As I listen to the bassy voices of Debabrata Biswas and Sagar Sen sing out of my tinny laptop speakers and eyes stray to the park across the road, it takes me back to when I was in school. we had a HMV record player and two wooden speakers and a whole bunch of records.
And on sunny afternoons, Dad would put on any of the Bengali old greats on that record player and as the rich sound floated along from room to room and in and around the hills, it will weave a magic of sound. It didn't matter what we were doing, the music will reach us. Some one would be curled up with a book, my brother will likely be doing crosswords or trying to catch an siesta, mom must have been trying to catch up on her school papers while sipping on some tea...and the music will simply invade the atmosphere and settle around us.
And then there were moonlit nights on clear nights, which will soon lead to every one dragging a cane chair into the front lawn and getting comfortable in their colorful shawl, while some one popped in another record into the trusty record player.
There will be scratches and hisses at the beginning and then suddenly sound used to pour out the wooden boxes, soft and soothing. Many people find Rabindra sangeet tedious because of its repetitive slow melody. But in those afternoon's and nights, they just fit the moods and the songs stayed in the memory along with the moments.
Mind you though, we did have modern music systems later on, but the tradition didn't stop, it just changed the medium. We would pop in a CD instead of a cassette, but there would still be those moments in like framed by that music.
And it spilled out of bengali into Hindi and western. Afterall the north east india resonates with music anytime. I am spoiled, I confess. Still now, i can't resist humming a good song when I see a golden afternoon or a moonlit night. It is kind of gloomy out side today, but in my mind its a golden summer afternoon.
I am sharing one of the old Bengali modern songs that used to play a lot in the record player. Click to listen
4 comments:
I know exactly what you mean the crackling sound and then the music pouring over. Melodies and more. My initiation to Rabindra sangeet was through those LP records in Delhi in my formative years. Although we did not have the pleasure of the hills or freshly mowed lawns but sitting about in our living room listening to songs is something of a favourite quality time excercise in our home too. I did not find the melodies repititive although my Mom would protest at times but by then I was hooked to Debabrata Biswas and Sagar Sen. My father being a classical junkie the All India radio and BBC World Service over the short wave too were our regu;ar channels for listening pleasure. Then came my love for everything rock and roll and BEATLES and ABBA and as they say rest is history!
I actually bought a Stereo from an antique shop wiuth my first salary :P...and gave it to my folks back home...in silchar. They were thrilled...
And i recently bought a few MP3 CDs of nazrulgeeti. Its unfortunate how you don't get much of nazrul in CDs...absolute tragedy.
You must listen to Chtrangada...my favourite ballad of all times.
I have heard Chitrangada and Sapmochan, both in that record player. The rich voice narrating the story intermingled with those beautifull songs...I even had Bagha Bain Gupi Gain in that lot. The record player has gone bust recently, The records are languishing
a quiet day made alive by the haunting melody of Rabindrasangeet... the moment was poised in such perfection that i had to literally wrench myself out of it... thanks for weaving that magic with words and ... music...
Post a Comment