My old house is the Boral House in Bowbazar. Opposite to the Medical College is a Shiva temple. There is a lane next to the temple. Upon entering the lane, immediately to the right is a house with a portico – that is Lalchand Baral’s house. He used to live there. As far as we know, in his early years, he used to play the pakhwaj. He would travel with his instrument in our horse-drawn carriage and play with renowned Dhrupad singers.
Who were they?
There was one very famous Dhrupad singer. He accompanied that artiste.
Do you remember the name?
I’ll find out and tell you. He would often go to these performances. Then one day the singer said, “I’m not in the mood to sing today, so you can go back.” This irritared him. After returning, he sent word to the singer saying, “You are such a great singer and you turned me away, I’ll show you that I can also sing!” That is when he first sang. The song was – “Amare ashite bole keno eto opoman kora” (“Why do you insult me so after calling me”).
There are many other incidents involving Lalchand Baral. Jatras would be performed in the courtyard of their old house in Bowbazar where they’d sing songs such as the one mentioned and others like “Kader kuler bou”, “Dhin ta dhina paka nona”, “Anugoto jone keno”. That is how we have received the songs. Later, HMV gave him an offer to record his songs which he accepted. I’ve heard from others that HMV gained a lot during that time through these records. After that, they had come to present him with a car at the Bowbazar house. But unfortunately, Lalchand Baral passed away on that very day. That is why my uncles and others who were present decided to decline the gift.
Translation: Sarbajaya Bhattacharya
Picture Courtesy: Sri Nayak Chand Baral, Dhrupad singer, attached to Rabindra Bharati University
Edited & Designed: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University
At Kolkata residence of Pt. Subrata Roy Chaudhury 6, Canal Street, Kolkata 700014
About Subrata Roy Chaudhury
Well-known sitar player, scholar
Key words
Amir Khan, Jhankar, Pradyumna Mukherjee, Purabi Mukherjee, A. Kanan, Vasant Bahar, Ramdasi Malhar, Dixon Lane, 1950’s
Language
English
Subrata Roy Chaudhury speaks:
Text Version:
As for example, Amir Khan Sahib’s introductory concert. It is said that Amir Khan Sahib used to visit Jnan babu every day. Every day because he didn’t get a chance to perform and one day Amir Khan Sahib decided to leave Calcutta. He had problem in Vilayat Khan’s household because there would be a divorce between Vilayat Khan’s sister and Amir Khan Sahib, they were married. And then Amir Khan Sahib to get out of Calcutta was accumulating money. He only gave tutorial to two or three. Pradyumna Mukherjee, he taught, he taught Purabi Mukherjee and someone else. And he used to save this money every time so that he could go to Bombay. And one day decided – I will leave for Bombay. So he went to Jnan babu. This was told to me by A. Kananji who also Amir Khan’s oldest disciple. So he went to Jnanbabu and said- ‘Jnan babu, apke Ghar aate aate to mera chappal tut gaya. Ab to mujhe gawaiye conference main’ .(Jnanbabu,literallyI torned my chappals after visiting your house regularly. Please give me a chance to perform in a conference). Jnanbabu said – Ha ha, yeh to karna hi padega’ (yes yes, of course this is surely needed to be arranged.) ab kab ja rahe hai? (When are you going?).
Ustad Amir Khan in a concert
– So did the concert happen in Jhankar?
(He) Make shift within fifteen days one concert was arranged. And Amir Khan Sahib…I have that recording, not here but abroad. I got hold of that recording, Vasant Bahar. People didn’t hear Amir Khan in concert normally. Vasant Bahar and a brilliant Ramdasi Malhar, that was his introductory concert then he went to Bombay and then he signed for Baiju Bawra after which he never looked back, he became over night famous.
Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh
– Yes, in Dixon Lane, 20 or 25 Dixon Lane. I don’t remember the number but after Prachi Cinema I have to go into Dixon Lane, the first house with a gate.
– So what would be the period, what time and in which year?
– I went to Jhankar regularly when I started learning Sitar 56, 57, 58.
– Then it should be 50’s.
– Yes, then of course then it shifted from Jnanbabu’s house. It became much smaller. Mukul Chakraborty looked after it some time. And I played there also in 1978 or something.
– I just wanted to know that in this Amir Khan Sahib’s Concert that Jnan Babu arranged didn’t happened around 1950s?
– You can find out two years before Baiju Bawra.
– Ok. Good good. That’s sorted out. It’s Wonderful. Thank you very much.
At Kolkata residence of Pt. Subrata Roy Chaudhury 6, Canal Street, Kolkata 700014
About Subrata Roy Chaudhury
Well-known sitar player, scholar
Key words
1961, Hafiz Ali Khan, Khoka Maharaj, Birendra Kishore Roy Chaudhury, sarod, Amjad Ali Khan, Bageshree, southern Kolkata, Kesarbai Kerkar, Ahmedjan Thirakwa, Dover Lane, Alla Rakha.
Language
English
Subrata Roy Chaudhury speaks:
Verbatim :
In the year 1961, that was my first waking up all night, and not staying at home all night. In 1961 I was eighteen years old, I was born in 1943 and I think in our conservative household, I wouldn’t say conservative, because we were quite liberal but staying out for the night was out of the question. They were all angry with me but this was my first staying out, and I didn’t have money as a student to buy the ticket, Birendra Krishna Roy Chaudhury told me you wear the volunteer’s batch and attend the concert. Help the people to sit and chase and you get a free ticket and you can hear all the maestros.
Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan
I remember he purposely told me to focus your attention to Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Sahab. He rarely gives concerts and doesn’t play for more than five seven minutes. But we shall compel him to play more, and Birendra Kishore Roy Chaudhury whom Hafiz Ali Khan Sahab fondly call ‘khoka maharaj’ told him that you’ll have to play and he said “yes yes yes, I would play Bageshree” . I remember that since it was Birendra Kishore Roy Chaudhury’s conference, Hafif Ali Khan Sahab sat on the stage, tuned a sarod, Amjad Ali Khan Sahab sat beside, and I was playing the Tanpura probably, because I forgot about it, but recently I saw something few days ago, Hafif Ali Khan Sahab’s documentary with Amjad Ali Khan Sahab and I found my picture playing Tanpura, with the father and the son and Hafiz Ali khan Sahab first said that “I am playing on the request of Khoka Maharaj, and khoka Maharaj was such a knowledgeable person, that many great ustads came to teach him, but actually didn’t teach him but learnt from him. By various questions and answers they actually learnt acchyubh Ragas, unknown ragas from him.
Where was the concert?
This was 1969, I don’t remember, mysore hall or some big place, kalamandir was not there, Rabindra Sadan was not there, so concerts were usually held on Cinema Halls, Basishree, or Bhawani or Indira . But this was held in a small budget hall because..
In southern part of Calcutta?
It was near the lakes. Kalighat or Lake, Mysore Hall I think. Mysore Hall It had almost six hundred chairs. And I remember that Hafiz Ali Khan said this that khoka Maharaj was the fountain of knowledge, even his ustads in the pretext of teaching they learnt from him and began his beautiful Bageshree. He played twenty minutes of Bageshree, which he usually never played at that time and he played alone and the Gat started and Amjad Ali Khan took over. Kesarbai at this time got up and said ‘ Janab Main to apko sunne aya, aapka beta kiun baja raha hay, main to concert mein nehi jati hun, mainto aap hi ko sunne aya”( Janab I have come to listen to you, why your son is taking over, I usually do not attend any concerts, but I have made this effort to listen to you)
kesarbai Kerkar
But Hafiz Ali Khan Sahab immediately replied – “ key yeh to main hi hoon” ( This is me and nothing but me). Then kesarbai said no we would like to like to listen to you. Then Thirakwa sahib stood up and said I also came to listen to you , “ Main bhi aaphi ko sunne aya, aap bajaiye’. So Hafiz Ali Khan Sahab looked at Thirakwa Khan Sahab and winked and said – “ Arey main to bajaunga “ ( I will most definitely play.) is you come to stage and play table with me. And Thirakwa sahib immediately went back stage and told the secretary that if I get my item money I will play. I will go and adjusting my budget that is not possible, and then Amjad Ali Khan Sahab took over and played. He was born on 1945 o in 1961 he was just sixteen years old. But what brilliance, ‘Ekhara Taan” and brilliant Sarod, sparkling Sarod, and that was time when he became famous. He was immediately booked for Dover Lane and once later where he played with Ustad Alla Rakha Khan and created a sensation. All pretty girls were there looking out for him to sign their autographs because such handsome musician is very rarely seen on the stage playing classical instruments.
