Asha ji was a favourite in our house. Amma loved her because she making her name famous. She always said that she a lot more versatile than her sister, Lata.
Her death ignited a curiosity to explore what her last recorded song was. It was a collab song with a British band called the Gorillaz. I had heard about them in Australian news media. She had her way of working on collabs with many artists. The most famous ones I remember are Brett Lee, and of course I've heard sing with Adnan Sami. But this was a different type of song. The lyrics were powerful. It somehow held my attention for a few days!
In her own words, she had posted this on Instagram.
"The song ‘The Shadowy Light’ holds deep meaning for me. Visiting Varanasi and travelling along the most sacred river Ganges, observing closely what I saw, I understood the meaning of life, who I was and what I was supposed to do on earth.
On ‘The Shadowy Light’, my crossing this deep river signifies my life’s journey… my birth, my relationships, my dedication to music, my achievements and my duties as a daughter, mother, sister, wife and a Hindu Indian. The boatman is my music, my guide across this river of life and when I get to the other side, my journey shall be complete. I shall attain moksha (ultimate freedom) wherein I shall become one of the thousands of sounds floating all around us. If you put some of them together, they form a beautiful tune. Therefore, I shall become one of those sounds, which shall eventually become a musical note in a beautiful song which shall be heard by several generations for thousands of years. This freedom to become one with nature is what awaits me on the other side of the river.” - Asha Bhosle"
This was like - she sang her own farewell song. How beautiful! Especially the part about her disintegrating into sounds. Brought back so many memories and thoughts about the passing away of Amma too. She was also Asha. Her death was mourned. She had lived a beautiful life, with a beautiful mind. One of giving - always caring.
Tributes have been flowing from all parts of the world. Every major news outlet had coverage on her passing away, including so many from Pakistan and all over the world.
I was worried about opening any comments section on social media. That's a different topic altogether.
For now, I feel like the continuity of generations of music lovers has been broken. Her songs, voice and versatility will live into hundreds and thousands of years. She was a legend.
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