Happy Birthday, Salil Da!

A Tribute to the Legendary
Salil Chowdhury on his 85th Birthday

November 2010 marks the 85th birth anniversary of one of the greatest musicians India ever produced - Salil Chowdhury, the self-trained Bengali composer, music director, poet-lyricist and activist who had shaped Bengali popular music and left an indelible stamp on Bollywood songs. From tiny tots to the grannies and grandpas, Salil Chowdhury's melodies have touched every music lover, not only in India and Bangladesh, but around the world.

Early Life
Salil-Da, as many called him fondly, was born in Sonarpur, (24 Parganas) in West Bengal on November 19, 1925. He spent most of his early years in the verdant hillsides of Assam, where his father was a forest-officer. Salil was exposed to music, musicians and musical instruments right from his childhood. He trained himself on the flute, piano and violin and was introduced to Western classical music, particularly Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin, as well as traditional North Indian classical music at a very early age.

When Calcutta Became Kolkata

I wrote this article on January 7, 2001 for a very popular American web site - now part of the New York Times Company. Originally entitled "New Name for a 'Dying City'", it was featured as a top story on the homepage, and I remember receiving a flurry of comments - via email. It's a rather long article, but captures a bit of history and all the important news and events around the rechristening. At the end of it, don't miss what the Bengali intelligentsia - Mrinal Sen, Mahashweta Devi, Sunil Gangopadhyay, Buddahdev Guha, Shankar, et al - had to comment on the name change.

Calcutta has ceased to stay as Calcutta this New Year. Literally so! 'Calcutta' - the name of world's 10th largest metropolis - will now go down permanently in the pages of history, to be replaced by 'Kolkata', the Bengali name of the city. The renaming of the erstwhile Capital of India and the present Capital of West Bengal has been made official.

It's Official!
On the 1st of January 2001, the West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya announced that the State Capital 'Calcutta' has been officially renamed 'Kolkata'. Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said that all official communications would now carry the new name - with effect from January 1, 2001. Earlier, the CM, reacting to the Central Government's decision to accept the State's proposal to rename Calcutta, greeted the residents of the city, saying: "Kolkata has returned to Kolkata!"

Maa Durga: Playing to the Gallery

This hilarious post is by my dear friend 'Debu' aka Dev of Radio Mirchi fame, now an academic based in Dubai. I can't but marvel at the gay perspective and amusing angle from which he views even such serious things as divinity :-)  

I have been thinking about it for a few years now. About how Maa Durga looks, more often than not, uninterested in slaying Mahishasur!

Bengalis, the world over, celebrate Durga Puja with the idol being the centre of all festivities and attractions. There is a huge art factor in it as well. Special artists are employed to construct the 'perfect' artistic idol of the divinity and the demon. Thrown in is some bit of wildlife as well, for effects.

Kishore Da: 81 yrs of the Evergreen Entertainer

Tribute to a Bong Genius - on his 81st Birth Anniversary!

Can you imagine Kishore Kumar in his 80s? He must have been made a one-of-a-kind octogenarian entertainer if he was still alive. After all, there was only one such person in the history of Indian cinema!

True genius — there is perhaps only one word to describe Kishore-Da, for he defies any one particular definition for an artiste. He could sing and dance; act and mimic; write and compose; make you laugh and cry; and he lived a life that challenged all social norms. Kishore Kumar's hilarious movies, and his ever-enchanting songs make him the most memorable multifaceted talent of Bengali origin of all times.

Kishore Kumar: FAQs & Facts

Some tell-tale quotes and comments from Kishore himself, his family members and friends

Was Kishore Kumar mad?
"He was very childlike and innocent. There was always a sense of wonder about him," says Preeti Ganguly, Kishore's niece and Ashok Kumar's daughter. "I'm mad, true. But only about one thing. Horror movies. I love spooks. They are a friendly fearsome lot. Very nice people, actually, if you get to know them. Not like these industry chaps out here…" ~ Kishore Kumar

Kishore Kumar: A True Blue Bong

Kishore Kumar's Contribution to Bengali Culture

Although born outside Bengal, Kishore Kumar was a true Bengali, from all possible points of view.