At Kolkata residence of Pt. Subrata Roy Chaudhury 6, Canal Street, Kolkata 700014
About Subrata Roy Chaudhury
Well-known sitar player, scholar
Key words
Nikhil Banerjee, Mushtaq Ali Khan, Barkatullah Khan, Lynton Street, practicing, John Gomes, Chittagong, Pathuriaghata House, All Bengal Music Competition, , Radhika Mohan Maitra, Rajshahi, Chakraberia Road, Birendra Kishore Roy Chaudhury, Harmonium, Allauddin Khan, Mosque, Ravi Shankar, Jod, Ladi-Jor, Gamak-Jor, Ali Akbar Khan, 1950’s, Annapurna Devi, conservative society, Enayetkhani baaj, Maihar baaj, Calcutta Gharana.
Bankim Ghosh, 1950’s, partition, East Pakistan, Esraj, tuition, multiple instrument player, 1982, All India Radio, Nikhil Banerjee, wishes, waiting
Language
English
Samir Chatterjee speaks:
Verbatim:
This is about the time when Calcutta was reshaping itself. Independence was in 1947, at the time East Pakistan was created, we know about the consequences of that- across the border area in the east and the west, what happened… Many of the Hindu musicians decided to leave Bangladesh and the nearest area they could think off was Calcutta. So they were all moving to Calcutta. One of such musicians was Pandit Bankim Ghosh. No one ever heard of him. He came from District Barishal and somehow landed in our house. He came into our house before I was born. I was born in 1955 so, I am talking about 52/53 – around that time he came in. As I started growing up, that was my initiation in music…. My mother became his disciple. What was his main instrument that you get to hear very rarely these days – Esraj. His father was a very renowned (musician), we found mention of his father’s name in some of the old books of music history. I did not get any chance to listen his father but I could imagine how his father was through his playing. I was nearly 3/ 4 years old and his routine was he would wake up late in the morning and then would clean himself up, had his tea and then listen to radio and then picked up and tuned a few instruments every now and then; earning his living by private tuition he had to play few other instruments and I was amazed to see he was able to pick up any instrument and played (flawlessly). We hear about Ustad Alauddin Khan Sahab was able to do that. At that time there (were something in the) few other people also less known who had same kind of ability. In front of my own eyes I saw him to play the Flute, Violin, Harmonium, Guitar. As Guitar came in he said,” Yes, I can play it, give me the instrument”. Gyan Babu also something like that, this kind of versatility we could see in him; but his (Pandit Bankim Ghosh) main instrument was still Esraj. And, — after the lunch, late lunch at 1.30 or 2’o clock, then he will take a short nap. And then go out for tuition at 3 or 4 o clock. He will dress up and leave and he would see me, he would like to see me every now and then throughout the course of the day. That was his waiting but my waiting started until he came back home. At that age I would be put to bed at 9 o’ clock and it was quite a struggle for me to pretend being asleep for 2 hours until he came at 11 p.m. My mother knew that I was not sleeping from the blinking of my eyes. She was sometimes come and scrolled me (saying that),” Now I am going to hit you , you have to go to school and still you are not sleeping”. She knew the reason. I would wait for him to come back home and knock on the door. Usually his wife opened the door….in the quiteness of the night , I could hear every sound and knew what he was doing . He would rinse his mouth with water and he would ask for the meal then lit up the bidi and he would pick up the Esraj.
I was just waiting for the first note, which inevitably put goose-bumps. Then for half an hour or 45 minutes or 1hour…all the duration he was practicing I would be in tears.
Later on, when I was teaching at Yale University one of my students, when I asked them to write article on their experience of music. One of my students wrote that……she started the first paragraph like this — the first sentence was this …..”no one ever cries in our family … we had deaths ..we had accidents ..we had tragedies….but we have never seen anyone cries in our family. Only the time I saw my father crying was when he listens music. So this is how…this is what … this is whom I owe my musical sensibility. “
If my music can ever…..you know I play Tabla… and I always had this question that; will I be limited in scope? In 1982 that was actually what put me restless and I picked up several locations to quit my job at All India Radio because in my book ‘ Music of India ‘ – in the front of the book I confessed that until my late youth I thought that music is divine, musicians are not. I didn’t have examples in front of mine or around me….to encourage me to really take music as a profession.
