The little something

 Warning: Looong Thank you note !

So how could I commit the cardinal sin of invading your DM space, uninvited and unannounced, of boldly going where no man has gone before, whereas basic common sense suggests it is un-gentlemanly and discourteous and not to mention, expressly prohibited in your smule Bio ? Going by the rules, only sending Invites is allowed, but that would mean I have to write up this whole passage into a song, play and record the background score, upload it as a track, then sing the lyrics and finally send to you as a private invite hoping it would be heard. Quite a tall order by any standards if not impossible, not to mention the fact that his has to be read rather than listened to.. which leads me inexorably down this path ! I can already hear the sirens of the cops chasing me for this grave violation.. but trust me there is a message.. or I should say messages that I have to convey to you and I found simply no other avenue. I am pushed to the limits (literally) with the comments section which would have chopped this up into 35 pieces and strewn all over, but here I have to say something which is not tied to a song specifically. 

I want to say simply - Thank you !

Thank you for the inspiration, encouragement, engagement and feedback which you have delivered to me and I daresay, most of the singers who have sung with you. I have noticed how you seem to listen to every new Joins, whether from your old or new invites, and always drop a comment/like - and not a standard copy/pasted response but you take the trouble to write few words specific to the singer, which most often exudes positivity and prodding the singer to sing more. You somehow know the right thing to say, without any chance of unintentionally offending anyone. I know this takes time, energy and patience. That doesn't go unnoticed and I want to thank you for that 😊 Thank you for being on Smule !

I consider myself lucky that I happened to choose your Join request for 'Tujse Naraz' from amongst the tons of others, and for mustering up the courage to drop a comment calling out your handle then, as it seemed you had missed to listen to it. As I wrote earlier, I don't sing based on Invites but I make up my mind to sing a favorite song then search among existing invites. Trying to find a singer who has a nice voice, sings well, respects the tune/style of the original singer and doesn't try large variations, does not harm the other singer with those harmful "harms" (interesting smule jargon there), does not blabber during the song with Intros, commentary, whistling or such unwanted stuff, and listens/comments on the good joins. You nicely ticked all the boxes :) Thence when I zeroed in on a Hindi song to sing, I would directly search the song title along with your handle. Ah the feeling of elation when I found a hit, and the disappointment when there was none .. and the feeling of 😭 for those few matches where the Join was already closed!

I had tried Tujse Naraz as a one off attempt to sing Hindi, but looking how genuine your feedback seemed, pushed myself to try more songs, and I can say I have begun to discover my voice 😉. All these years I enjoyed songs mainly for the music and tunes, but singing it takes on a whole new meaning. You know how with some songs, the meaning of the lyric hits you like a wall and invokes an emotion so overpowering that you sing like a person possessed ! It happened to me to an extent singing 'Pal pal Dile ke paas' duet with you (and in english numbers like Annies Song, Jesus to a Child). Every hindi song (or for that matter any song at all) which I have sung and which you liked, is a victory for you, for it may not have been possible without your encouragement 😀

You very rightly said, one day these songs will become our memories. And of our children, and grandchildren. Lets sing our hearts out !

Oh and then there's your singing itself. Mama mia, what a voice, and it keeps soaring so next time I should get a bird catching net so I can keep it closer to my range. Jokes apart, yes you have a beautiful voice and singing style. I know I sound like a broken record, repeating it thus many times, but it has to be said. Again. And again. And that faint quiver in your voice when you sing some lines - at first I found it intriguing, but it has grown on me and it sounds comforting now. Like, when I am about to sing a new join from you, that quiver has a calming effect as it reminds me its you I am singing with, like a friendly and guardian angel ...😇 Same with your videos - although I don't see it when singing, but it comes out really well with that cosy corner in your home, nice background, your prompting expressions when its the other singer's turn, and to top it all ... errm.. your charming countenance 😊

And another final thanks. I have taken for granted that you would take out the time to, or even want to, read my long ramblings and yet here I am, chattering away with _ChatterXXYY or perhaps I can say now SxxxxxtaJi :) Thank you for reading this far, and you have no obligation to reply or respond, busy as you may be with things of everyday life. Nor do you have to maintain any communication channel outside of smule. Recall how you suggested to me in one of your comments, I should use my prose writing for my songs ? I think I just used it for something better 😊

So there. I am glad I got that off my chest. Now I submit myself to the laws of the land and I don't care if I am arrested or thrown to the gallows for breaking the rules of trespassing somebody else's DM space !

Your newfound smule friend 'Glasnost77' (who also has a name, goes by Shailendra !)