Category Archives: Production & Archiving

North, 1921-1947, Production & Archiving

Ustd. Vishmadev Chatterjee’s Megaphone Activities and First Record of Ustd. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

Told by Sri Jayanta Chattopadhyay
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 23rd March, 2017
Place S.A.P. Lab, Instrumental Department, Rabindra Bharati University, B.T. Road Campus.
About the speaker Renowned Vocalist and Musicologist, Son of Legendary Musician Ustad Vishmadev Chattopadhyay, Bhismadev,
Tags 1933, Vishmadev Chattopadhyay,Bhismadev,  Megaphone, Kaji Najrul Islam, Durgadas Bandopadhyay, Lp, Begum Akhtar, Kanan Devi, Fullanolini Dasi, Kalo bala Dasi, Bhabani Das, Natthu Khan, Badal Khan, Suha, Bhairo Bahar, Allauddin Khan, Violin Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Sarengi, Kamal Ghosh, Akhtari Bai, Voice Throwing, Mother Disc, J.N.Ghosh, Punjab, Microphone, Recording, Processor, Multani, Pilu, Thumri, Balaram Dey Street
Language Bengali

Sri Jayanta Chattopadhyay speaks :

Verbatim:

       Durgadas Bandopadhyay

???? ?? ???????? ???????????? ???? ???? ????, ??? ?? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???????-? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ????????? ??? ????????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ????????? ???? ????? ????? ???????-? ?? ?????? ????????? ??? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ???????? ????? ????????? ???????????????? ?? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???, ??????? ???? ???? ??? ??, ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?????, ????? ??????? ????????? ??????? ????????? ??????????????? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ???????? ????????????? ? ?????? ???? ??? ?????? ??…?? ????????, ??????????? ?????????? ?? ??????????? ??.?? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ?????? ??????, ???????, ??????????? ???????? ?? ??……?? ???????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ????? ??????????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ???????? ???, ???? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??????, ???? ?? ??? ???? ??????? ???, ???? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????, ???? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ?????……???????????? ????, ???????? ???? ??? ??, ??? ??? ??????, ????, ????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ????????? ????? ??? ?? ???????, ???? ?? ????????? ???? ?????????? ?? ????? ?????? ?? ?????????? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ??????? ??? ??????, ???? ????? ??? ??????? ????…????? ?????? ???? ??????? ??? ??????, ????? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?? ?? ????, ?? ???? ?????? ??????????? ????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ????????

???? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ??? ????…?? ???? ?????, ???? ???, ??????-?????, ???? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ???????????? ??????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??????? ???????????????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ????????? ??? ???????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ???? ???????, ?????? ????? ????? ??, ???, ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????, ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ???, ??? ???????? ?????? ??????, ?????????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ?????????? ??????? –? ?? ??????, ??? ???????? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ??????????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????? ???, ???? ????? ??? ??? ???????, ?? ????? ???? ????????, ?????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ??, ?????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????? ?? ?????????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ???????? ?? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ???, ????????? ???? ??? ????, ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ??.??.??? ?? ?????????? ??????????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????, ???? ????? ???? ?????, ??? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ?????? ???????-?? ????? ???????? ????? ???????? ?? ??????? ????? ????? ??- ‘?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ???????, ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ??’? ???? ?????? ??, ?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ??, ??? ?? ??????’? ?? ???? ????? ??-‘??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????’?

?? ???? ????? ??? ??? ????? ???? ????? ??????, ??? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ???? ?????- ‘? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???????? ??? ??’? ??.??.??? ??? ??? ??-?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ‘??? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ???????????’? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??????????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ???? ???????? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ??????????????? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???, ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ???????? ????? ?????, ??? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????? ??? ????? ?? ??????? ??????-‘?? ????? ?????, ???? ???? ?? ???? ?????-‘???? ?????? ????’? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ????? ????????

????? ????? ????????

??, ????? ????? ??????? ???, ???? ?????? ????? ?? ????????? ??????? ?? ?????

???????? ?????

