Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments. Singing is often done in a group of other musicians, such as in a choir of singers with different voice ranges, or in an ensemble with instrumentalists, such as a rock group or baroque ensemble. As in many respects human song is a form of sustained speech, nearly anyone able to speak can also sing. Singing can be formal or informal, arranged or improvised. It may be done for pleasure, comfort, ritual, education, or profit. Excellence in singing requires time, dedication, instruction, and regular practice. Professional singers usually build their careers around one specific musical genre, such as classical or rock. They typically take voice training provided by voice teachers or vocal coaches throughout their career.

The human voice

In its physical aspect, singing has a well-defined technique that depends on the use of the lungs, which act as an air supply, or bellows; on the larynx, which acts as a reed or vibrator; on the chest and head cavities, which have the function of an amplifier, as the tube in a wind instrument; and on the tongue, which together with the palate, teeth, and lips articulate and impose consonants and vowels on the amplified sound. Though these four mechanisms function independently, they are nevertheless coordinated in the establishment of a vocal technique and are made to interact upon one another. During passive breathing, air is inhaled with the diaphragm while exhalation occurs without any effort. Exhalation may be aided by the abdominal, internal intercostal and lower pelvic muscles. Inhalation is aided by use of external intercostals, scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming.

The sound of each individual's singing voice is entirely unique not only because of the actual shape and size of an individual's vocal cords but also due to the size and shape of the rest of that person's body. Humans have vocal folds which can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body, and an individual's size and bone structure can affect the sound produced by an individual.

Singers can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation. Another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of laryngeal function are described as different kinds of vocal registers. The primary method for singers to accomplish this is through the use of the Singer's Formant; which has been shown to match particularly well to the most sensitive part of the ear's frequency range.

Vocal registration

Vocal registration refers to the system of vocal registers within the human voice. A register in the human voice is a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, and possessing the same quality. Registers originate in laryngeal function. They occur because the vocal folds are capable of producing several different vibratory patterns. Each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds. The term "register" can be somewhat confusing as it encompasses several aspects of the human voice. The term register can be used to refer to any of the following:

A particular part of the vocal range such as the upper, middle, or lower registers.

A resonance area such as chest voice or head voice.

A phonatory process (phonation is the process of producing vocal sound by the vibration of the vocal folds that is in turn modified by the resonance of the vocal tract)

A certain vocal timbre or vocal "colour"

A region of the voice which is defined or delimited by vocal breaks.

In linguistics, a register language is a language which combines tone and vowel phonation into a single phonological system. Within speech pathology the term vocal register has three constituent elements: a certain vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, a certain series of pitches, and a certain type of sound. Speech pathologists identify four vocal registers based on the physiology of laryngeal function: the vocal fry register, the modal register, the falsetto register, and the whistle register. This view is also adopted by many vocal pedagogists.

Vocal resonation

Vocal resonation is the process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. Various terms related to the resonation process include amplification, enrichment, enlargement, improvement, intensification, and prolongation, although in strictly scientific usage acoustic authorities would question most of them. The main point to be drawn from these terms by a singer or speaker is that the end result of resonation is, or should be, to make a better sound. There are seven areas that may be listed as possible vocal resonators. In sequence from the lowest within the body to the highest, these areas are the chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.

Chest voice and head voice

Chest voice and head voice are terms used within vocal music. The use of these terms varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regards to these terms. Chest voice can be used in relation to a particular part of the vocal range or type of vocal register; a vocal resonance area; or a specific vocal timbre. Head voice can be used in relation to a particular part of the vocal range or type of vocal register or a vocal resonance area.

History and development

The first recorded mention of the terms chest voice and head voice was around the 13th century, when it was distinguished from the "throat voice" (pectoris, guttoris, capitis — at this time it is likely that head voice referred to the falsetto register) by the writers Johannes de Garlandia and Jerome of Moravia. The terms were later adopted within bel canto, the Italian opera singing method, where chest voice was identified as the lowest and head voice the highest of three vocal registers: the chest, passagio and head registers. This approach is still taught by some vocal pedagogists today. Another current popular approach that is based on the bel canto model is to divide both men and women's voices into three registers. Men's voices are divided into "chest register", "head register", and "falsetto register" and woman's voices into "chest register", "middle register", and "head register". Such pedagogists teach that the head register is a vocal technique used in singing to describe the resonance felt in the singer's head.

However as knowledge of human physiology has increased over the past two hundred years, so has the understanding of the physical process of singing and vocal production. As a result, many vocal pedagogists, such as Ralph Appelman at Indiana University and William Vennard at the University of Southern California, have redefined or even abandoned the use of the terms chest voice and head voice. In particular, the use of the terms ''chest register'' and ''head register'' have become controversial since vocal registration is more commonly seen today as a product of laryngeal function that is unrelated to the physiology of the chest, lungs, and head. For this reason, many vocal pedagogists argue that it is meaningless to speak of registers being produced in the chest or head. They argue that the vibratory sensations which are felt in these areas are resonance phenomena and should be described in terms related to vocal resonance, not to registers. These vocal pedagogists prefer the terms ''chest voice'' and ''head voice'' over the term register. This view believes that the problems which people identify as register problems are really problems of resonance adjustment. This view is also in alignment with the views of other academic fields that study vocal registration including: speech pathology, phonetics, and linguistics. Although both methods are still in use, current vocal pedagogical practice tends to adopt the newer more scientific view. Also, some vocal pedagogists take ideas from both viewpoints.

The contemporary use of the term chest voice often refers to a specific kind of vocal coloration or vocal timbre. In classical singing, its use is limited entirely to the lower part of the modal register or normal voice. Within other forms of singing, chest voice is often applied throughout the modal register. Chest timbre can add a wonderful array of sounds to a singer's vocal interpretive palette. However, the use of overly strong chest voice in the higher registers in an attempt to hit higher notes in the chest can lead to forcing. Forcing can lead consequently to vocal deterioration.

Classifying singing voices

In European classical music and opera, voices are treated like musical instruments. Composers who write vocal music must have an understanding of the skills, talents, and vocal properties of singers. Voice classification is the process by which human singing voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types. These qualities include but are not limited to: vocal range, vocal weight, vocal tessitura, vocal timbre, and vocal transition points such as breaks and lifts within the voice. Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal registration. The science behind voice classification developed within European classical music has been slow in adapting to more modern forms of singing. Voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices. There are currently several different systems in use within classical music including: the German ''Fach'' system and the choral music system among many others. No system is universally applied or accepted.

However, most classical music systems acknowledge seven different major voice categories. Women are typically divided into three groups: soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto. Men are usually divided into four groups: countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass. When considering voices of pre-pubescent children an eighth term, treble, can be applied. Within each of these major categories there are several sub-categories that identify specific vocal qualities like coloratura facility and vocal weight to differentiate between voices.

It should be noted that within choral music, singers' voices are divided solely on the basis of vocal range. Choral music most commonly divides vocal parts into high and low voices within each sex (SATB, or soprano, alto, tenor, and bass). As a result, the typical choral situation affords many opportunities for misclassification to occur. Since most people have medium voices, they must be assigned to a part that is either too high or too low for them; the mezzo-soprano must sing soprano or alto and the baritone must sing tenor or bass. Either option can present problems for the singer, but for most singers there are fewer dangers in singing too low than in singing too high.

Within contemporary forms of music (sometimes referred to as Contemporary Commercial Music), singers are classified by the style of music they sing, such as jazz, pop, blues, soul, country, folk, and rock styles. There is currently no authoritative voice classification system within non-classical music. Attempts have been made to adopt classical voice type terms to other forms of singing but such attempts have been met with controversy. The development of voice categorizations were made with the understanding that the singer would be using classical vocal technique within a specified range using unamplified (no microphones) vocal production. Since contemporary musicians use different vocal techniques, microphones, and are not forced to fit into a specific vocal role, applying such terms as soprano, tenor, baritone, etc. can be misleading or even inaccurate.

