IMMORTAL SD BURMAN - Page 3

Oooh Anol, thanks for the pics of Dada Burman! Wish I could enter that living room in which he is singing for Dev Anand. 😊

Originally posted by: punjini

Oooh Anol, thanks for the pics of Dada Burman! Wish I could enter that living room in which he is singing for Dev Anand. 😊

same here punjini. Ok heres another article. Manna Dey now tlks abt Burman.

Exclusives: Manna Dey recalls musician S. D. Burman in his birthday Centenary.
by Debtaru De

Maestro Manna Dey recalls the Magic Musical Moments with legendary musician S. D. Burman in his birthday Centenary.

I was just a boy when my uncle Krishna Chandra Dey (K. C. Dey) used to take music lesion in our house.

That's where I met Sachinda (Sachin Dev Burman) for the first time.

I took an instant liking to him. He was a very unusual looking man but I liked his fair skin tone.

When he would sit with the harmonium I would sit next to him and quietly listen to him belting out his melodies.

Before I realized it, I'd become a huge fan of his – to the extent that I even picked up his nasal tone!

One day my uncle said to me "I understand you're every fond of Sachin but why must you pick up that nasal tone?"

I went to Mumbai in 1943. Sachinda came later, in 1946.

I met him in Filmistan Studios where he'd come to compose the music for Ashok Kumar's Mahal

He immediately made me his assistant. After that, I assisted him in many films.

I'm really fortunate to have got that opportunity, for he had a distinct style of functioning.

And his impeccable sense of humour made it a pleasure to work with him.

Sachinda was a sports freak. More specially, he was a football buff.

She shared her all her household woes with me.

Their son Pancham (R. D. Burman) was the liveliest person I've seen in my life.

Remember Aao Twist karein? Only Pancham could have composed it.

His demise was a huge blow to me."-------

soulsoup Da, Bondhu rangila re Amare chadiye re bondhu koi gela re Ki Anol Da Aya Shoundor protibadon Abog Chabi Gulo Kothai Chilo Ato-ddin.!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by: Qwest

soulsoup Da, Bondhu rangila re Amare chadiye re bondhu koi gela re Ki Anol Da Aya shoundor protibadon gulo kothai chi ato-ddin.!!!!!!!!!!

😆

Originally posted by: punjini

Oooh Anol, thanks for the pics of Dada Burman! Wish I could enter that living room in which he is singing for Dev Anand. 😊

Punjini - Sachin Korta (that's the way people call SD in Tripura) is my favourite!! Imagine Indian film music without SD and RD!!

Musical Musings

The Manna Dey - Sachin Dev Saga

HQ Chowdhury

Manna Dey is one of the few or perhaps only, living artists whose personal association with Sachin Dev Burman dates all the way back to Burman's youth. A young SD trained under the Dey's illustrious uncle, KC Dey. Their musical association too has been long and consistent. Starting from Mannada's salad days as Burman's assistant in Mashaal in the 40s right upto to Us Paar in the 70s, he was a regular in SD Burman's music room. HQ Chowdhurymeets the legendary Manna Dey to reminisce about his days with the maestro ...

	"Manna what are you doing?"
	"I am about to go out Sachin da."
	"Would you drop by for a few minutes."
	"Yes of course."
	This was the typical Sachin Dev Burman-Manna Dey conversation when SD would summon Manna Dey to visit him home.
	"How do you like this tune?"
	"Hmmm it is okay".
	"Accha tui ahon za" (off you go in native Bangla).
	In the evening there would be another such call from SD when Manna Dey almost retired for the day. "I had no choice but to go. After all it was Sachinda's call ".
	"How do you like this tune?"
	"Oh, this is beautiful"
	A beaming Sachin Dev would then inevitably say, "Report tomorrow for the rehearsal."
	"But dada what happened to that tune in the morning?"
	"That is out. You only said OK!"

That was verbatim, as Manna Dey had told me at his Anandan residence in Mumbai over a cup of tea back in 1995. "You know Humayun for every song situation, Sachinda had so many alternatives and how often he would pass his tunes only after I had okayed those".

It was during that sitting' when the conversation went for a while, did I first notice that Manna Dey had a love hate relationship with SD. Of course more love than hate as in his music room, one still finds SD's photograph amongst his near ones. If this was an example of "the love" part then let us see what the other part was like.

After rehearsing the song for days to SD's satisfaction, there was often a thunder. "Now that you know the song well, guide Rafi to sing the number. I would like him to record it. I already told him that you would contact him!! ".

Who on earth would take that!! Did I catch on that occasion Manna Dey's weak moments!!

"I did not sing much for Sachin da. My favourite composer was Shanker Jaikeshan, and then RD Burman. Sachin da was a great composer but nothing compared to Shanker Jaikeshan, I mean Shanker not Jaikeshan who was often too busy to please the ladies -- Shanker was a genius".