??? ?? ??????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????????-? ???????? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ????? ???? ????? ????? ??????????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

In 1933, VishmadevChattopadhyay, that is, my father, he already knew Kazi Nazrul Islam, and he took him to Megaphone. They required a music director-cum-trainer. Nazrul Islam himself was a trainer there. They were bringing out records of songs he had set to tune. So father joined them as a music director-cum-trainer. During that time, Durgadas Bandopadhyay was in the Drama department. So, alongside setting tunes to songs, father had also set tunes for plays – these were called ‘pala’. Durgadas Bandopadhyay would direct these plays and also act in them, and my father would arrange the music. These records sold very well – Nal-Damayanti, Karnarjun. Karnarjun was later recorded as an LP as well. I have seen that. Then there were other plays like Phullara and Mantrashakti. There are so many others as well…my father has arranged the music for Assamese songs…I have seen this in their catalogue. He composed tunes for orchestra music as well.

Then, Begum Akhtar came, and she used to learn from him. Begum Akhtar has sung his tunes – there are records. Kanan Devi recorded songs from there. Then there is Phullara Devi – Phullaranalini Dasi, she was called Kalobala Dasi. There are recordings of Bhabani Das. Bhabani Das was a rejected artist. He couldn’t throw his voice properly. My father took up the challenge of training him. He loved such challenges. They brought out a record of Bhabani Das’s songs arranged by my father. There is a single record of the tabla playing of Naththu Khan that Megaphone had brought out at my father’s initiative. He was the one who made Naththu Khan record it.

Badal Khan Sahib has just the one recording…both sides have music – it has Suha and Bhayro-Bahar. That was also supervised by my father. Father also supervised a recording of Allaudin Khan playing the violin. There’s something that no a lot of people know about Bade Gulam Ali Khan. He hails from Punjab. It was Begum Akhtar who brought him here. He knew how to play the sarengi and the harmonium because he had a habit of sangat – accompanying the singer on some musical instrument. He has played the sarengiin many recordings of Begum Akhtar. These records came out from Megaphone. He was paid for this.  Kamal Ghosh, the owner of Megaphone, has informed me of this himself.

                      Begum Akhtar

Our Begum Akhtar wanted to bring out a recording of Bade Gulam Ali Khan sahib. She hadn’t then received the title of Begum. She was called Akhtari Bai. But the recording couldn’t get done because he couldn’t throw his voice properly in front of the microphone and the very expensive mother disc was getting damaged. This is in the ‘30s. Bade Gulam Ali Khan was not a big name back then and they were suffering losses, so J.N.Ghosh was not displaying much interest. On the other hand, Begum Akhtar knew that he was a great singer. In the end, she came to father. Father was working in his room at Megaphone’s Harrison Road office. She went there and said, “I brought Khan sahib from Punjab, now these people are saying that they can’t record his songs. They are saying that he cannot throw his voice, so there can be no recording.” Then father said, “Okay, I want to hear him sing.”

So Bade Gulam Ali Khan sahib came into father’s room and sang. After hearing him, father said, “He is a great singer. Why can’t the song be recorded?” So J.N.Ghosh explained that there was some difficulty with voice throwing. Father said that he would show Khan sahib how to throw his voice in front of this particular type of microphone. So he explained it to Khan sahib and they recorded the song again. This time it was better, but not to their complete satisfaction. Father asked them to take a print and make a mother. Then from that copy, you’ll get the actual voice. This is what the technologically-sound young man said. This is how Gulam Ali Khan’s first record came out. On one side was the MultaniKheyal ‘HoSahabJamaan” and on the other side was a PiluThumri – “More NayraLaage”. When the record came out, Bade Gulam Ali signed a copy and came to our house to present it to father as a token of his gratitude.

–  This was at the Sarkar Lane house?

– No. Father used to live at BalaramDey Street at that time.

–  When was this approximately?

– This was the ‘30s. Father joined Megaphone in 1933 and left everything and went to Pondicherry in 1940.

 

Translated by: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya

Picture Courtesy: Google

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1930s-Unique-Bollywood-Actor-DURGADAS-BANERJEE-Movie-Bagya-Chakra-Postcard-Bp-11/282965207584?hash=item41e20a6a20:g:qEIAAOSwGPxaBZJU

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiw

http://canacopegdl.com/keyword/old-gramophone.html

Edited & Designed: Dr.Suranjita Paul

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
North, 1921-1947, Production & Archiving

Bangal Bilaval and Nazrul Islam—A Megaphone Incident

Told by Tirthankar Benerjee
Obtained by Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay
Date 14th  February 2017
Place 3/1/1D Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092
About the speaker Tirthankar Banerjee is a well-known sitar player of Kolkata. He is a disciple of Sitar maestro Pt. Dipak Chowdhury.
Tags Kolkata, Ajay Sinha Roy, Guru, Meghaphone Records, Ustad, Recording, Studio, Kaji Najrul Islam, Raag, Bangal Bilawal, Bilaval, Bengali Song
Language Bengali

Tirthankar Benerjee speaks:

 

Verbatim:

                           Pt. Ajoy Sinha Roy

?? ?????? ????????? ??? ?????? ???? ????????, ???? ???? ???? ???????? ????, ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ???????-? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ???? ????????, ??? ???????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ????????? ????????? ??? ????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ??????? ???????-? ????? ?????, ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ??????????, ???? ?????? ‘????? ????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ??????’?

???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ‘?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ??? ???, ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ????? ???’? ??? ??? ???????, ??? ?? ???  ?????, ????? ?? ???? ???????? ??????, ??? ????? ???? ??????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ????

?? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ???? ????????, ???? ???? ????? ????, ??? ???? ???? ?????

Verbatim by:  Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

I had heard this incident from Pandit Ajay Sinha Roy, whom I used to call Ajay Kaka and he was also my second Guru. Ajay Sinha Roy had told me that once a musician from the western part of India had come to the recording studio of Megaphone Records to record a Raga. Among the people present in Megaphone Records during the recording, there was also Kaji Nazrul Islam; he used to work at the studio at that time. But he failed to recognize the Raga that the Western singer had performed. So he had said, “You couldn’t recognize this Raga? This is an Indian Raga after all… it is the Bangal Bilawal.

                  Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kaji Saheb couldn’t shrug off the fact that a Western singer had challenged him. So he had said, “No no. Who said that we couldn’t recognize the Raga? It is a very common one, and we all know it here. It is so popular that we even have Bengali songs on it.” Saying this, Kaji Nazrul had at that very moment composed a Bengali song based on the Raga, and sung it to the Western singer, to show that the Raga was known to him. This proved that we Indians are in no ways lacking behind Western singers.

This incident was narrated to me by my Guru Pandit Ajay Sinha Roy, whom I used to call Ajay Kaka.

Translation by: Ankana Das

Picture Courtesy: Google

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazi_Nazrul_Islam

http://www.itcsra.org/TreasurePast.aspx?TreasuresId=4

Kaji Najrul Islam Beganleft HMV for megaphone Company during 1932-33.  Therefore the time period has been tagged between 1921- 1947 in this anecdote –Editor

Reference:

“Islam, Kazi Nazrul – Banglapedia.” Accessed April 19, 2017. http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Islam,_Kazi_Nazrul.

 

Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul

 Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University

 

South, Production & Archiving, After 2000

Discovery of Some Concert Recording of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

Told by Dr. Amlan Dasgupta
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 20th Februray. 2017
Place Jadavpur University, Department of English
About the speaker Amlan Das Gupta is a Professor of English, Jadavpur University, He has built an archive of North Indian classical music at the School of Cultural Texts and Records at Jadavpur University. He has also offered a course on the history of North Indian Classical Music. Education – University of Oxford.
Tags Bangalore, Archive, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Concert Recording, Cassettes, 2007, 2008
Language English

Dr. Amlan Dasgupta Speaks :

 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
South, Production & Archiving, 1961-1974, After 2000

Radio Recordings of Ustad Mustaque Ali Khan recorded in thirty cassettes—A Gift that came all the way from Venezuela

Told by Professor Amlan Dasgupta
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 20th Februray. 2017
Place Jadavpur University, Department of English
About the speaker Amlan Das Gupta is a Professor of English, Jadavpur University, He has built an archive of North Indian classical music at the School of Cultural Texts and Records at Jadavpur University. He has also offered a course on the history of North Indian Classical Music. Education – University of Oxford.
Tags John Barlow,  Mustaque Ali Khan, Radio Recording, Cassettes, Venezuela, 1960’s
Language English

Professor  Amlan Dasgupta Speaks :

 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
South, 1921-1947, Production & Archiving, After 2000

Live Recordings of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan : an Unexpected Source

Told by Dr. Amlan Dasgupta
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 20th Februray. 2017
Place Jadavpur University, Department of English
About the speaker Amlan Das Gupta is a Professor of English, Jadavpur University, He has built an archive of North Indian classical music at the School of Cultural Texts and Records at Jadavpur University. He has also offered a course on the history of North Indian Classical Music. Education – University of Oxford.
Tags Abdul Karim Khan, Live Recording, Karachi, 1930’S, Seth Narayan, Bal Gandharva
Language English

Dr. Amlan Dasgupta Speaks :

Verbatim:

There is something which is for me, might be a great experience which I have had for the last five years, is listening to live recordings of Sahib, which was recorded by in the early 1930s by a Karachi or Lahore business man called Narayan on some equipment which I have not been able to indentify. He was recorded in ten mini clips. So what recorded in ten minutes at that time I have no idea. Books don’t say anything about it. History of technology is silent on this till date, what thing it is, because it was interwar period or and clearly what they were, for instances, transcription discs. But they weren’t here at India.

Ustad Abdul Karim Khan

It is possible that Seth Narayan got it from somewhere. He was a rich man, he used to fly aeroplanes. At that very early time, he was very fond of Bal Gandharva. He likes the recordings of Bal Gandharva. But he has three or four recordings of Abdul Karim Khan Sahab. This the only thing only time I have been able to hear.

 

Verbatim by: Dr.Suranjita Paul

Picture Courtesy: Google

http://camitava.0catch.com/maestros/abdulkarim.htm

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

 

 

 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
South, Production & Archiving, 1975-2000, After 2000

The Making of School Of Cultural Texts and Records at Jadavpur University

Told by Prof. Amlan Dasgupta
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 20th Februray. 2017
Place Jadavpur University, Department of English
About the speaker Amlan Das Gupta is a Professor of English, Jadavpur University, He has built an archive of North Indian classical music at the School of Cultural Texts and Records at Jadavpur University. He has also offered a course on the history of North Indian Classical Music. Education – University of Oxford.
Tags Archive, Singers, Collectors, 1980,s, Anjan Sen, Biman Sinha, Rantidev Moitro, Sarbari Roy Chowdhury, You Tube, 2004, Jadavpur University, 2003, Sukanta Chowdhury, School of Cultural Texts and Records, Instruments, Raaga, Gharana, Classical Music, Mallikarjun Mansoor, Anindyo Banerjee, John Barlow, British Library, UGC, Records, Wire Recordings, Spool Recorder, Cylinder Records, Private Collector
Language English

Prof.  Amlan Dasgupta Speaks :

File- 1

File – 2

Text version:

The idea of having music archive is something we have thought about, we thought about for a long time ever since we are listening to music, a lot of us, it was a kind of community activity.

Spool Recorder

Many of my friends were learning music, others were interested in music, so there was lot of lot of talk about music, and you there was these things, oh only if there was some place where we could listen to these things, and the more that we heard about great singers of the past that you thought that whether it will be possible ever to go and listen to these songs.  At that point of time it did not seem possible. It’s much later infact that we came to know about these great 78RPM record collectors but we had no access to them, as music, young,  extremely young music, very frankly we would not get much you know much of their time or they would not  really allow us listen to the music, unless we have some kind of connection.

Cylinder Recorder

So it’s somewhat later only I think after, in the early 80’s that there were these music collectors like Anjan Sen, Biman Sinha, later Rantideb Maitra who gave us access to their collection and we heard a lot, somewhat around this time I got acquainted with Sarbari Da, we also listen to music there, its then we started understanding there is a great den of music in private hands. So the idea of having an archive where people could just come and listen to music as people  reads book in the library, something that we, Now to tell the truth  I wouldn’t do it anymore because  today you can listen to most of these on YouTube. Only thing I can say  that distinguishes The   archive  from a collection like You Tube which is ultimately probably even larger totally even than the archive and much more   but much less organized is that a, The archive is organized on a  different principle, even the largest collection is not organized in the same principle. The principle of the  archive is that the archive  pays attention both to connect and the metadata. That is what makes it valuable, makes easier  recourse for research. So there are other things too without the archive.

Verbatim by:  Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&biw=1366&bih=631&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=kyMNW6b0DNCw9QPn5qW4DA&q=cylinder+recorder&oq=cylinder+recorder&gs_l=img.3..0j0i5i30k1l2.13826.16049.0.16466.5.5.0.0.0.0.152.726.0j5.5.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.3.442…0i7i30k1j0i7i5i30k1.0.ZjU3VQjIvQc#imgrc=ch64V3-a5BVQxM:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&biw=1366&bih=631&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=kyMNW6b0DNCw9QPn5qW4DA&q=spool+recorder&oq=spool+&gs_l=img.1.0.35i39k1j0i67k1j0l8.5215.6568.0.8690.6.6.0.0.0.0.163.901.0j6.6.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.6.900….0.CaxHxnyhFMI#imgrc=vElH5GmpXUrOTM:

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
North, Production & Archiving, Music Allied, 1975-2000

Restorations and archiving of Indubala’s belongings—Rantideb Maitra Recalls

Told by Sri Rantideb Maitra
Obtained by Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 4th March,2017
Place Sri Rantideb Maitra’s Residence, Madur Daho, Kolkata
About the speaker Renowned Music Collector and Music Connoisseur
Tags Bijoy Nandi, Tabla, Pakhawaj, Accompanist, Indubala, Angurbala, Tawaif, 1930,s, Horimoti, Dhrupad,Tabla, Pakhawaj, Indubala, Beadon Street, Sonagachi, Harmonium, Gramaphone Records, Maharaja of Mysore, Riyaz, 1990’s
Language English

Sri Rantideb Maitra speaks :

Verbatim:

It is courtesy Bijoy Nandi, the pakhawaj player and the table player, that I came to know more about Indubala, famous Indubala, famous Angurbala and the great Tawaifs of who were living by 1930,s, whom Bijoy Nandi accompanied on Tabla, not Pakhawaj, He accompanied Horimoti on Pakhawaj, Horimoti was also a very very great Dhrupad singer.

Record of Miss Indubala

Now once he told me that look that many household belongings of Indubala is being sold out. So if you are interested you can go and have a look.I said please take me there. He took me to indubala’s house and what I saw is that…

  • Where was that house?
  • That was also in Beadon Street and that is also one part of Sonagachi. It’s called something else but its okay, it was a part of the overall, it’s called Garanpara, or something like that, its still there, the house is still there. I have been there three four months back to take some pictures. Now what I saw is that Indubala’s room was full of books. Stacked with books and books and books of various subjects you know, mostly History, Bengali novels, not English, but books of every variety. She was a ferocious reader, and there was the Harmonium, there was the Tabla, there was a Gramophone machine, stacks of Gramophone records, and lots of small size diaries. I said what are these? They said that she used to write diaries on a daily basis. Let me look, I saw that at least twenty-eight or thirty years of diaries stacked somewhere. I asked what are you going to do with these diaries?
  • Ki korbo? (what to do)
  • At a price?
  • Naturally at a price. So I offered them some price and I purchased all the diaries, Indubala’s.
Indubala Devi

So I purchased whatever pictures she had and because she was a meticulous collector of all her programme sheets, and her contracts with H.M.V and her contracts with Maharaja of Mysore, everything she preserved in a beautiful manner, so instead of, those were going to the kabariwalas I thought that I will be slightly better than a kabariwala, and purchased them also. So that was a great acquisition, and there after I read through her diaries and found what a great person she was, and her reading habits and her music habits, how she used to do her riyaz, from reading her diaries. I intend to publish it some day like a autobiography or some sort of things with her pictures, am working on that, and this is how I came into the diaries of Indubala’sthrough this Bijoy Nandi.

  • And it must be in late 1980’s?
  • No, it is mid 1990’s. Long time after she died.

 

Verbatim: RajeswaryGanguly Banerjee

 Picture Courtesy: Google

https://www.google.co.in/search?q=indubala+devi&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CfkoUko0PaJuIjiQY7CtGXiVf7Y5_1H04O74Vbd2TxbQ0-ehRjnXIch1c9lRx93KNFCd4ZqHeuFT-GeFnsCMU1lrerSoSCZBjsK0ZeJV_1EZlmiR6eq-7yKhIJtjn8fTg7vhUR7KziCu6pMKgqEglt3ZPFtDT56BHO0oGYh5QJjioSCVGOdchyHVz2EZtLaVxdIGLcKhIJVHH3co0UJ3gRwZ5mOizBNpUqEglmod64VP4Z4RHkCwgjIO3tqSoSCWewIxTWWt6tEYtW2-BPg129&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwimm5idx_HaAhXHuo8KHWxIBowQ9C96BAgBEBs&biw=1440&bih=826&dpr=1#imgrc=-ShSSjQ9om48MM:

https://www.google.co.in/search?biw=1440&bih=826&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=FDTvWrSyA4flvATAjaSoCw&q=records+of+Indubala&oq=records+of+Indubala&gs_l=img.3…404609.420160.0.420638.32.27.0.1.1.0.232.3062.0j12j4.16.0….0…1c.1.64.img..17.12.2068.0..0j35i39k1j0i24k1j0i67k1j0i5i30k1.0.GIxo6ao4hzc#imgdii=mDhRHVdmxbZa9M:&imgrc=LLIhac490poQfM:

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

 

 

 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.

                 

North, Production & Archiving, 1975-2000, Others

Remembering HMV days—Rajeev Goenka

Told by Sri Rajeev Goenka
Obtained by Prof Sanjoy Bandopadhyay

Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 27th September, 2016
Place Ashoka Road,Alipore,Kolkata -700027
About the speaker Rajeev Goenka is a noted connoisseur of Indian Classical Music and is a passionate music collector. He is the founder and protector of The Rajeev Goenka Music Academy at Dundlod, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.  He is closely attached to Kolkata’s music scenario.
Tags HMV,Gramaphone,  Evening Raga,Casset , Godhuli, Morning Raaga, 1990-92, Darbari,Yaman, Bageshree, Long Playing Records, Kishori Amankar, Roshanara Begum, Records, Shyam Ganguly, Rasoolan Bai, Sidhweswari Devi, Bismillah Khan, Extended Play Record,  EP,  Ravishankar, Ali Akbar, Nikhil Banerjee, Indian Classical Music
Language English

Sri  Rajeev Goenka  Speaks :

A small video clip

Text Version:

 

I was associated with the gramophone company. They took me as an adviser of classical music, so I gave them various concepts, like I asked them to take evening Ragas and we titled the cassette, at that time there were cassettes, there were four cassettes in one box, so I titled the compilation ‘Godhuli’, and on the box we wrote the details, that what is ‘Godhuli’ and what are the Ragas of Godhuli, then I made a cassette called morning Ragas, then I made the cassette of evening Ragas.

 

The approximate time frame if you could also mention of the release of these cassettes of ‘Godhuli’ and the morning ragas and others?

Yes, ‘Godhuli’ is the evening time.

No when did you produce it? The publishing year? Approximately?

It would be 1991-92, then I took the major Ragas, like Darbari, Yaman, Bageshree, in which I gave all old long playing records, because when I took over, long playing records were off, and cassettes had come, and H.M.V have not published the LPs  into cassettes. So the conversion also took place, and the artists of 1940’S, and 50’S, came on the cassettes, so like when I did Bageshree, I gave the Kishori Amankar’s LP in that cassette, I gave Roshanara Begum’s Bageshree in that cassette, so like that the four cassettes pack would have eight pieces, a two cassettes pack would have four pieces, then I made, I mean in my personal collection, I had those Eps, those extended play records, which played for seven minutes each side, so those extended play records,

I took  my own records to H.M.V and transferred them to tape, so like Shyam Ganguly of Kolkata, Rasoolan Bai, Sidhweswari Devi these extended records were not on the roster of H.M.V, so they got those seven minutes recordings, Bismillah Khan Sahab, Ravishankar ji, Ali Akbar they had also made, Nikhil Banerjee they had also made these seven minutes records, which were not there in the market, in the publicity domain, I mean the old connoisseurs who had these records but that by then those record players were been extinct. So therefore those records were not available, so I brought it in cassette so my library also became up to date, and preservation of those extended play and 78rpm records came to good use and revival of classical music happened.

