Thursday, Oct 24, 2013
Kolkata: Even in death many may rue that Manna Dey is not getting the accolades he deserves. Had Manna Da been alive he would have taken it in his stride. Nothing came to him by chance, he worked for it. Whatever he got was always a leftover from others and it is his sheer talent through which he turned it into his very own.
I met Manna da first 23 years ago on a hot sultry morning in his house in Kolkata as I accompanied by violin teacher Samir Seal who were to discuss about his forthcoming release. But to our rue he was not at home. He has gone to the local fish market to choose for himself!
His approach towards life was completely different from many of his contemporary greats as he never wore the veil of his greatness or asked anyone to carry the weight of talent that could have undone anyone.
For anyone is would be too naïve to believe that Manna Dey can have any interest outside music. I was expecting him to gorge over the minute details. But when we met him he went on discussing all about sports, politics, and weather literary refusing to discuss music before lunch. When it came to the crux he went on to complete the song in 10 minutes flat. This was Manna Dey.
Years later, I met him as a journalist for a music magazine, during his last concert in the city, he shared the secret. “It is all about making the toughest things look easy. All my life I was offered songs that others have refused. I made [them] my own. Nothing has come to me easily. I had to work very hard for it and face many [rejections]. It is probably a punishment since I never wanted to become a singer,” Manna Dey said. “In my youth when I ran around creating mischief with my friends, boxing or wrestling, there was no desire to be a singer.”
A meticulous planner, Dey would often prepare extensively before rendering a song.
“I am especially indebted to Shankerji [of Shankar-Jaikishan famous music directors], for had it not been for his patronage, I would certainly not have attained the heights of success I enjoyed in my career. Here was one man who knew how to bring out the best in me. In fact, he was the first music director who dared to experiment with my voice by making me sing romantic numbers,” Dey recalled in his autobiography which was published in 2005 and was later translated into English (Memories Come Alive), in Hindi (Yaden Jee Uthi) and in Marathi.
“Everything that we all sing or play is classical. If you don’t get the alphabets right, do expect to right a correct sentence,” he said.
By Archisman Dinda Correspondent
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
