बनी रहती हैं लय की जड़ें

सुबह आपको पॉल साइमन के अल्बम ग्रेसलैण्ड से शीर्षक गीत सुनवाया था. अब उसी अल्बम से मेरा एक और प्रिय गीत अन्डर अफ़्रीकन स्काई-



Joseph's face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the southern hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under african skies
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

In early memory
Mission music
Was ringing 'round my nursery door
I said take this child, lord
From tucson arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she won't bother you no more

This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain

Joseph's face was black as night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the southern hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under african skies

ग्रेसलैण्ड

बेहद मीठी आवाज़ के धनी अमेरिकी मूल के गायक पॉल साइमन ने अपने कैरियर की शुरूआत १९६० के दशक के मध्य अपने साथी आर्ट गार्फ़न्कल के साथ की थी और साइमन एन्ड गार्फ़न्कल नाम से अपने अल्बम निकाले. अधिकांश गीत ख़ुद पॉल लिखा करते थे. दोनों ने मिलकर कई सुपरहिट गीत रचे. मिसेज़ रॉबिन्सन और ब्रिज ओवर ट्रबल्ड वाटर्स जैसे गीत अमेरिकी लोकप्रिय गीतों के चार्ट में पहले नम्बर तक पहुंचे. १९७० में जब यह जोड़ी अपनी लोकप्रियता के शिखर पर थी, दोनों ने अपने रास्ते अलग अलग कर लिए. इसके बाद पॉल का सोलो कैरियर अत्यधिक लोकप्रियता और सफलता से भरपूर रहा है.

१९८६ में निकाला गया उनका अल्बम ग्रेसलैण्ड दक्षिण अफ़्रीका के रंगभेद विरोधी आन्दोलन के समर्थन में तैयार किया गया था. अपनी थीम और संगीत-प्रयोगों के कारण यह अल्बम बहुत चला. साइमन ने कुल १३ ग्रैमी अवार्ड्स जीते हैं जिनमें एक लाइफ़टाइम अचीवमेन्ट अवार्ड शामिल है. २००६ में टाइम मैगज़ीन ने पॉल साइमन को उन सौ लोगों की सूची में जगह दी जिन्होंने दुनिया को ढालने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिकाएं निभाई थीं.



आज सुनिये उनकी आवाज़ में ग्रेसलैण्ड अल्बम से इसी शीर्षक वाला उनका गीत:



The Mississippi Delta was shining
Like a National guitar
I am following the river
Down the highway
Through the cradle of the civil war

I'm going to Graceland
Graceland
In Memphis Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland
Poorboys and Pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland
My traveling companion is nine years old
He is the child of my first marriage
But I've reason to believe
We both will be received
In Graceland

She comes back to tell me she's gone
As if I didn't know that
As if I didn't know my own bed
As if I'd never noticed
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead
And she said losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blow

I'm going to Graceland
Memphis Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland
Poorboys and Pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland

And my traveling companions
Are ghosts and empty sockets
I'm looking at ghosts and empties
But I've reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland

There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
And sometimes when I'm falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
Oh, so this is what she means
She means we're bouncing into Graceland
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blow

In Graceland, in Graceland
I'm going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
There's some part of me wants to see
Graceland
And I may be obliged to defend
Every love, every ending
Or maybe there's no obligations now
Maybe I've a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland