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Indi-Pop

 
1
Pehle to kabhi kabhi [Non-film Album: Dil ke tukde hazar hue] <TC>
Composer: Altaf Raja and Vishnu Deva, Sung by: Altaf Raja
Ripped in total from Pakistani singer Rahim Shah's song 'Ghum'.
Listen to Pehle to kabhi (Altaf) | Ghum (Rahim Shah)
The surprise is that even Rahim Shah's version isn't original! It is supposed to be an old Afghani song called 'Tappa' which was later sung by the famous Pushto singer, Haroon Bacha. Rahim's was just an updated pop version! Its unlikely that Altaf and Vishnu have got hold of the older version and improvised on it. But the fact remains that Altaf and Vishnu Deva have shamelessly plagiarized on somebody else's composition with no credits to the original whatsoever.
2
Mohabbat Karle Re [Non-film Album: Mohabbat Karle] <TC>
Composer: Shiamak Davar, Sung by: Shiamak Davar
Copied from African singer Angelique Kidjo's song, 'Adouma'.
Listen to Mohabbat karle re | Adouma
Adouma was part Angelique 1994 album, 'Aye'. Santana has also recently done a cover version of this song in the album, 'Shaman', with due credit to Angelique, of course!
3
Pukaro [Non-film Album: Superuna (1983)] <TC>
Composer: Bappi Lahiri, Sung by: Runa Laila
Lifted from the Tanzanian song 'Malaika', made popular by Miriam Makeba.
Listen to Pukaro | Malaika
Looks like Bappi Lahiri has lifted the Miriam Makeba number 'Malaika' much before Nadeem Shravan did in their song 'Gawah Hain' in Damini. Trivia Note: 'Malaika' is a Tanzanian song and the Kenyan singing legend Fadhili William's 1963 version of the song is supposed to be the definitive version, even though Fadhili's claims of ownership of this song is still under dispute, long after his death! Miriam Makeba is credited with spreading this song beyond Africa!
4
Vote for ghaghra (Dilli shahar mein) [Non-film Album: Vote For Ghaghra (1995)] <TC>
Composer: Ila Arun
Lifted from Dr Alban's 1993 track, 'Om we rembwe ike' from the album 'One Love'.
Listen to Vote for ghaghra | Om we rembwe ike
5
Na Jaane [Non-film Album: Na Jaane (1997)] <TC>
Composer: Harry Anand, Vipin Anand, Nitin Bali
Lifted from the 1967 French track, Je T'aime' by the French composer Serge Gainsbourg.
Listen to Na Jaane | Je T'aime (Serge and Jane Birkin)
Trivia:
>>
Question by
Times of India journalist to Nitin Bali on the eve of his new album Baliwood's release: "Your first album Na Jaane had all original tunes, so why did you decide to go in for a remix album?
>>
Excerpt from Indya.com's profile of Nitin Bali: "Confident of his voice and latent talent, Nitin recorded a demo of the song Na jaane, written by him in conjunction with a friend, Manu Chopra. His father heard the song and ..... two hours later, died"

