| Told by | Nayak Chand Baral |
| Obtained by | Sanjoy Bandopadhyay |
| Date | 13 January 2015 |
| Place | Sangeet Bhavan, Rabindra Bharati Unievrsity, 56A, B.T. Road Campus, Kolkata 700050 |
| About Subrata Roy Chaudhury | Dhrupad singer, attached to Rabindra Bharati University |
| Key words | Lal Chand Boral, Baral, Pakhawaj, vocal, Bowbazar Street, late 19th century |
| Language | English |
Nayak Chand Baral speaks:
Verbatim:
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Verbatim: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Translation:
- 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