Pt Nikjil Bnaerjee
So in 1982 when I was touring with Pandit Nikhil Banerjee I gave it a second thought that, if this man can be in music, may be, I can give it a shot. I did not know him well enough yet, but I smelt something …. I see something there which I had not seen much around me. I won’t say that there were not any other person at all, there might have a been a few, but not enough to convince me to engage, to dedicate my entire life…. It’s my life, Sanjoy, I am talking about. And I had a clear vision of my life that how I want it to spent the years on this planet. So he gave me that impetus, that encouragement that and convinced me that I could give it a shot. In one of those 3 months I asked him directly this question, “Dada, you have your Sitar, and it seems to me that you can practically express any of your emotions through the Sitar. What am I going to do with the dead skins “. He was, he barely spoke, — he put some Pan-Parag into his mouth….and then just go quite….then one/two days had gone…..he knew that I’m not going to give up, I would bring up the question again and he was thinking….clearly thinking……3 days later when I asked him again during the lunch break …. just briefly said-” If you wish”.
Sanjoy Bandopadhyay: wow!
Samir Chatterjee: There are 2 things we are not ready to do with sincerity- wishing and waiting. When you wish something be careful because if you wish anybody or something continuously…… you may get answered….and imagine this was happened in 1982…..in 1996 when my son was putting up my website, he needed my bio data and I gave him it and he said,” give me your press comments”, so all the press comments I had saved I put it together with bullet points….. some of those were in Bengali , in Hindi or in English . Then once I organize them what comes out…..I read through it….I became alert of something……and then I realize that all of the reviews I had received so far were talking about the melodious aspect…… musical aspect of my Tabla.
Sanjoy Bandopadhyay: So you got that…
Samir Chatterjee: I was amazed! Not just convinced but I was amazed. I was not even aware….it was happening. So this is how things shape up naturally and that’s what I would say you not as an advice just a humble recommendation to all musicians of our next generation that keep you intend straight and honest.
All India Radio, Karamatullah Khan, Shyamal Bose, 1980’s, theka, change over, handing over, accompanaiment, tabla
Language
English
Samir Chatterjee speaks:
Handing Over
Told by : Samir Chatterjee
This is a beautiful episode, the essence of this could be admiration, love affection and the expression of that is very strange. So, Ustad Karamatullah Khan Sahab was designated for a duty at the All India Radio for a recording session.
Ustad Karamatullah Khan
He was suppose to play with a singer and Khan Sahab for some reason was late and the singer waited…waited…waited and waited….then finally everyone was ready- other accompanists over there- everything in tune. Pandit Shyamal Bose Ji was around, he was also one of the staffs of that time and when things were heating up a little bit, the musician was almost angry and upset waiting for such a long time, Pandit Shyamal Bose Ji said them,” May I please? Then when Khan Sahab comes he will take over”. So Shyamal Bose Ji tuned the tabla and he started playing. Halfway through the vilambit, Khan Sahab appears. He comes and sees through the glass window and says, ”Oh! Shyamal is already started playing – may I go in please?” [He asked the persons who was recording]. The recordist says, ”Yeah, but we have to shut all doors and so that there is no noise and you have to go and catch up immediately “. ShyamalJi; his nature was if he starts, the music starts, he gets into the music and his eyes were closed. Khan Sahab went in so surreptitiously that Shyamal Bose Ji did not even know this Khansahab coming in, walking through all the floor, which is studio number – 9, which is quite a large studio, designated for Western Music recording, at least one piano I remebre, one or two pianos.
Pt. Shyamal Bose
So he walked through the bare area of the floor onto the carpet, standing right behind Shyamal Bose Ji and ShyamalJi didn’t even noticed that Khan Sahab was standing behind him. So Khan Sahab’s only option was to make a physical alert and he chose to stick his big toe inside ShyamalJi’s butt. ShyamalJi woke up and how they transfer the theka from ShyamalJi to Khan Sahab. There was not a single note missing.
With such affection… its rare, very rare. ShyamalJi enjoyed that episode and told us this episode with reverence , that you know…..
Prof. SanjoyBandopadhyay : Do you remember around which time it might happen?
Samir Chatterjee: Definitely not before I joined All India Radio ….I came to Calcutta in 1981…so it was early 80’s.
————————-
Verbatim by: Mousumi Das
Picture Courtesy: Pt Dilip Mukherejee, Renowned Tabla Exponent and Google
