This article has been extracted from the Platinum Jubilee Souvenir of the Suburban Music Circle (Year 2012)

The Sound of Music

By: Smt. Suniti Bagde

[Smt. S.P Bagde is one of the oldest members of the Circle and is a member of the Managing Committee. Since an early age, she has been attending the concerts conducted by the Circle since inception. As a very senior member, she has been very active and engaged in guiding the Committee with her insights on Content Management. Having brought up in a family of music lovers, she took some music lessons and continued her interest in listening to classical music, kirtans and bhajans. Professionally, Smt. Bagde has been a French teacher and has taught at various schools and classes.] Smt. Suniti Bagde

August augers authentically with the pitter patter of rain drops on Mother Earth adoring her greens with a splatter of fragrant flowers on her apparel with the musical notes of air, water and bird-chirp. The in September the dried yellow leaves take the place of verdure. And amidst this scenario in October when Navrang starts mingling with Saptasur of Garba our Suburban Music Circle was brought into life at Santacruz in 1936. Nature is the origin of creating music. According to Ritumbhara along with the sprightly spring that brought fresh scent in the air spreading joy, the circle inaugurated its first concert on 22nd February 1937 by Vidushi Hirabai Badodekar. It is said, her rendition of Basant Bahar was excellent.

My father, Dattatraya Nadkarni joined this music circle. He used to take me, a toddler, to the concerts in Vimlanand Koppikar Hall – a step aside our home in Saraswat Colony. The hall was a compact venue – rectangular in shape with plenty of doors around, a veranda in the front and a mezzanine floor. This hall could proudly boast of encouraging well-known actor Balraj Sahani, of Juhu Art Theatre, for their rehearsals of the drama “Kabuliwala”; Noted dancers and choreographers Sachin Shankar, Gopi Krishna for their ballets and illustrious Marathi litterateur P. L. Deshpande for practicing soirees on Harmonium. Dr. Anandmam Koppikar’s family lent the hall perhaps for very low or free of rent for the use of the Circle. I remember having seen and heard Roshanara Begum singing “Rasiyan avo naa” in Marubihag, Vid. Mogubai Kurdikar’s taraana in Bihag, Vid. Kesarbai Kerkar’s Bilawal. With the soothing aalap, I would slowly slip into sleep on my Papa’s lap. Nevertheless the nectar of this musical melody went deep into my system. I started liking music, learnt about different Ragas and Gharanas and started meandering my taans in Bhoop, Kalyan, Durga, on Juhu Beach with the beat of waves, in the company of Subrao and Mohan (my uncles) and my father Datta to guide me. My family has music in its veins. As I grew, my company changed. Nalini, Heera and I were the trio always. I started appreciating the thumris of Bade Gulam Ali, especially “Ka Karun Sajani Aye Na Balam”, Ustad Bismillah Khan’s Jaunpuri and Lalat on Shehenayee, Pt. Bhisen Joshi’s Darbari Kanada and Alaihya Bilawal, Vid. Gangubai Hangal’s Adana and Marwa are resonant in my ears even now. Twice Ustad Allauddin Khan played Sarod for athe whole night - Nand, Jaijaiwanti and Charukeshi – the tips of his fingers vibrated over the Taars of his Sarod. The father, son Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, daughter Vid. Annapurna Devi and son-in-law Pt. Ravi Shankar on Sitar performed together, the rendering of each instrument into an enchanting ensemble. Ustad Allah Rakha would be sitting next to them with his nimble fingers dancing on the Tabla-Dagga. He used to press his upper lip over the lower while trying to dodge the artist with a hilarious twinkle in his eyes. Similarly Ustad Ahamed Jan Thirakhwa, Pt. Kishan Maharaj had also attended many a concerts. Once Ustad Allahuddin Khan asked for a violin and played for an hour Raag Piloo at mid-night, equally elegantly. He was known to be a master of as many as fourteen instruments. His “Sowat Rama, Jaagat Rama” brought the audience in communion with GOD through his devotion. These concerts would end as the luminous Venus leaning towards the west, waiting for Bhairavi. Pt. Pannalal Ghosh’s thick Bansuri played in deep octave was equally inspiring. Thee depth of his tone was staring. I fondly remember Prabhakarmam Tagarsse, whose mind was always set to music, as he sat in the front row and looking around to find out if others were equally appreciative.

A few more years rolled by and by then, the membership had grown to a good strength and we reuired a bigger place. Begum Parvin Sultana landed in Mumbai and gave her first performance in Gujarati Stree Mandal Hall, Santacruz. Her smiling face, fish like eyes, a thick “Kadaa” around her wrist- she looked glamorous and stretched her famous ‘Tiwra’ in Puriya Dhanashree. Vid. N. Rajam with a big red Tikka, her petite daughter who accompanied her, wearing Begaluru Silk ‘Parkar-Polka’, gave the ‘Gayakee Ang’ Pt. D. V. Paluskar’s “Thumaki Chalat Ramachandra” on her violin. Vid. Kishori Amonkar, Pt. Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan and many more well-known Artists have honored our stage and enthralled the audience. We used to have only ‘A’ Grade artists then. The members were known to one another like a huge extended family of connoisseurs. Konkani had started mingling with Gujrathi, Marathi and Parsi Gujrathi. In the interval Narayan would serve strong Coffee brewed on ‘Segree’ to us all. That was the moment when we got personal touch and got time to chat.

Now a days you find an alliance to Sufi Bhajans which bring you to closure to spiritualism. The meaning drives the listeners toward ecstasy. One programme of the meaningful Sufi Songs will be welcome.

The latest situation is known to us all wherein young and aspiring artists are getting encouragement. I must remember respectfully Babmam Chickermane, Shantarammam Ullal, Shankarmam Golikeri, Sundermam Ambebal, Devdasmam Nadkarni and Shripadmam Nalkur for their enormous endurance for bringing the circle to this popularity. Once an anniversary programme was arranged in fully packed ‘Sir Cawasji Jehangir Hall’ when Shankarmam Golikeri was the President. He had requested the members to be in their seats ten minutes before the commencement. The doors were closed to the late comers. That was his integrity.

I have spent my reminiscence of the activity of seventy odd years. To day our Suburban Music Circle has fruitfully accomplished seventy five years and we all will bring it to a ‘Centenary Year’ as well.

The lilting lines of Mangesh Padgaonkar keep ringing in my ears, “Gaane Gaati, Techa Shahaane – Baaki Saare Khule” – the one who sings / listens is a ‘wise’ man and the who have no ear for music are ‘crazy’.

Let the silvery seven notes of my prayer offer my obeisance to you, Maa Saraswati.