The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar

A superbly researched and penned book on Hemant Kumar. The icing on the cake is the interview with his son Jayanta, though a very short one.

"The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar" is the latest work to emerge from the prolific pen of Manek Premchand. Since 1997, he has been chronicling Hindi film music extensively through books and newspaper columns. His previous work on the crooner Talat Mehmood was well received and appreciated.The book on Hemant Kumar is in two parts. In the first part, Premchand takes us through the life and times of Hemant Kumar and his music. It has a wealth of information on the songs he sang and composed, the actors who sang his songs on the screen, the influence of Rabindra Sangeet on Hemanta (remember that Hemanta had one foot in Bombay and another in Calcutta), and much useful information. Premchand's interview with Jayonto Mukherjee has nuggets of news and views on Hemant Kumar. There is a trivia section, too.In the second part, songs sung/composed by Hemant Kumar are listed chronologically. Premchand is ably assisted by Antara Mondal and Sounak Gupta for the Bengali repertoire of Hemant Kumar.There is a foreword by Gulzar who feels enriched for his long association with Hemant Kumar.The author imparts a freshness and new dimensions to the subject matter with commendable insight. The book will be an invaluable addition to the bookshelf of Hemant Kumar's fans.

An unforgettable book about the unforgettable Hemant Kumar and his music! Exhaustively researched, beautifully written, and strongly recommended, it takes us through his journey in an easy, lilting style.Manek Premchand packs a wealth of information in the chapters; every song composed and sung by the artist is documented, as are anecdotes in his rise to fame, his penchant for humming and whistling, his favored instruments, his dedication to his craft, his humility, dignity, stories of his humaneness and so on. The reader gets new insights into the creativity of Hemant the composer, a facet that is often overlooked by an audience that is mesmerized by his voice -“ the voice of God”- as stated by Salil Chowdhury. Syncopation, Clavioline, Leitmotif; the terms and their relevance engage you and the deconstruct of Vande Mataram is brilliant! There is also a detailed chapter on his Bengali music, interesting trivia, and some great photos.It is indeed “a salute to the man who often stirred our souls.” An extraordinary tribute by an eminent and passionate historian, this book is must-have for all music lovers!

A must buy for all Hement Kumar his Music fans.In-depth study done by the writer and very well naratted too. As you read you go from page to page into the life and works of Hement Kumar.i loved the lay out, cover and most the photos in the book too.Only wish they had a hard back copy of this fascinating book.

Great Work from a great author, an authority especially on memorable music of the hindustani cinema. Simply marvellous. This work on Hemantda not only vividly describes his life and times, but also provides full information about his renditions and compositions created in Hindi, Bangla and other regional languages as well. Hats off to Manekji.

The Unforgettable Music Of Hemant Kumar is a must read for all music lovers. A very well - researched & well - written book by Manek Premchand who has given a wonderful insight into the life & music of Hemant Kumar. Truly, Hemant Kumar’s music is “unforgettable” !

This is a badly written book. Lacking in both style and substance, the chapters the author has created seem to be the result of a fertile imagination, and add up to anything but a cohesive, comprehensive story. This should be a lesson on how not to write a biography. Each chapter begins in an obtuse way and goes on meandering till we find that it has suddenly ended with a list of songs, most of which are not heard or not known. The references given point to a few websites from time to time. The part about Hemant's work in Bengal is much better written, though I am told that it is sourced heavily from a few vernacular books already present on the singer. The good part is that the books have been mentioned in the bibliography section.Overall, a lackluster and insipid read. For a paperback, price heavily too. The binding is not conducive to a good read either. I got a copy at the Delhi book fair and already a page has come out.

Finished the book's narrative in 3 rivetting sessions of 8 hours each. This is, in just one word, a classic!