Vocal pedagogy

Vocal pedagogy is the study of the teaching of singing. The art and science of vocal pedagogy has a long history that began in Ancient Greece and continues to develop and change today. Professions that practice the art and science of vocal pedagogy include vocal coaches, choral directors, vocal music educators, opera directors, and other teachers of singing.

Vocal pedagogy concepts are a part of developing proper vocal technique. Typical areas of study include the following:

Human anatomy and physiology as it relates to the physical process of singing

*Vocal health and voice disorders related to singing

*Breathing and air support for singing

*Phonation

* Vocal resonation or Voice projection

*Vocal registration: a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, and possessing the same quality, which originate in laryngeal function, because each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds.

* Voice classification

Vocal styles: for Classical singers, this includes styles ranging from Lieder to opera; for pop singers, styles can include "belted out" a blues ballads; for jazz singers, styles can include Swing ballads and scatting.

* Techniques used in styles such as sostenuto and legato, range extension, tone quality, vibrato, and coloratura

Vocal technique

Singing when done with proper vocal technique is an integrated and coordinated act that effectively coordinates the physical processes of singing. There are four physical processes involved in producing vocal sound: respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. These processes occur in the following sequence: #Breath is taken #Sound is initiated in the larynx #The vocal resonators receive the sound and influence it #The articulators shape the sound into recognizable units Although these four processes are often considered separately when studied, in actual practice they merge into one coordinated function. With an effective singer or speaker, one should rarely be reminded of the process involved as their mind and body are so coordinated that one only perceives the resulting unified function. Many vocal problems result from a lack of coordination within this process.

Since singing is a coordinated act, it is difficult to discuss any of the individual technical areas and processes without relating them to the others. For example, phonation only comes into perspective when it is connected with respiration; the articulators affect resonance; the resonators affect the vocal folds; the vocal folds affect breath control; and so forth. Vocal problems are often a result of a breakdown in one part of this coordinated process which causes voice teachers to frequently focus in intensively on one area of the process with their student until that issue is resolved. However, some areas of the art of singing are so much the result of coordinated functions that it is hard to discuss them under a traditional heading like phonation, resonation, articulation, or respiration.

Once the voice student has become aware of the physical processes that make up the act of singing and of how those processes function, the student begins the task of trying to coordinate them. Inevitably, students and teachers will become more concerned with one area of the technique than another. The various processes may progress at different rates, with a resulting imbalance or lack of coordination. The areas of vocal technique which seem to depend most strongly on the student's ability to coordinate various functions are: : #Extending the vocal range to its maximum potential #Developing consistent vocal production with a consistent tone quality #Developing flexibility and agility #Achieving a balanced vibrato

Developing the singing voice

Singing is a skill that requires highly developed muscle reflexes. Singing does not require much muscle strength but it does require a high degree of muscle coordination. Individuals can develop their voices further through the careful and systematic practice of both songs and vocal exercises. Vocal pedagogists instruct their students to exercise their voices in an intelligent manner. Singers should be thinking constantly about the kind of sound they are making and the kind of sensations they are feeling while they are singing. Vocal exercises have several purposes, including warming up the voice; extending the vocal range; "lining up" the voice horizontally and vertically; and acquiring vocal techniques such as legato, staccato, control of dynamics, rapid figurations, learning to sing wide intervals comfortably, singing trills, singing melismas and correcting vocal faults.

Extending vocal range

An important goal of vocal development is to learn to sing to the natural limits of one's vocal range without any obvious or distracting changes of quality or technique. Vocal pedagogists teach that a singer can only achieve this goal when all of the physical processes involved in singing (such as laryngeal action, breath support, resonance adjustment, and articulatory movement) are effectively working together. Most vocal pedagogists believe in coordinating these processes by (1) establishing good vocal habits in the most comfortable tessitura of the voice, and then (2) slowly expanding the range.

There are three factors that significantly affect the ability to sing higher or lower:

# The ''energy'' factor — "energy" has several connotations. It refers to the total response of the body to the making of sound; to a dynamic relationship between the breathing-in muscles and the breathing-out muscles known as the breath support mechanism; to the amount of breath pressure delivered to the vocal folds and their resistance to that pressure; and to the dynamic level of the sound. # The ''space'' factor — "space" refers to the size of the inside of the mouth and the position of the palate and larynx. Generally speaking, a singer's mouth should be opened wider the higher he or she sings. The internal space or position of the soft palate and larynx can be widened by relaxing the throat. Vocal pedagogists describe this as feeling like the "beginning of a yawn". # The ''depth'' factor — "depth" has two connotations. It refers to the actual physical sensations of depth in the body and vocal mechanism, and to mental concepts of depth that are related to tone quality.

McKinney says, "These three factors can be expressed in three basic rules: (1) As you sing higher, you must use more energy; as you sing lower, you must use less. (2) As you sing higher, you must use more space; as you sing lower, you must use less. (3) As you sing higher, you must use more depth; as you sing lower, you must use less."

Posture

The singing process functions best when certain physical conditions of the body exist. The ability to move air in and out of the body freely and to obtain the needed quantity of air can be seriously affected by the posture of the various parts of the breathing mechanism. A sunken chest position will limit the capacity of the lungs, and a tense abdominal wall will inhibit the downward travel of the diaphragm. Good posture allows the breathing mechanism to fulfill its basic function efficiently without any undue expenditure of energy. Good posture also makes it easier to initiate phonation and to tune the resonators as proper alignment prevents unnecessary tension in the body. Vocal pedagogists have also noted that when singers assume good posture it often provides them with a greater sense of self assurance and poise while performing. Audiences also tend to respond better to singers with good posture. Habitual good posture also ultimately improves the overall health of the body by enabling better blood circulation and preventing fatigue and stress on the body.

There are eight components of the ideal singing posture:

# Feet slightly apart # Legs straight but knees unlocked # Hips facing straight forward # Spine aligned # Abdomen flat # Chest comfortably forward # Shoulders down and back # Head facing straight forward

Breathing and breath support

Natural breathing has three stages: a breathing-in period, a breathing out period, and a resting or recovery period; these stages are not usually consciously controlled. Within singing there are four stages of breathing: a breathing-in period (inhalation); a setting up controls period (suspension);a controlled exhalation period (phonation); and a recovery period.

These stages must be under conscious control by the singer until they become conditioned reflexes. Many singers abandon conscious controls before their reflexes are fully conditioned which ultimately leads to chronic vocal problems.

Vibrato

Vibrato is used by singers (and many instrumentalists; for instance, string instruments that are played with a bow can produce vibrato tones) in which a sustained note wavers very quickly and consistently between a higher and a lower pitch, giving the note a slight quaver. Vibrato is the pulse or wave in a sustained tone. Vibrato occurs naturally, and is the result of proper breath support and a relaxed vocal apparatus. Some singers use vibrato as a means of expression. Many successful artists have built a career on deep, rich vibrato.

Vocal music

Vocal music is music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Vocal music is probably the oldest form of music, since it does not require any instrument besides the human voice. All musical cultures have some form of vocal music and there are many long standing singing traditions throughout the world's cultures.

Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered as instrumental music. For example, some blues rock songs may have a simple call-and-response chorus, but the emphasis in the song is on the instrumental melodies and improvisation. Vocal music typically features sung words called lyrics, although there are notable examples of vocal music that are performed using non-linguistic syllables or noises, sometimes as musical onomatopoeia. A short piece of vocal music with lyrics is broadly termed a song.

Genres of vocal music

Vocal music is written in many different forms and styles which are often labeled within a particular genre of music. These genres include: Art music, Popular music, Traditional music, regional and national music, and fusions of those genres. Within these larger genres are many sub-genres. For example, popular music would encompass blues, jazz, country music, easy listening, hip hop, rock music, and several other genres. There may also be a sub-genre within a sub-genre such as vocalese and scat singing in jazz.

Popular and traditional music

In many modern pop musical groups, a lead singer performs the primary vocals or melody of a song, as opposed to a backing singer who sings backup vocals or the harmony of a song. Backing vocalists sing some, but usually not all, parts of the song often singing only in a song's refrain or humming in the background. An exception is five-part gospel a cappella music, where the lead is the highest of the five voices and sings a descant, and not the melody. Some artists may sing both the lead and backing vocals on audio recordings by overlapping recorded vocal tracks.

Popular music includes a range of vocal styles. Hip-hop uses rapping, the rhythmic delivery of rhymes in a rhythmic speech over a beat or without accompaniment. Some types of rapping consist mostly or entirely of speech and chanting, like the Jamaican "toasting". In some types of rapping, the performers may interpolate short sung or half-sung passages. Blues singing is based on the use of the blue notes–notes sung at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. In heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres, vocal styles can include techniques such as screams, shouts, and unusual sounds such as the "death growl".

One difference between live performances in the popular and Classical genres is that whereas Classical performers often sing without amplification in small- to mid-size halls, in popular music, a microphone and PA system (amplifier and speakers) are used in almost all performance venues, even a small coffee house. The use of the microphone has had several impacts on popular music. For one, it facilitated the development of intimate, expressive singing styles such as "crooning" which would not have enough projection and volume if done without a microphone. As well, pop singers who use microphones can do a range of other vocal styles that would not project without amplification, such as making whispering sounds, humming, and mixing half-sung and sung tones. As well, some performers use the microphone's response patterns to create effects, such as bringing the mic very close to the mouth to get an enhanced bass response, or, in the case of hip-hop beatboxers, doing plosive "p" and "b" sounds into the mic to create percussive effects.

While some bands use backup singers who only sing when they are onstage, it is common for backup singers in popular music to have other roles. In many rock and metal bands, the musicians doing backup vocals also play instruments, such as rhythm guitar, electric bass, or drums. In Latin or Afro-Cuban groups, backup singers may play percussion instruments or shakers while singing. In some pop and hip-hop groups and in musical theater, the backup singers may be required to perform elaborately choreographed dance routines while they sing through headset microphones.

Careers in singing

The salaries and working conditions for vocalists vary a great deal. While jobs in other music fields such as music education tend to be based on full-time, salaried positions, singing jobs tend to be based on contracts for individual shows or performances, or for a sequence of shows (e.g., a two-week series of performances of an opera or musical theater show). Since income from singing jobs can be unsteady, singers often supplement their performing income with other singing-related jobs, such as vocal coaching, voice lessons, or as working as a choral director in a church. Due to the large number of aspiring vocalists, it can be very competitive to get jobs in singing. Church choir soloists can make from $30 to $500 per performance (all figures in US dollars). Performers in a community choral group can earn from $200–$3,000 yearly; members of a professional concert choral group can make $80 and up per performance. Singers who perform on radio or TV shows can make $75 and up per show on a local station and $125 and up per national network show (e.g., CBS or NBC). Jazz or pop singers who perform with dance bands or nightclub show groups can make $225 and up per week. Professional opera chorus singers can make from $350–$750 per week. Opera soloists, for which the number of job openings is very limited, can make from $350 to $20,000 per performance for the most elite performers. Classical concert soloists, for which the number of job openings is very limited, have approximate earnings of $350 per performance and up.

Aspiring singers and vocalists must have musical talent and skill, an excellent voice, the ability to work with people, and a sense of showmanship and drama. Additionally, singers need to have the ambition and drive to continually study and improve, because the process of studying singing does not end after an initial diploma or degree is finished-even decades after finishing their initial training, professional singers continue to seek out vocal coaching to hone their skills, extend their range, and learn new styles. As well, aspiring singers need to gain specialized skills in the vocal techniques used to interpret songs, learn about the vocal literature from their chosen style of music, and gain skills in choral music techniques, sight singing and memorizing songs, and basic skills at the piano, to aid in learning new songs and in ear training or vocal exercises. In Classical singing and in some other genres, a knowledge of foreign languages such as French, Italian, German, or other languages, is needed. Prior to college or university training, aspiring singers should learn to read music, study basic piano, and gain experience with singing, both in choirs and in solo settings.

College or university degrees are "not always required but the equivalent training is usually necessary". Post-secondary training in singing is available for both Classical and non-Classical singers. In the Classical stream, singing can be studied at conservatories and university music programs; credentials that are available range from diplomas and Bachelor's degrees to Master's degrees and the Doctor of Musical Arts. In popular and jazz styles, college and university degrees are also available, though there are fewer programs.

Once aspiring vocalists have completed their professional training, they must then take steps to market themselves to buyers of vocal talent, by doing auditions in front of an opera director, choirmaster, or conductor. Depending on the style of vocal music that a person has trained in, the "talent buyers" that they seek out may be record company A&R; representatives, opera or musical theater directors, choir directors, nightclub managers, or concert promoters. In addition preparing a resume or CV listing their training and performance experience, singers typically prepare a promotional kit that includes professionally taken photographs (head shots); a CD or DVD with excerpts of vocal performances; and copies of reviews from music critics or journalists. Some singers hire an agent or manager to help them to seek out engagements and other performance opportunities; the agent or manager is often paid by receiving a percentage of the fees that the singer gets from performing onstage.

Health benefits

Scientific studies suggest that singing can have positive effects on people's health. A preliminary study based on self-reported data from a survey of students participating in choral singing found perceived benefits including increased lung capacity, improved mood, stress reduction, as well as perceived social and spiritual benefits. However, one much older study of lung capacity compared those with professional vocal training to those without, and failed to back up the claims of increased lung capacity. Singing may positively influence the immune system through the reduction of stress. One study found that both singing and listening to choral music reduces the level of stress hormones and increases immune function. A multinational collaboration to study the connection between singing and health was established in 2009, called ''Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing'' (AIRS).

Singing in non-human species

Scholars agree that singing is strongly present in many non-human species. Wide dispersal of singing behavior among very different animal species (like birds, gibbons, whales, and humans) strongly suggests that singing appeared independently in different species. Currently there are about 5400 species of animals that can sing. At least some singing species demonstrate the ability to learn their songs, to improvise and even to compose new melodies. In some animal species singing is a group activity (see, for example, singing in gibbon families.)

Singing in different natural environments

Joseph Jordania suggested that singing behavior is very unevenly distributed among animal species, living in different environments (on the ground, in the water, in trees). Most of the singing species live on the trees (like many bird species, or gibbons), some live in the water (whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions), and there are no animal species who live on the ground and sing except for humans. This uneven distribution of singing can be crucial for our understanding of the origins of the singing behavior in animals and humans. Jordania explains this fact as the result of the pressure from natural selection. Singing is a very costly behavior, not only because of the energy to produce sounds, but primarily for the security reasons, as all the possible predators can easily learn the whereabouts of a singing animal. Singing species that live on the trees are in a much more favourable situation, as trees allow different species to live according to their body weight. So different animals with different body weight live on different "levels" of the tree branches. For example, a 50 kilo leopard can see and hear the sounds produced by a 15 kilo monkey, but as a lighter monkey can live much higher on the tree branches, it is out of reach of a heavier leopard. Therefore tree living (or arboreal) species feel quite secure to sing or to communicate with a wide range of vocal signals. On the other hand, all the ground living (or terrestrial) animal species, despite the huge weight differences between them (ranging from rabbits to lions and elephants) live on the same "ground level", and maintaining silence is crucially important for them. Even most of the birds, the most ardent singers, stop singing and producing other sounds when they sit on the ground. Therefore, predator threat might be a primary reason why tree living species are generally much noisier than ground living species.

