Amateur Singers of Vintage Music of the Sub-Continent

By Anis Muhammad Baluch

The first gramophone recording company was established in the Indo-pak sub-continent at Dumdum (Calcutta) as early as 1902. The recording at that time was done by mechanical devices, which could not provide good quality sound. The electrical recording by the first quarter of 20^th century helped to further improve the acoustics. The label of HMV (“His Masters Voice”- Gramophone and Dog) depicts the recognition capability of their product. Most of the singers prior to 1930’s covered the “basic singing”. The introduction of talkie films in 1931 opened a new era for the music recording industry. By the end of 30’s gramophone became a common domestic appliance of middle class families. The recordings were changed from classical devotional songs and ghazals to simpler film melodies. The performing artists were duly recognized. The earlier practice by the singer to announce his name at the end of recording (My name is…or mera naam….) was discontinued. The legendary singers of that era included Punkhaj Mallick, K.C.Dey, Saigol, Jag Mohan, Hemant Kumar and Talat Mehmood of Calcutta Centre and Surender, Mukesh and Mohammed Rafi from Bombay Film World (Bollywood).

Amongst many amateur singers who pay tributes to old maestros, by adopting there singing style, I will name Mr. M. Sualeh and Mr. Nosherwan Khan who have striking resemblance to the singers of Calcutta Center.

Mr. M. Sualeh, was born in Delhi and his family was in business. After independence he migrated to Karachi. He can play harmonium, tabla and violin and is a great fan of Pankhaj Mallick. He sings his songs most faithfully. During his last visit to meet relatives at Calcutta, he approached V.Balsra, the famous musician, to introduce him to the family of Pankhaj Mallick. This was very gracefully done and the Saurabh Music Circle honoured him. An extract from the “ Statesman Calcutta News” about M.Sualeh appears below;

Extract from The Statesman Calcutta News

A "little Bengal" does exist in the heart of Pakistan — more precisely, in the hearts of its people. The thought is by no means far-fetched, surprising as it may sound. There is no exchange of books and newspapers between the two countries, no exchange of records and cassettes. Does that stop people from feeling for each other? The audience at Saurabh, Calcutta, was surprised that an unassuming singer in Karachi had kept alive the legends of Pankaj Kumar Mullick and Kundan Lal Saigal on the other side of the border. Md. Sualeh would not have done it had he not been committed to their kind of music.

Mr. Sualeh with V. Balsara

The opportunity came when he established contact with V.Balsara, the musician who remains one of the few links with a musical era that is no more. Tuning in his television set one evening, Sualeh discovered a program on the Calcutta Station in which Balsara was performing. He was overwhelmed and from that day was driven by an intense desire to meet the man with the magic keyboards. It was not easy to establish contact with Balsara in Calcutta but the effort bore fruit and there he was that Sunday evening singing Rabindrasangeet.

— Pran chaye chokshu na chaye and Mone robe ki naa robe.

Mr. Sualeh performing in SAURABH's gathering

Now if Pankaj Mullick and Saigal had popularized the tunes 50 years ago, the 64-year-old Karachi-based singer was still prepared to keep alive the magic of their voices in his own humble way. That is because singing is not his profession; he is in business, born in Delhi but compelled by the Partition 47 years ago to make Karachi his home. That does not stop him from coming to India every year and this time the journey had a special significance because it brought the singer to the place where Mullick and Saigal had done much of their singing — in films and outside.

And not only these two singers, the audience at Saurabh also rediscovered the enchanting worlds of Kanan Devi and Juthika Roy — and all because Balsara lent his gracious presence standing as a bridge between two musical worlds. At 73, he is still the wizard with keyboard instruments, enriching old tunes with the old vitality and vigor.

Ms. Arunlekha Gupta (Daughter of Pankaj Kumar Mullick) had acknowledged the singing quality of Mr. Sualeh in her letter addressed to Mr. Sualeh

Nausherwan Khan

Mr. Nosherwan Khan was born at Jhansi India. He has recently retired as a Head Master of a Government School in Karachi. He can play harmonium and sings melodies of Jag Mohan. He has a good collection of old gramophone records and tapes of his beloved singers.

Mr. Nosherwan with the Author

About the Author

Mr. Anis Muhammad Baluch is an Ex-Director of a Multinational Pharmaceutical Company. He is one of those few amateur singers who still enjoy singing the old maestros such as KL Saigol, Punkhaj Mallick and Mukesh.

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