More on Je T'aime: Je t'aime was originally recorded by Serge Gainsbourg, along with Brigitte Bardot (when they were quite an item) in 1967. But this version was not released, at Bardot's request. Not to be disheartened Serge re-recorded the track with his British girlfriend Jane Birkin. This track made its first appearance on the pairs' self-titled 1969 LP, recorded in London, with Roger Coulam providing the sleazy, cheesy organ that accompanies the fluid bass and urgent drums! The song gained notoriety when Radio 1 banned it for heavy breathing and saucy lyrics. It has since appeared everywhere from hardcore pornography to dodgy discos and advertisements.
6
Yalla Yalla [Non-film Album: Story of UMI (2004)] <TC>
Composer: Harry Anand
Note-to-note lift from a Middle Eastern track, 'Yalla ya shabab' by Ragheb Alama (Album: 'Saharouny Leil', 2001).
Listen to Yalla Yalla | Yalla Ya Shabab
Also refer to other lifts of the same original - Anand Raaj Anand page: No. 9 and Jatin Lalit Page: No. 19. This is bloody shameless! In fact, in an interview with Screen magazine, Harry is asked, "Your new release The Story Of UMI is a remix album which claims to have one original song ‘Yalla yalla...’ Why the need for an original song in a remix album?", for which he says, "We felt it would be a good idea to put in an original song in a compilation of remixes". Thankfully, the next question is, "But ‘Yalla yalla...’ doesn’t seem original. Also, one has heard a similar song ‘Aanewala pal...’ in Plan, which has music by your big brother Anand Raaj Anand". Harry's response goes, "I agree. It’s inspired from an international hit. But I have only picked the first line of the original song, the rest is all mine....As for the similar song in Plan, it’s possible that a song can make an impact on many. And you know how it is in films, where producers insist that a music director use a particular song. As a result, you have one inspired number in umpteen films"! Oh puhleeze!
7
Jab koi pyar se [Non-film Album: Sayesha (1994)] <TC>
Composer & Singer: Nadeem Saifi
Lifted off Mehdi Hasan's very popular track of the same name, same lyrics!
Listen to Jab koi (Nadeem) | Jab koi (Mehdi Hasan)
Nadeem Shravan were in their peak during the 90s and its in one of these binges that Nadeem Saifi decided to showcase his vocal chords to the country, in a private album titled, 'Sayesha' (1994). I still remember the tacky video with Nadeem walking alongside some private jets and singing uncomfortably. Now, I do buy the argument that this duo lifted 'cos producers demanded the lifts (to some extent!), but wonder which force demanded that Nadeem lift Mehdi Hasan's very popular track, 'Jab koi pyar se bulayega' for the lead track in this private album! I'm sure there's no 'prodoocer' here to force Nadeem to lift the Pakistani track, since this is a private album - which usually is supposed to be a form of self-expression (much like the other funny private album by Anu Malik, 'Eyes', what with its its raining, its paining rhymes!). Sad. And thoroughly annoying, since there's minimal effort on Nadeem's part to add on to the original (mild pitch tweak) and even the lyrics are largely similar!
8
Mahi mahi mahiya [Non-film Album: Junoon (2007)] <TC>
Singer: Abhijeet Sawant, Composer: Jatin Sharma
Straight lift off Egyptian boy band Wama's 'Ya ghali aliya' (2005)
Listen to Mahi mahi mahiya | Ya Ghali Aliya
Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant latest album, Junoon' has songs composed by multiple composers (Amit Trivedi, Mithoon, Biddu, Raju Singh and Jatin Sharma) and Sony BMG has done a great job packaging the assortment. The problem is with 'Mahi mahi mahiya', an obviously middle-eastern sounding track, composed by Jatin Sharma, a man known predominantly for his remixes and as his website so eloquently portrays, for his humble origins. This track is an outright lift of Egyptian boy band Wama's super hit track, 'Ya Ghali Aliya', that was part of a similarly titled album in 2005. Just wondering...if Wama decide to take a legal recourse (whatever its worth, that is!) who should they be suing? Sony BMG? Abhijeet Sawant? Jatin Sharma? I'm curious. Considering how fantastic their album is, they should simply release it in India and simply 'make' doodh ka doodh and paani ka paani :-)
9
Tanha [Non-film Album: Junoon (2007)] <TC>