See also: art music

A cappella

Aria

Bel canto

Chanson

Chiaroscuro (music)

Choral music

Fach

Group singing

Human voice

Opera

Overtone singing

Recitative

Singer–songwriter

Sprechgesang

Throat singing

Voice pedagogy

Voice projection

Voice type

Yodeling

Winsingad

See also: popular music

Beat boxing

Belt (music)

Death growl

Humming

Lead vocalist

Rapping

Screaming (music)

Vocoder

References

External links

A Brief History of Singing

Category:Occupations in music *

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Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
name	Hemanta Mukherjee
background	solo_singer
birth name	Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay
birth date	16 June 1920
birth place	Varanasi, Benares State, British Raj (now in Uttar Pradesh, India)
death date	26 September 1989
Death place	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
spouse	Bela Mukhopadhyay
genre	Bengali and Hindi/Marathi Playback
occupation	Singer/Composer
years active	1937 – 1989 }}

Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay (; ''Hemonto Kumar Mukhopaddhae'') also known as Hemanta Mukherjee (16 June 1920 – 26 September 1989) was an Bengali singer, composer and producer. He sang in Hindi films under the name Hemant Kumar.

Early life

Hemanta was born in the city of Varanasi, India although his family hailed from a village named Baharu in West Bengal. They migrated to Kolkata in the early 20th century. Hemanta grew up there and attended Mitra Institution school of Bhawanipore area. There he met his longtime friend, Subhas Mukhopadhyay who later became a Bengali poet. After passing the intermediate examinations (12th grade), Hemanta joined Jadavpur University to pursue Engineering. However, he quit academics to pursue a career in music, despite parental objection. He briefly tried his hand at literature and also published a short story in a prestigious Bengali magazine called ''Desh'', but by the late-1930s he was committed entirely to music.

Early music career

Under the influence of his friend Subhas Mukhopadhyay, Hemanta recorded his first song for All India Radio in 1933. The first line of the song was ''Amar Ganete Ele Nabarupi Chirantanii''. Hemanta's music career was primarily mentored by the Bengali musician, Sailesh Duttagupta. In an interview on television in the early 1980s, Hemanta had mentioned that he had also received classical music training from Ustad Faiyaz Khan, but his tutelage was cut short by Ustad's untimely death.

In 1937, Hemanta cut his first gramophone disc under the Columbia label. The songs (non-film) on this disc were ''Janite Jadi Go Tumi'' and ''Balo Go Balo More'' whose lyrics were by Naresh Bhattacharya and music was composed by Sailesh Duttagupta. Thereafter, every year Hemanta continued to record non-film discs for the Gramophone Company of India (GCI) till 1984. His first Hindi songs were ''Kitana Dukh Bhulaya Tumne'' and ''O Preet Nibhanewali'', released in 1940 under GCI's Columbia label. Music for these songs were composed by Kamal Dasgupta, lyrics were by Faiyaz Hashmi.

Hemanta's first film song was in the Bengali film Nimai Sanyas released in 1941. Music for this film was scored by Hariprasanna Das. Hemanta's first compositions for himself were the Bengali non-film songs ''Katha Kayonako Shudhu Shono'' and ''Amar Biraha Akashe Priya'' in 1944. Lyrics of these two songs were by Amiya Bagchi.

His first Hindi film songs were in Irada in 1944 under Pt. Amarnath's music direction. Lyrics were by Aziz Kashmiri.

Hemanta is considered a foremost exponent of Rabindrasangeet. His first recorded Rabindrasangeet was in the Bengali film Priya Bandhabi (1944). The song was ''Pather Sesh Kothaye''. He recorded his first non-film Rabindrasangeet disc in 1944 under the Columbia label. The songs were ''Aamar Aar Habe Na Deri'' and ''Keno Pantha E Chanchalata''.

His first movie as a music director was the Bengali film Abhiyatri in 1947. Although many of the songs Hemanta recorded during this time received critical acclaim, major commercial success eluded him until 1947. Some contemporary male singers of Hemanta in Bengali around that period were Jaganmay Mitra, Robin Majumdar, Satya Chowdhury, Dhananjay Bhattacharya, Sudhirlal Chakraborty, Bechu Dutta and Talat Mahmood.

Family

Hemanta had three brothers and a sister, Nilima. His elder brother, Tarajyoti, was a short-story writer in Bengali. The youngest brother, Amal Mukhopadhyay, composed music for some Bengali movies, most notably Hospital and Abak Prithibi. He also recorded a few Bengali songs in the 1960s.

In 1945, Hemanta married Bela Mukherjee (died 25 June 2009), a singer from Bengal. Although Bela (maiden name also Bela Mukhopadhyay) had sung some popular songs in a Bengali movie, ''Kashinath'' (1943), with music by Pankaj Mullick – she did not actively pursue her musical career after marriage.

They had two children: a son, Jayant, and a daughter, Ranu. Ranu as Ranu Mukhopadhyay pursued a music career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with somewhat limited success. Jayant is married to Moushmi Chatterjee, an Indian film actress who was popular in the 1970s.

Success and migration to Mumbai

In the mid 1940s, Hemanta became an active member of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and started an association with another active IPTA member – songwriter and composer – Salil Chowdhury. One of the main driving forces behind the establishment of IPTA was the Bengal famine of 1943 and the inaction of the British administration and wealthy Indians to prevent it from happening. In 1948, Hemanta recorded a non-film song called ''ganyer badhu'' (literally translates to 'The rural bride') that had music and lyrics by Salil Chowdhury. The six minute song recorded on two sides of a 78 rpm disc was sung at a varying pace and lacked the conventional structure and romantic theme of a Bengali song. It depicted an idyllic, prosperous and caring rural woman's life and family, and how it gets ravaged by the demons of famine and ensuing poverty. This song generated an unforeseen popularity for Hemanta and Salil in eastern India, and, in a way, established Hemanta ahead of his male contemporaries. Hemanta and Salil paired again in several songs over the next four years and almost all these songs proved to be very popular.

Around the same period, Hemanta started receiving more assignments for music composition for Bengali films. Some of these films were for a director named Hemen Gupta. When Hemen moved to Mumbai a few years later, he called upon Hemanta to compose music for his first directorial venture in Hindi titled ''Anandmath'' under the Filmistan banner. Responding to this call, Hemanta migrated to Mumbai in 1951 and joined the Filmistan Studios. The music of ''Anand Math'' (1952) was a moderate success. Perhaps, the most notable songs from this movie is ''vande mataram'' sung by Lata Mangeshkar, which Hemanta set to a marching tune. Following Anandmath, Hemanta scored music for a few Filmistan movies like ''Shart'' in subsequent years, the songs of which received moderate popularity. Simultaneously, Hemanta also gained popularity in Mumbai as a playback singer. His songs playbacked for actor Dev Anand under music director Sachin Dev Burman in movies like ''Jaal'', ''House No. 44'', and ''Solva Saal'' became quite popular.

Career rise

By the mid-1950s, Hemanta had consolidated his position as a prominent singer and composer. In Bengal, he was one of the foremost exponents of Rabindrasangeet and perhaps the most sought after male singer. In Mumbai, along with playback singing, He also carved a niche as a composer. He composed music for a Hindi film called ''Nagin'' (1954) which became a major success owing largely to its music. Songs of Nagin remained chart-toppers continuously for two years and culminated in Hemant receiving the prestigious Filmfare Best Music Director Award in 1955. The very same year, he scored music for a Bengali movie called ''Shapmochan'' in which he also played back four songs for the Bengali actor Uttam Kumar. This started a long partnership between Hemant and Uttam as a playback singer-actor pair. They were the most popular singer-actor duo in Bengali Cinema over the next decade.