Verbatim: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

 https://www.google.co.in/search?q=extended+play+record+label+indian+classical+music&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CRxyyeN35ArFIjgHe6QKybl6ALNtph9niTltJlS-CbtmFl1RHWtmjVxvxlqgPSE0mDATH4xGTyINiXeYKZ5bjoUciSoSCQd7pArJuXoAEZqlZWxYucr-KhIJs22mH2eJOW0RHDJEaRZoLZwqEgkmVL4Ju2YWXRF1eVjdBdlpLioSCVEda2aNXG_1GEeZQltTaiM-HKhIJWqA9ITSYMBMRAgiWA07D6hMqEgkfjEZPIg2JdxGjeaJfieJ24CoSCZgpnluOhRyJEatrAooVQzcl&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMqOnQ3fbaAhXJKY8KHb5tBQIQ9C96BAgBEBs&biw=1440&bih=826&dpr=1#imgrc=B3ukCsm5egARyM:

https://www.google.co.in/search?biw=1440&bih=781&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=MO3xWqjaJYnkvgSxhaoo&q=cassettes+of+Ravishankar+hmv&oq=cassettes+of+Ravishankar+hmv&gs_l=img.3…69972.80682.0.81656.28.26.1.0.0.0.349.4319.0j20j2j1.23.0….0…1c.1.64.img..8.0.0….0.yTQs_Nbbyos#imgrc=56a8WY7rNbvhrM:

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.
North, Production & Archiving, 1975-2000, Others

One lakh untouched stampers at HMV godown—Huge Musical Treasures still to be unveiled!

Told by Sri Rajeev Goenka
Obtained by Prof Sanjoy Bandopadhyay and Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Date 27th September, 2016
Place Ashoka Road, Alipore, Kolkata -700027
About the speaker Rajeev Goenka is a noted connoisseur of Indian Classical Music and is a passionate music collector. He is the founder and protector of The Rajeev Goenka Music Academy at Dundlod, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan.  He is closely attached to Kolkata’s music scenario.
Tags Discography, Wire Recording,  Dumdum, 1989, Stamper,  78 Rpm Record, 1933, Gauhar Jaan
Language English

Sri  Rajeev Goenka  Speaks :

Verbatim:

 Well I will put it in this way that I came to know there was one, what do you call that, Discographer, His name wasMichaelKinnear,he was from Australia, now he is no more, he expired, so I came to know that he was researching on the mother shells which was the origin of those 78rpm shellac records. Now before shellac there were wire recordings, and those recordings were of two or two and half minutes. So he gave me his book on discography, I just tried to find out what happened to these records, so I accidentally entered a godown in the Dumdum factory.

Which year approximately?

1989, I asked my senior, what was that? Because I didn’t know what mother shell is? So I was explained, that these are all metal pieces, they call it stamper, now that stamper is hooked on some machine and hereby the engraving gets engraved in other side, it’s like photo printing kind of thing, and then that imprinted thing is put on shellac and that is how the 78rpm record is made, and it was God’s grace that he said that ’come I’ll show you a demonstration’.

Gauhar-Jan

So he prepared that whole thing, and he made one record, and after making that he played that record and that record was 1933 GauharJaan. So when I heard that I said “MrMaitra this is GauharJaan!” So MrMaitra looked at me and said Mr Goenka how do you know that this is GauharJaan? I said my brain and my ears are telling me. He said let me check. He went to his book, register-‘ja main tose nahin boloon’, and he said you are dam right. He said this whole godown is full of this, which means they have hundred thousand, one lakh stampers in that godown.

Verbatim: RajeswaryGanguly Banerjee

Picture Courtesy: Google

 https://www.google.co.in/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enIN769IN769&biw=1440&bih=826&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=-f7xWu7fLIfnvgTEtJXYCQ&q=gauharjan+records&oq=gauharjan+records&gs_l=img.3…1029.4882.0.5169.8.8.0.0.0.0.302.1363.0j7j0j1.8.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.0.0….0.yTT2FtZN2CM#imgdii=OT9gLyyC3VepxM:&imgrc=qKsYMkFRodtREM:

https://www.google.co.in/search?rlz=1C5CHFA_enIN769IN769&biw=1440&bih=826&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=-f7xWu7fLIfnvgTEtJXYCQ&q=gauharjan+records&oq=gauharjan+records&gs_l=img.3…1029.4882.0.5169.8.8.0.0.0.0.302.1363.0j7j0j1.8.0….0…1c.1.64.img..0.0.0….0.yTT2FtZN2CM#imgrc=C6AEqK5PGay56M:

Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee

 

 

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.