By Sanskriti Pandey:
Ever since it first chimed into our lives as the call for conversation, the instantly recognisable Nokia ringtone has travelled generations all the way to today! Face it – you could recognise it in your sleep if you had to. It’s origin isn’t something one wonders about either; it has been what it has always been. The Nokia tune.
But here’s something you couldn’t have guessed: this iconic 4-second tune, which took on many transformative styles through the years, originates back to the year 1902! The ringtone is a ‘phrase’ off ‘Gran Vals’, a guitar composition by classical Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tàrrega, which Nokia later used as ‘Grande Valse’. You can find the ringtone bits at 0:12 and 2:29 in this 3 minute piece. Read more about it here, and give this beautiful composition a listen!
