounge editor at shalini.umachandran@htlive.com
@shalinimb
Also read: The songs will remain but so will the emptiness