In the latter part of the 1950s, Hemanta composed music and sang for several Bengali and Hindi films, recorded several Rabindrasangeets and Bengali non-film songs. Almost all of these, especially his Bengali songs became very popular. This period can be termed as the zenith of his career and lasted for almost a decade. He sang songs composed by the major music directors in Bengal such as Nachiketa Ghosh, Robin Chatterjee and Salil Chowdhury. Some of the notable films Hemanta himself composed music for during this period include ''Harano Sur'', ''Marutirtha Hinglaj'', ''Neel Akasher Neechey'', ''Lukochuri'', ''Swaralipi'', ''Deep Jwele Jaai'', ''Shesh Parjanta'', ''Kuhak'', ''Dui Bhai'', and ''Saptapadi'' in Bengali, and, ''Jagriti'' and ''Ek Hi Raasta'' in Hindi.

Movie production

In the late 1950s, Hemanta ventured into movie production under his own banner Hemanta-Bela productions. The first movie under this banner was a Bengali film directed by Mrinal Sen, titled ''Neel Akasher Neechey'' (1959). The story of this film was based on the travails of a Chinese street hawker in Calcutta in the backdrop of India's freedom struggle. The movie went onto win the President's Gold Medal – the highest honour for a movie from Government of India. In the next decade, Hemanta's production company was renamed Geetanjali productions and it produced several Hindi movies such as ''Bees Saal Baad'', ''Kohraa'', ''Biwi Aur Makaan'', ''Faraar'', ''Rahgir'' and ''Khamoshi'' – all of which had music by Hemanta. Almost all of these, except ''Bees Saal Baad'' and ''Khamoshi'', weren't major commercial successes. Back in Bengal, Hemanta scored music for a movie titled ''Palatak'' in 1963 where he experimented with merging Bengal Folk Music and light music. This proved to be a major success and Hemanta's composition style changed noticeably for many of his future films in Bengal such as ''Baghini'', and ''Balika Badhu''. In Bengali films ''Manihar'' and ''Adwitiya'', both of which were major musical as well as commercial successes, his compositions had a light classical tinge. In 1961, for commemorating Rabindranath Tagore's birth centenary, Gramophone company of India featured Rabindrasangeet by Hemanta in a large portion of its commemorative output. This too proved to be a major commercial success. Hemanta also went on several overseas concert tours in this period including his trip to the West Indies. Overall, in the 1960s decade he retained his position as the major male singer in Bengal, and, as a composer and singer to be reckoned with in Hindi films.

Latter part of career

In the 1970s, Hemanta's contribution in Hindi films was nominal. He scored music for a handful of his home productions, but none of these movies were successful nor the music of them. In Bengal, however, he remained the foremost exponent of Rabindrasangeet. His non-film output was popular in the early part of the decade. In 1971, Hemanta debuted as a film director in for his self-produced Bengali movie titled ''Anindita''. The movie didn't fare exceedingly well at the box office. In the early to mid 1970s, two major music composers in Bengal, Nachiketa Ghosh and Robin Chatterjee, who had worked closely with Hemanta since the early 1950s, died. Simultaneously, music composed by Hemanta for Bengali films like ''Fuleswari'', ''Raag Anurag'' and ''Dadar Kirti'' established Hemanta as the major film music composer in the Bengal movie scene. In 1979, Hemanta re-recorded some of his earlier works with composer Salil Chowdhury from the 1940s and 1950s. This album, titled 'Legend of Glory, vol. 2' was a major commercial success, despite Hemanta's aged and slightly tired voice.

In 1980, Hemanta suffered a major heart attack (myocardial infarction) that severely affected his vocal capabilities, especially his breath control. He continued to record songs in the early eighties, but his voice was a shade of its rich baritone past. In 1984, Hemanta was felicitated by different organizations, most notably by the Gramophone Company of India, for completing 50 years in music. Ironically, that very year Hemanta released his last album with Gramophone Company of India – a 45 rpm extended play disc with four non-film songs. Over the next few years, Hemanta released non-film songs under various small-time labels that had cropped up in the nascent cassette-based music industry. Only a few of these were commercially successful. He composed music for a handful of Bengali movies and one Bengali and one Hindi tele-series. However, by this time he had become an institution, a beloved personality, and a courteous and friendly gentleman. He continued to feature regularly on All India Radio, Doordarshan (TV) and live programmes/concerts during this period.

In September 1989, he travelled to Dhaka, Bangladesh to receive the Michael Madhusudan Award. He performed a concert in Dhaka as well. Immediately after returning from this trip, he suffered a major heart attack (myocardial infarction) on September 26 and breathed his last at 11:15 pm in a nursing home in South Calcutta. Interestingly, even 15 years after his death, Gramophone Company of India releases at least one album by him every year, repackaging his older songs, because of the commercial viability of his songs. His legacy still lives on through the numerous songs he has recorded, music he has composed and through many male singers in Bengal and the rest of India who continue to imitate his singing style.

English filmography as a composer

1972: Siddhartha

Bengali filmography as a composer

Total number of films: 138

1947: Abhiyatri, Purbaraag

1948: Bhuli Naai, Padma Pramatta Nadi, Priyatama

1949: Diner Par Din, '42, Sandipan Pathshala, Swami

1951: Jighansa, Paritran

1952: Swapno O Samadhi-(Jointly with Khagen Dasgupta)

1955: Shapmochan

1956: Suryamukhi

1957: Shesh Parichay, Taser Ghar, Harano Sur

1958: Lukochuri, Shikar, Surjatoran, Joutuk, Neel Akasher Neechey

1959: Deep Jwele Jaai, Khelaghar, Marutirtha Hinglaj, Sonar Harin, Kshaniker Atithi

1960: Baishey Shravan, Gariber Meye, Kuhak, Khoka Babur Prayabartan, Shesh Paryanta

1961: Dui Bhai, Agni Sanskar, Madhya Rater Tara, Punashcha, Saptapadi, Sathi Hara, Swaralipi

1962: Atal Jaler Ahwan, Agun, Dada Thakur, Hansuli Banker Upakatha, Nabadiganta

1963: Badshah, Barnachora, Ek Tukro Agun, High Heel, Palatak, Saat Pake Bandha, Shesh Prahar, Tridhara

1964: Arohi, Bibhas, Natun Tirtha, Pratinidhi, Prabhater Rang, Swarga Hotey Biday, Sindure Megh

1965: Alor Pipasa, Ek Tuku Basa, Ek Tuku Chhonya Lage, Suryatapa

1966: Kanch Kata Hirey, Manihar

1967: Balika Badhu, Dushtu Prajapati, Nayika Sangbad, Ajana Shapath

1968: Adwitya, Baghini, Hansamithun, Jiban Sangeet, Panchasar, Parisodh

1969: Chena Achena, Man Niye, Parineeta, Shuk Sari

1970: Deshbandhu Chittaranjan, Duti Mon

1971: Kuheli, Malayadan, Nabarag, Nimantran, Sansar, Mahabiplabi Arabindo

1972: Anindita, Shriman Prithviraj

1974: Bikele Bhorer Phool, Thagini, Phuleshwari

1975: Agniswar, Mohan Baganer Meye, Nishi Mrigaya, Raag Anuraag, Sansar Simantey

1976: Banhi Sikha, Datta, Sankhabish, Pratisruti

1977: Din Amader, Hatey Roilo Tin, Mantramugdha, Pratima, Proxy, Rajani, Sanai, Shesh Raksha, Swati