Unforgettable Puja Songs
To the Bengalis, Kishore is most memorable for his Puja albums, which mostly contained Bengali songs that he composed himself. Who can forget the magical semi-classical rendition in Noyono Sharashi Keno, Aamar Moner Ei Moyur Mahaley, Aamar Dweep Nebhano Raat? His Bangla fun songs Shingh Nei Tobu Naam Taar Shingho, Bum Chicki Bum, Gaaner Gaw Jaani Na, and Daake Lokey Aamake Clown are one-of-its kind in the history of Bangla "gaan".

100 Years of Mohun Bagan’s Historic I F A Win

Today, Mohun Bagan celebrated the centenary of their historic 1911 IFA Shield win. Mohun Bagan (MB) was the first-ever Indian soccer club to have won the IFA Shield beating East Yorkshire Regiment by 2-1 on 29th July, 1911, a red-letter day in history of Indian sports.

Outside the MB club in Kolkata, the main gate has been built in the shape of the IFA Shield trophy, while the main stage for the celebration has been given the shape of a sail boat, the club's emblem. A glow-sign bearing the photograph of the “Immortal XI” of 1911 IFA Shield winning team was also erected outside the club. The header read “India’s first fight for Independence on the sports field.”

The Bengali Alphabet

Many of my artful 'non-Bengali' friends tell me that they just love the Bengali alphabet—because of its ornate curlicues and elegant style. They often wish they could read and write in this beautiful script—not just because of its literary wealth but also because of the sheer visual appeal and beauty of the characters.

However, I have a feeling that more Bengalis are turning 'non-Bengalis' in this sense. While they love the language and speak it, they can hardly read a line of Bangla text or even write their own name in the native letter. This is especially true for our Gen Y and the current progeny of the huge probashi Bengali population that live outside the two Bengals or abroad.

A Short History of ‘Bangla Bhasha'

Bengali, the mother tongue of more than 150 million people around the world, is the first Indian language to develop a major modern literature. Also called Bangla, it is the major language of the north-eastern part of South Asia, now divided between India and Bangladesh. Bengali is the national language of Bangladesh and the state language of West Bengal. It is widely spoken in the neighboring states, and also by the emigrant Bengali and Bangladeshi communities is such countries as the UK and the US.

Bongs in World Cup 2010 - By Anonymous

This time around, too, there are quite a few Bongs playing for various countries.

With Denmark having qualified, hordes of bodyis from the famous Sen family of Bodyinath Dham are in action. Soren Sen (Jersey No. 1) will keep goal for them while two of his distant cousins are his deputies - Ander Sen (16) and Christian Sen (22). In defense, there are Jacob Sen (6) and Simon Poul Sen (15). The midfield sees the presence of Christian Poul Sen (2), Jen Sen (7), the veteran Jogen Sen (10) (who is now called Jorgen in Danish), Jakob Poul Sen (14), Enevold Sen (20) and young Erik Sen (21) who at 18 is one of the youngest players in the competition this year. The Denmark attack has Lar Sen (18) who scored 5 goals in 5 games during qualification. The team is coached by the round old man Ol Sen, who played with such distinction in 1986, albeit with a sore throat. Bodyis, as you know, have spread everywhere.

Vir Sanghvi's Calcutta

This post is an excerpt from an old article on Durga Puja by Vir Sanghvi, the Editorial Director of the Hindustan Times, who spent a major part of his life in the 'City of Joy'

Tell anybody who lives in Bombay that he lives in a Maharashtrian city and (unless of course, you are speaking to Bal Thackeray) he will take immediate offence. We are cosmopolitan, he will say indigenously. Tell a Delhiwalla that his is a Punjabi city (which, in many ways, it is) and he will respond with much self-righteous nonsense about being the nation’s capital, about the international composition of the city’s elite etc. And tell a Bangalorean that he lives in a Kannadiga city and you’ll get lots of techno-gaff about the internet revolution and about how Bangalore is even more cosmopolitan than Bombay.