Singer: Abhijeet Sawant, Composer: Biddu
Ripped off Lebanese singer Ragheb Alameh's 2005 track, 'Nassini el donia'.
Listen to Tanha | Nassini el donia
Here comes the second lift in the same album. The song: Tanha. Composer: Biddu Appaiah! Yes, the same Biddu behind Alisha's Made in India. And, Nazia Hassan and Qurbani. And much before that - Carl Douglas' international chartbuster 'Kung fu fighting'! Jeez..how the mighty have fallen! The song Tanha is a shockingly shameless and direct lift from Lebanese singer Ragheb Alameh's 2005 song, 'Nassini el donia' from the album, 'El Hob El Kebir'. While the lift includes some mild tweaks in the main structure by Biddu - everything from the prelude, the opening and the key hook is incredibly similar. Biddu...why man? In the earlier post, I had ideally blamed the composer (Jatin Sharma) more than the singer. But considering this 2nd lift, I think the blame should rest equally on young Abhijeet's shoulders. Why? Just like we attribute 'Ya ghali aliya' to Wama Band and 'Nassini el donia' to Ragheb Alameh, beyond this site, I don't think anyone would link either Jatin Sharma or Biddu with these tracks. They will obviously be Abhijeet Sawant's tracks! Abhijeet could well be just an 'artist' in Sony BMG's repertoire and perhaps may just be arriving at the studio to record the songs that folks in Sony have 'arranged' for him. But given the fact that the album is being sold on his name, he is equally responsible too!
Trivia: Ragheb Alameh? Biddu who?
10
Na jaanay kahan [Non-film Album: Charkha (2008)] <TC>
Singer: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Composer: Rohail Hyatt and Faisal Rafi
Uncredited remix Alanis Morissette's unreleased single, 'Uninvited' (1998) that was part of the 'City of Angels' OST.
Listen to Na janay kahan | Uninvited
Wonder who's idea this is!
11
Intezar [Non-film Album: Devika (2007)] <TC>
Singer: Devika, Composer: Shehzad Hasan
Lifted from Richard Marx's Hazard.
Listen to Intezar | Hazard
When I reviewed Devika's self-titled debut album back in July 2007, I had noted that the tune sounds terribly familiar and that I was not able to put my finger on a so-called original. Well, the source was rather obvious - a really popular song...Richard Marx's Hazard (from the album, Rush Street, 1991). Shehzad doesn't make any attempt at hiding the source - the first 2 lines play as-is and then there is a change.
12
Oi! Triesto [Album: Oi! Triesto - Sukhbir (2000)] <TC>
Singer: Sukhbir, Composer: Sukhbir
Lifted from Columbian singer Rodolfo Aicardi's La Colegiala. 
Listen to Oi! Triesto | La Colegiala
Sukhbir's 2000 album Oi! Triesto's title song shared a lot of musical similarities with Karthik Raja's chartbuster Tamil song, 'Cholare' from the 1997 film, 'Ullasam'. The tunes were different, but some of the prominent musical pieces were similar, often racier in the Tamil version. I always had this nagging doubt that both tracks were influenced by another mother-song; this was also partly because of Sukhbir's plagiaristic ways, particularly glaring in the Oi! Triesto album where he helps himself with many other popular Spanish/ Latino originals, possibly without credit (this needs to be verified however - given his Dubai roots, he just might have added the requisite credits). The original of the similar music pieces in both these tracks is from Columbia - the song, 'La Colegiala' ('The Schoolgirl') by celebrated Columbian singer Rodolfo Aicardi. La Colegiala was a phenomenal success when Rodolfo released it as part of his band's (called 'Rodolfo Y Su Típica RA7') early 80s collection. Its an interesting lift - while the Tamil song's core tune is different, the main, catchy prelude and a chorus that goes 'Megha Megha' (the name of the leading lady in the film) is inspired by the Columbian original. As for Sukhbir's version, its largely the same, with a mild tweak on the pace.
Listen to Ullasam's Cholare


Hindi

Anu Malik
Anand Milind
Anand Raaj Anand
Bappi Lahiri
Jatin Lalit
Kalyanji Anandji
Laxmikant Pyarelal
Nadeem Shravan
OP Nayyar
Pritam Chakravarty
Rajesh Roshan
RD Burman
Salil Chaudhry
SD Burman
Sandeep Chowta
Sanjeev Darshan
Shankar Jaikishen
Hindi - others


Tamil
A R Rahman
Deva
Ilayaraja
Karthikraja
Yuvan S. Raja
Tamil - others


Assorted
Coincidences
Indipop
Advt. jingle lifts
Telugu
Trivia
 

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