1978: Ganadevta, Nadi Theke Sagare, Pranay Pasha

1979: Shahar Theke Dooray, Nauka Dubi

1980: Bandhan, Dadar Kirti, Paka Dekha, Pankhiraj, Shesh Bichar

1981: Kapal Kundala, Khelar Putul, Meghmukti, Subarna Golak

1982: Chhoto Maa, Chhut, Uttar Meleni, Pratiksha

1983: Amar Geeti, Rajeshwari

1984: Agni Shuddhi, Ajantay, Bishabriksha, Didi, Madhuban, Suryatrishna

1985: Bhalobasa Bhalobasa, Tagari

1986: Pathbhola, Ashirwad

1987: Pratibha, Tunibou, Agaman, Boba sanai, Parasmani, Surer Sathi

Hindi filmography as a composer

A: Anand Math, Anjaan, Anupama, Arab Ka Saudagar

B: Bahu, Bandhan, Bandi, Bandish, Bees Saal Baad, Bees Saal Pehle, Bhagwat Mahima, Bin Badal Barsaat, Biwi Aur Makaan

C: Chand, Champakali

D: Daku Ki Ladki, Do Dil, Do Dooni Char, Do Ladke Dono Kadke, Do Mastane, Durgesh Nandini, Duniya Jhukti Hai,Devi Choudhurani

E: Ek hi Raasta, Ek Jhalak

F: Ferry, Faraar, Fashion

G: Girl Friend

H: Hamara Watan, Hill Station, Hum Bhi Insaan Hai

I: Inspector

J: Jagriti

K: Khamoshi, Kohraa, Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan

L: Lagan, Laalten, Love in Canada

M: Maa Beta, Majhli Didi, Miss Mary

N: Nagin

P: Payal, Police

R: Rahgeer

S: Sahara, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Samrat, Sannata, Shart

T: Taj

U: Us Raat Ke Baad

Y: Yahudi Ki Ladki

Other languages filmography as a composer

''Ayel Basant Bahar'' (1961)

''Balma Bada Nadaan'' (1964)

Hemant Kumar also sang several Marathi songs, notably "Mee Dolkara, Dolkara, Dolakra dariyacha raaja...." (मी डोलकर, डोलकर दर्याचा राजा) with Lata Mangeshkar. This song became immensely popular. Another popular Marathi song by Hemant Kumar, "Gomu sangatina mazya tu yeshil kay" (गोमू संगतीनं माझ्या तू येशील काय), is filmed on the famous actor Kashinath Ghanekar in the film Ha Khel Saavalyancha, हा खेळ सावल्यांचा.

References

Sources

# Hemanta Kumar Mukhopadhyay, "Ananda dhara", Deb Sahitya Kutir Press, Calcutta, 1970. # A. Rajadhakshya and P. Wilhelm, "An Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema," 2nd ed., British Film Institute, 1999. # S. Bhattacharya, "Amar gaaner swaralipi," A. Mukherjee Press, Calcutta, 1988.

External links

Songs of Hemanta Mukherjee

Hemant Kumar home page

Mostly complete discography

Articles on Hemanta Mukherjee

Hemanta's Hindi Filmography

Hemanta's Bengali Songs

Hemanta's Bangla Gaan

Hemanta Mukherjee's Bengali Songs

Category:1920 births Category:1989 deaths Category:Bengali music Category:Bengali musicians Category:Indian film singers Category:Indian male singers Category:People from Kolkata Kumar, Hemant Kumar, Hemant Category:Artists from Varanasi Category:Asutosh College alumni Category:University of Calcutta alumni Category:Indian music directors

bn:হেমন্ত মুখোপাধ্যায় fr:Hemant Kumar hi:हेमंत कुमार mr:हेमंत कुमार मुखोपाध्याय pl:Hemanta Kumar fi:Hemant Kumar

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
name	Chris Martin
birth name	Christopher Anthony John Martin
background	solo_singer
birth date	March 02, 1977
birth place	Exeter, Devon, England
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar, mandolin, clarinet, trumpet, harmonica, bass, organ, glockenspiel, Keyboards
genre	Alternative rock, art rock, post-britpop
occupation	musician, producer
years active	1996–present
label	Parlophone, Capitol
associated acts	Coldplay
website	Coldplay.com
spouse	Gwyneth Paltrow (m. 2003- present) }}

Christopher Anthony John "Chris" Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, pianist and rhythm guitarist of the band Coldplay. He is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Early life

Chris Martin was born in Exeter, Devon, England and is the eldest of five children. His father, Anthony Martin, is a retired accountant, and his mother, Alison Martin, is a music teacher. Martin started his education at the pre-preparatory Hylton School and then went on to preparatory Exeter Cathedral School. It was at the prep school that Martin formed his first band, The Rocking Honkies, with Nick Repton & Iwan Gronow. Their debut performance was met with boos from the crowd. After Exeter Cathedral, Martin boarded at Sherborne School, a boys' independent school in Dorset. He also met future Coldplay manager Phil Harvey at the school. Martin continued his studies at University College London, staying at Ramsay Hall where he read Ancient World Studies and graduated with First Class honours in Greek and Latin. It is here he met future Coldplay bandmates Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman

Recording career

Coldplay

While studying at University College London, Martin met Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman. In January 1998, they formed the rock band Coldplay. The band has had internationally recognised fame and success since their debut album, ''Parachutes'', in 2000. Since then, they have released several further albums/EP's including: ''A Rush of Blood to the Head'', ''Live 2003'', ''X&Y;'', ''Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends'', ''Prospekt's March and Mylo Xyloto''.

Solo work

As a solo artist, Martin has written songs for a variety of acts including Embrace ("Gravity") and Jamelia ("See It in a Boy's Eyes", co-written with Coldplay producer Rik Simpson). Martin has also collaborated with Ron Sexsmith, Faultline, The Streets, and Ian McCulloch. He also sang a part of the vocals for the Band Aid 20 single, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at the end of 2004. In 2005, Martin collaborated with Nelly Furtado on the track "All Good Things (Come to an End)", for her 2006 album, ''Loose''. The two were once rumoured to be a couple, after they both performed at Glastonbury in 2002. Furtado joked about the situation, saying that "Yeah, he's my boyfriend — he just doesn't know it yet".

Martin's fascination with hip hop was shown in mid-2006 when he collaborated with rapper Jay-Z for the rapper's comeback album ''Kingdom Come'' after the two met earlier in the year. Martin put some chords together for a song known as "Beach Chair" and sent them to Jay-Z who enlisted the help of hip hop producer Dr. Dre to mix it (contrary to popular knowledge it was Coldplay producer Rik Simpson and not Dre who conceived and performed the drum beats). The song was performed on 27 September 2006 by the two during Jay-Z's European tour at Royal Albert Hall. In 2007, Martin appeared on a track titled "Part of the Plan" for Swizz Beatz' debut solo album ''One Man Band Man''. Martin has also worked on a solo collaboration with Kanye West, with whom he shared an impromptu jam session during a 2006 concert at Abbey Road Studios. He performed the chorus of "Homecoming", from West's album ''Graduation''.

Influences

Perhaps Martin's & Coldplay's main influence is the scottish rock band Travis, with Martin crediting the band for the creation of his own group. U2 has been another important influence on Martin both musically and politically, in which he wrote for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", in the section on U2, saying: "I don't buy weekend tickets to Ireland and hang out in front of their gates, but U2 are the only band whose entire catalog I know by heart. The first song on ''The Unforgettable Fire'', "A Sort of Homecoming", I know backward and forward – it's so rousing, brilliant, and beautiful. It's one of the first songs I played to my unborn baby." Martin also comments on Bono's effect on his own charity and political involvement he is even known to joke with friends referring to himself as "Crono".