There is every reason for Manna Dey to make such a sweeping statement. Shanker (Jaikeshan) gave Manna Dey time and again that opportunity (and freedom) to be the "lead" singer as in the Bharat Bhusan musical classic "Basant Bahar" or in the many Raj Kapoor movies.

"But Manna da, SD gave you such lingering numbers for example Tere naina talaash I snubbed in. "Sachin da made least contribution to that song. All he did was set the tune. He then handed it over to Pancham (RD Burman) for orchestration", giving an insinuation that it was he and RD who did the trick.

"But then for this particular number, he only had the confidence in you, not even Rafi despite the fact Rafi was the lead singer in the movie and also well trained in classical music; Pancham, as SD's assistant, only orchestrated it the way he had wanted it. Manna Dey was silent not a word spoken. "And he chose you for Poocho na kaise in Meri Surat Teri Aakhen or Mere sab kuch mere geet re in Zindagi Zindagi, which are collector's delights and amongst your favorites as well. Manna Dey was silent again. "Furthermore, did you not time and again say that Rafi as of today happens to be the complete singer in the history of Hindi films ? In such a case where did SD go wrong ? How many times did he replace you with Kishore, Talat or Mukesh ? Even uncle KC Dey did the same with you !!

". Pin drop silence ……. and I switched the conversation to Sajjad Hussain and Anil Biswas.

To be fair to Manna Dey, for a singer of his calibre, he was never given the "deal" he deserved, in fact by any music director, not even Manna's fancied Shanker Jaikeshan and RD Burman. Perhaps his voice was far too sophisticated and "over crafted" for the Indian film heroes. And again to be fair to SD, who was a hard core professional when it came to composing and choosing a singer, Manna did get a bounty from him but certainly not enough as Manna Dey had expected

If we take Upar gagan vishal in Mashal to be the starting point i.e. Manna Dey's first super solo and tuned by SD (Manna until then had been struggling for seven years since his break in Ram Rajya in 1943 ) then there is virtually no border of music that Manna Dey did not touch under SD's baton. Mituwa in Uspar was Upar gagan vishal's pefect foil for one to sense the fathomless range of Manna's voice. And between these two songs were 20 plus years. And what do we have on record ?

The soul searching Aan milo aan milo ( with Geeta) in Devdas, the comic beauty Hato kahe ko jhuti in Manzil (that established Manna as a singer par excellence in comedy songs apart from his "classy" ones), the heart breaking Na tel aur na bati in Ek Ke Baad Ek, the soul stirring Maat ro mata in Bandini, the wistful Aei kash chalte milte (with Asha) in Manzil, the Qawwali dash Kisne chilman se in Baat Ek Raat Ki, the satirical Andhi parjaa Andha raja in Tere Mere Sapne, the frolicsome Main tere pyar mein ( with Geeta) in Ziddi, the romantic refrain Soch ke yeh gagan (with Lata) in Jyoti. You name it, it is there.

Leave aside SD, SJ and RD who took Manna Dey to some admirable heights. But what about the other trend setters like Anil Biswas who had him once in a while, Naushad during blue moons, C. Ramchandra once or twice, Roshanlal once upon a while, Madan Mohan now and then, Salil Chowdhury sometimes, OP Nayyar -- ever ? Yet if one had asked each one of them about Manna Dey's capability none would disagree with his versatility!! These thinking composers could not care less for the thinking singer and his thinking listeners. What a pity!!

Years later I chanced to ask the ace Bangladeshi composer Robin Ghosh in one of those coffee chats "Who do you think is the greatest Hindi playback singer".
"Undoubtedly Rafi" was the answer. "What about Manna Dey" I pressed hard.
"Manna Dey is the perfect singer. A model singer. But we are talking about films and in this media Rafi is the most versatile, he has no match, not even Kishore". That probably settles the incomparable SDB's score with the quintessential Manna Dey.

Sachin Dev Burman

Sir,

October 01 marked the 100th birth anniversary of one of the greatest musicians of modern times Sachin Dev Burman.

Scion of the princely family of Tripura, Sachin Dev Burman popularly known as Sachin Karta amongst the Bangalees and SD Burman in the Bombay film circuit, developed the art of singing and composing songs which until today remain inimitable. His music breathes of fresh born flowers, his songs nestling places of whistling birds, tinkling bells and sobbing flutes. His orchestral creations contain both lyric and epic sweeps of design blended in such rare harmony which only a composite genius like him was capable of doing. Whether it is Lalmonirhat in Bangladesh or Lahore in Pakistan, his music continues to capture the hearts of old and new despite the fact he left for heavenly abode thirty years ago.

This great man was born in Comilla and lived there until he left for Calcutta for university studies. Here, at Comilla, he and Narzul Islam shared moments of exclusivity to search for resources to create some of the finest Bangla songs. The building where Sachin Karta lived with his father Nawadip Chandra Buirman still stands at Chartha Comilla, but it is, alas! breaking down, is very dilapidated and, certainly because it is uncared for. And to make things worse, there is a government hatchery functioning in that compound.

Could we request the government to take over the building and declare it as a national heritage and name the Chartha street as Sachin Dev Burman Road. How can we ever forget the man behind "Rangila Rangila Rangila Re", "Nishithey Jaiyo Phulobone", "Baje Tak Dum Tak Dum", "Mono Dilo Na Bodhu" or for that matter the Hindi songs "Thandi Hawaye", "Khoya Khoya Chand", "Dil Dhal Jayen", "Roop Tera Mastana" and so many others in Bangla and Hindi.

Is it too much to ask?

Saiq'a Shabnam

Dootabash Road

Baridhara

Dhaka-1212

Here is a little nugget cut from the interview of Hariprasad Chaurasia in which he talks about SDB.


You worked with SD and RD Burman. Can you share some memories of these stalwarts?

SD Burman was a very gifted musician, a simple man but exceedingly stingy! He had a hard time parting with his cash even after he had become very affluent. There was a time we were all struggling and staying in rooms in a hotel, and Sachinda, as we lovingly called him, would hide behind a curtain if he was eating something. Once lyricist Anand Bakshi had come over to discuss a song, and Sachinda told him he must eat something, borrowed ten bucks that Anand Bakshi could ill afford to shell out, got the errand boy to get a dozen bananas, fed Bakshi one and kept the rest for himself!

I still remember this incident where we had to all meet at his place once he had made it, to discuss the composition of a song. I arrived straight from another recording and saw the producer, director, the hero and the heroine and some 4-5 musicians seated around this table. Sachin da asked his wife to provide tea and some sweets. His wife Mira brought a plateful of rasgullas, which someone had probably brought from Calcutta for him.

In between, the servant came and whispered there was no sugar in the house. Sachinda promptly said, "oh, then never mind the tea, by the time you get the sugar the tea will be cold." But he couldn't send the sweets away! Reluctantly he asked people around him to have a rasgulla. People were too scared of him and said "No, no, we have already eaten before we came."

Well I had come straight from a recording and was pretty hungry. As he covered his face with his fingers and closed his eyes to think of a tune, I made a grab for the sweets. In no time I had polished off 15 rasgullas and there were barely a couple left. Dada saw his precious sweets disappear and was quite annoyed.

The next day Lata Mangeshkar was to be briefed about a song and I was asked to play the flute at various points in the song. As I started, dada chimed in, still rattled about his lost rasgullas, "See Lata, he is sounding extra sweet today isn't he. I'm not surprised considering all the rasgullas he polished off at my house yesterday. It has made his flute extra sweet today!"

Sachinda was very serious and would seldom smile. RD on the other hand was generous and full of mischief. Not too many people know that he was a serious student of music as Sachin da had sent him to learn from Ali Akbar Khan. We would often sit in a separate room cracking wild jokes laughing our heads off then rearrange our facial features and look very serious when it was time to go before his father. At times Sachinda would wonder and ask, "Who was laughing outside?"

The one time that I did make him laugh happened because of a trick I played on a shehnai player Dakshina Mohan Tagore. Both Sachin da and Dakshina Mohan Tagore had dreams of the latter going abroad and striking it big. Once we were in London and we found a street where they would print phony newspapers with any headlines we wanted. So we got this headline printed " Indian Musician Dakshina Mohan Tagore Caught Streaking Across West End." I took the paper to Sachinda and said "What a shameful thing, look at how Dakshina ji is making his name abroad." Dada was shocked until suddenly it dawned on him that he had been had and he burst into laughter. Dakshina babu however didn't forgive us for a long time!

Here's an incident of how Majruh Sultanpuri and Burmanda came to work together as a team.

His other innovation in film-lyrics was what came to be known in film music circles as 'romantic comedy duets'. In one of the usual filmi parties, S.D.Burman was discussing with him the futility of investing precious time in composing tunes for duets, which seemed to have lost the ear of cine-goers. Sultanpuri, by now had established his reputation as a person who did not mince words. He plainly told Burman that it was the fault of the Lyricists rather than the music directors if duets were losing popularity. In his typical challenging way, he promised that he would write a duet soon and make it a success. Burman smiled and said, 'Then why not write that duet for me?' This was how S D Burman and Sultanpuri teamed up and, together, gave us such beautiful lyrics as heard in 'Paying Guest', 'Nau do Gyaarah', 'Kala Paani', to mention a few.