Martin is very vocal about his love for Norwegian new wave/Synthpop band a-ha. In 2005 he stated the following in an interview: "I found myself in Amsterdam the other day and I put a-ha's first record on. I just remembered how much I loved it. It's incredible songwriting. Everyone asks what inspired us, what we've been trying to steal from and what we listened to as we were growing up – the first band I ever loved was a-ha." Martin has also performed live together with Magne Furuholmen of a-ha.

He also is known to be a fan of artists such as Manchester rock band Oasis, Irish pop group Westlife, English band Radiohead, British pop groups Girls Aloud and Take That, and Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire. Solo artists Martin likes include Leona Lewis, Noel Gallagher, and Kylie Minogue.

Other endeavours

Martin and Coldplay guitarist Jon Buckland made cameo appearances in the film ''Shaun of the Dead'' as supporters of the fictional charity ZombAid. Martin has a second cameo in this film as a Zombie. In 2006 Martin had a cameo role in the second series episode four of the Ricky Gervais- and Stephen Merchant-created comedy ''Extras''. He also appears singing in the closing credits of the 2009 film ''Brüno'' alongside Bono, Sting, Slash, Snoop Dogg, and Elton John. Martin also played one gig with the "Sid James Experience".

Martin has been particularly outspoken on issues of fair trade and has campaigned for the charity Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign. He traveled to Ghana and Haiti to meet farmers and view the effects of unfair trade practices. When performing he usually has variations of "Make Trade Fair", "MTF" or an equal sign written on the back of his left hand and the letters "MTF" can be seen emblazoned on his piano.

He was a vocal critic of President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq. Martin was a strong supporter of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry, most notably during his acceptance speech for the 2004 Grammy Awards Record of the Year, accepting for "Clocks". Martin also supported the Democratic Party candidate for President in 2008, giving a shout-out to Barack Obama at the end of a performance of "Yellow" on 25 October 2008 episode of ''Saturday Night Live''.

On 1 April 2006, ''The Guardian'' reported that Martin was backing the British Conservative Party leader David Cameron and had written a new theme song for the party titled "Talk to David". This was later revealed to be an April Fool's joke. Whilst touring Australia in March 2009, Martin and the rest of Coldplay were the opening act at the Sound Relief benefit concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney, for the bushfires and floods in Victoria and Queensland.

Personal life

Martin met American actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 2002 backstage at a Coldplay gig after the death of the actress's father, Bruce Paltrow. The couple married a year later on 5 December 2003. Their daughter, Apple Blythe Alison Martin, was born on 14 May 2004 in London. Their second child, Moses Bruce Anthony Martin, was born on 8 April 2006 in New York City. Simon Pegg and Martin's bandmate Jonny Buckland are Apple's godfathers. Martin is a longtime friend of Pegg, having met him in 2001, and appears in ''Shaun of the Dead'', one of Pegg's movies.

Martin does not smoke or drink alcohol.

In a 2005 ''Rolling Stone'' magazine interview, Martin said of his religious views: "I definitely believe in God. How can you look at anything and not be overwhelmed by the miraculousness of it?" In the same interview he spoke of going through a period of spiritual confusion, stating "I went through a weird patch, starting when I was about sixteen to twenty-two, of getting God, religion, superstition, judgement all confused". However, in a 2008 interview he stated }}

Following the said interview, he released a text message declaring himself an "Alltheist", a word of his invention meaning that he believes in "everything".

Filmography

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
	align="left"
			align="left"

Films

Year	Title	Role	Notes
			align="left"

Solo discography

:''See Coldplay discography for his work with said group.''

Year	Song(s)	! Artist	! Album	! Role
rowspan="2"	2002	"Where Is My Boy?""Your Love Means Everything, Pt. 2"	Faultline	''Your Love Means Everything''	Featured vocals
"Gold in Them Hills"	Ron Sexsmith	''Cobblestone Runway''	Featured vocals
	"Sliding", "Arthur"		''Slideling''	Piano, backing vocals
"See It in a Boy's Eyes"	Jamelia		Co-writer, backing vocals
	"Everybody's Happy Nowadays"		''Orpheus''	Backing vocals
		''Out of Nothing''	Writer
"Do They Know It's Christmas?"			Featured vocals
	"All Good Things (Come to an End)"	Nelly Furtado		Co-writer, background vocals
"In the Sun (song)"	Michael Stipe	''-''	background vocals
"Beach Chair"	Jay-Z		Producer, featured vocals
	2007		Kanye West		Co-writer, featured vocals, piano
	2009	"Lukas", "Fun", "Want (song)	Want"	Natalie Imbruglia	''Come to Life''	Co-writer
	2009	"Dove of Peace"		''Brüno''	Featured vocals
	2010	"Most Kingz"	Jay-Z		Featured vocals
	2010	"Me and Tennessee"	Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw		Writer

References

External links

Coldplay.com

Category:1977 births Category:Alternative rock musicians Category:Alumni of University College London Category:British anti–Iraq War activists Category:British expatriates in the United States Category:Coldplay members Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English rock guitarists Category:English rock pianists Category:English rock singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English vegans Category:Old Shirburnians Category:People from Exeter Category:Living people

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Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
name	Gunga Jumna
director	Nitin Bose
producer	Dilip Kumar
starring	Dilip Kumar
music	Naushad
cinematography	V Babasaheb
released	1961
country	India
language	Hindi
followed by	}}

Gunga Jumna is a 1961 Bollywood film produced by Dilip Kumar and directed by Nitin Bose. The film stars real life brothers Dilip Kumar and Nasir Khan as two brothers on opposing sides of the law. The music of this film is by Naushad and the lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni. The film also stars Vyjayantimala and Helen.

Plot Summary

Widowed Govindi lives a poor lifestyle in Haripur along with two sons, Gungaram and Jumna. While Jumna is studious, Gungaram is the opposite, but has a good heart and decides to use his earnings to ensure his brother gets a decent education. After her employer, Hariram, accuses Govindi of theft, their house is searched, evidence is found, she is arrested, the entire village bails her out, but the shock kills her. After her passing, Gungaram works for Hariram while Jumna goes to the city to study. During the course of his studies, he is forced to sell off all his belongings when Gungaram fails to provide him with any funds. He does continue to study, and after completing them becomes a police officer. He is then given his first assignment, which is none other than in Haripur itself, and it is here that he will be forced to confront Gungaram, who is now an ex-convict, jailed for theft, and now is the leader of a dreaded band of killer bandits. Watch what impact Jumna's presence will have on Haripur and especially on Gungaram.

Cast

Dilip Kumar

Nasir Khan

Vyjayantimala

Helen

Success

Gunga Jumna remains as a blockbuster movie in Indian Cinema. It was one of the biggest hits in Bollywood and with a great cast was the highest grossing film of the year

Awards

The movie bagged three Filmfare Awards:

Filmfare Best Actress Award for Vyjayantimala

Filmfare Best Dialogue Award for Wajahat Mirza

Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award for V Balasaheb .

Soundtrack

name	Gunga Jumna
type	soundtrack
artist	Naushad
released	1960
genre	Feature film soundtrack
label	Sa Re Ga Ma
music director	Naushad
last album	''Mughal-e-Azam''(1960)
this album	''Gunga Jumna''(1961)
next album	''Son of India''(1962) }}

The soundtrack for the movie was composed by Naushad and lyrics penned by Shakeel Badayuni. The soundtrack consists of 9 songs, featuring vocals by Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle and Hemant Kumar.

Song ''Dagabaaz Tori Batiyan'' ''Dhoondo Dhoondo Re Sajna'' ''Do Hanson Ka Joda'' ''Jhanan Ghoongar Baje'' ''Naina Lad Jaihen'' ''O Chhalia Re Chhalia'' ''Tora Man Bada Papi'' ''Insaaf Ki Dagar Pe'' ''Naina Lad Jaihen (Revival)''

Track #	|	Singer(s)	Length
1	|	Lata Mangeshkar	2:47
2	|	Lata Mangeshkar	3:19
3	|	Lata Mangeshkar	3:14
4	|	Lata Mangeshkar	3:32
5	|	Mohammed Rafi	4:44
6	|	Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar	3:30
7	|	Asha Bhonsle	4:41
8	|	Hemant Kumar	3:20
9	|	Mohammed Rafi	4:46

References

External links

Gunga Jumna at imdb

Category:1961 films Category:Hindi-language films Category:Indian films Category:Films directed by Nitin Bose Category:Fictional Indian people

de:Gunga Jumna – Der Kampf der Brüder

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Name	Jad Shwery
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jad Choueiri
Born	March 13, 1981
Origin	Lebanon
Occupation	Singer, Director
Years active	2004–present
Website	Official Website Official Fan Club }}

Jad Hani Choueiry (born 13 March 1981), also known as Jad Shwery (, ), is a Lebanese pop singer, songwriter and music video director. He has quickly established himself as controversial songwriter/composer who also sings in — and directs — his own music videos. He is the first child of Hani Shwery and Tania Esber. He has a brother and a sister: Ralph and Ingrid.

Musical career

At a very young age Jad showed very clear interest in show business and entertainment. Before he could speak properly, he used to sing Madonna and Michael Jackson songs all day long. During his teenage years, he formed his first group at his school L'Athenee de Beyrouth and performed several times during special occasions and parties.

After obtaining his French baccalaureat, Jad was accepted in L'Ecole de realisation audiovisuelle, ALBA, in Beirut, and had the highest grades in his class when he moved to the prestigious Paris college La Sorbonne Paris III. He continued his "Etudes de cinema" and "Arts du spectacle" courses during three years. In 2002 while he was still in Paris but on a summer vacation in Lebanon, Jad participated in The Studio el-Fan contest and won the first prize in the directing category for the music video he directed of "Ya Mustafa" by Reeda Butros... It was Jad's first time behind the camera and quite an achievement given the fact that his studies had more to do with the history and theory of cinema rather than proper directing.

But Jad's real dream was to sing... And as he always says "(his) dreams are goals". Jad started working on his first song "A'ollak Eh" although his parents were firmly against it. In 2004, he shot the video and released the song, after gathering some money out of his work as an event organizer bringing DJs from Europe to Beirut. He also borrowed some money from friends and relatives in order to have a good exposure on the radios and the media.

The song was a strong club hit that flew to the top of many charts around the Arab world. Jad's success caused some controversy because of the new style it introduced but many doors were now opened for him as he was asked to direct some videos as well as produce and write some other artists' records. But most importantly Jad got offered a record deal by Melody music and became managed by Melody artist management with his own original manager Habib Rahal. His follow up record "Oully Ezay" proved to be an even bigger hit and Jad started performing all over the Arab world.

His first album El Mouftah came next gathering all the previous hits along with "Banadeelak" that took the Arabic charts by storm.

His biggest hit was yet to come. "Warrini" became one of the biggest hits of 2006 in many countries in the middle east. Whether it was his tattoos or his upside-down-worn jeans many teenagers followed Jad's fashion.

He has introduced many things to the Arabic pop industry as he was the first male artist to dance during his performances or to kiss a girl in an Arabic video clip. He has also put Arabic rapping into the mainstream.

In April 2009, Jad released his single "Funky Arabs" to be the first single of his English album. The controversy regarding the video has been running ever since, especially on Youtube, but it did not stop the video from being broadcasted on BNN in Holland, as well as being selected in the Arab film festival in Parramatta Australia. In summer of 2009, "Stop Popping Pills" featuring the AB Brothers.

Later on, he released "Wala Awel" as the first song from Jad's Arabic album. The song is written by Ahmad Madi, composed by Yehia El-Hassan, arranged by Roger/Charly Abboud and Wissam Ghazzawi. It was shot in Paris, London, New York and Disneyland with the help of Jad's brother and sister Ralph and Ingrid Shwery. They traveled to all these cities to shoot the honeymoon that is the subject of the video.

In summer of 2010, Jad released "Ghaly". It is an Egyptian dance song written by Ahmad Madi composed by Jad himself and arranged by Roger Abi Akl and Harry Techinian with a folkloric Greek solo. The video was shot on 16 mm with DOP Toufic Tabbal, art director Deimes Kabbalan and stylist Ahmad El Fazairy under the supervision of Production etecetera (ETC). Jad directed the clip and Melody Music produced it. The shooting caused some traffic jam even though they were escorted by the darak.

In 15th and 16 July, Jad had two concerts in Casablanca - Morocco. The first concert contained 30 000 people the second 70,000 people singing all the songs and doing the GHALY move. He made two big shows with four dancers and his band. The organizers were thrilled that someone Arabic would do such show on stage and not only sing alone. The first concert was on BEN M SICK stage and the second SIDI BERNOUSSI both in Casablanca during the Dar El-Bayda' Festival which contained international stars like Missy Elliot and Sean Paul and from Lebanon Haifa Wehbe and Jad Shwery.

Jad confirmed via his official Twitter that his new Arabic album will be released soon along with a new single titled "Eisha Keda".

Direction and Production Career

Whether it's a music video or a record, when Jad Shwery is behind it, it is sure to grab some attention. The first video that turned Jad into a star director, capable of transforming any product into a phenomenon, was undoubtedly "Elaab" by Maria. Many new artists have asked Jad to direct their videos or produce their records since. But Jad remained in a certain style of entertaining, sometime controversial type of videos until he completely changed that image with Joanna Mallah's "Hatefdal fi Albi". "Wala fi el ahlam" by Iwan "bahibak awi" by Nicole Saba and "Bartah Maak" by Amr Mostafa followed and established Jad as a romantic music video director as well. But Jad always says that what he enjoys the most is working on his own music and videos; that is why, in 2008, he stayed away from working with other artists while recording his new albums.

Jad's reputation as a "starmaker" was so big that in 2008, production house Endemol asked him to be one of the jury producers in a talent show contest on Abu Dhabi TV.

In 2010 Jad's directing career took a turning point. After working with artists like Micheline khalife, Dina Hayek and Fella, he was chosen to direct the first solo video of the legendary icon Wadih el Safi. The music video gained both critics and viewers respect.

He is currently working on megastar Nawal el zoghbi s comeback video that should follow the release of her album.

Personal life

Although many rumors were spread about Jad's private life, he remains quite silent about it. In 2006 he stated in a joke that his sex life is much better than his emotional life.

Discography

2005: El Moftah

2011: ''TBA''

Video Clips

! Video Song	! Director	! Year
Aollak Eh? (Tell You What?)	Jad Shwery	2004
El Mazzika (Music) (Animated Video)	Jad Shwery	2004
Oully Ezzay (Tell Me How)	Jad Shwery	2004
Banadilak (I'm Calling You)	Jad Shwery	2005
Meen Allek? (Who told you?)		2005
Warrini (Show me) (featuring Malak Naser)	Jad Shwery & Malak Naser	2006
Masria (Egyptian Girl)	Jad Shwery	2007
Funky Arabs (First English Song)	Jad Shwery & Yahya Saade	2009
Stop Popping Pills	Jad Shwery	2009
Wala Awel	Jad Shwery	2009
Ghaly (Dear)	Jad Shwery	2010

References

External links

Jad Shwery Official website

Jad Shwery Official Fan Club

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Arab music video directors Category:Arabic-language singers Category:Lebanese male singers Category:University of Paris alumni

ar:جاد شويري