GRAMOPHONE-Episode : Sipra Roy
Both of my parent came from pretty wealthy family but they themselves spent in financial crisis throughout their life since I became aware of financial condition.
My father had good job in RailwayThey suffered financially. because my father took extra responsibility of the whole family not under compulsion but by voluntary will and being offspring of wealthy family they had the habit of spending liberally, often out of budget .
My father was foodie. himself. He also loved to give treat occasionally to people .So far I remember besides the large number of members, lots of guests used to come our house. For a long time I even ,didn't know that they are not any of our relatives having blood relation!....
My father was a great connoisseur of music, He himself was also a good musician. We have gramophone . My father used to invite guests whenever new records were bought. It was like a function at home ;music- loving people used to come ;enjoyed the music with snacks ;we the kids played around the events. Generally we were inside the house before evening ; it was great to see and play with friends in the late evening!many a time I saw myself sleeping on the 'galicha' near the silent gramophone among my father and remaining 2/3 persons.
I heard from my father later , rather to say, the story of his lamentation, thus :
In 1930 he got his third posting in Modhupur railway, a cute salubrious town of Bihar. The Upper class people, chiefly from Calcutta crowded here every year as tourists for weather and as a health- resort . The railway neighborhood resembled a piece of wealthy village -town of London and occupied mostly by the white British people . London-based record company HMV( His Masters Voice )wished to pitch in British-owned Calcutta. Fred Gaisberg, assistant of the inventor Emily Berliner along with William Barry Owen came on a mission to capture Indian Music. The first recording Studio Company was founded in DumDum of Calcutta; the very first Record company in South East Asia. Some big shot officer of the company used to come as tourist in Modhupur and came to be close friend to my father Some more renowned persons( who came as tourists ) happened to be close friends to my father. My father arranged musical program in Railway Recreation Club, which had really gorgeous auditorium. Famous artists like GauherJan Bibi , Juthica Devi, Beena Devi etc ,used to come and perform. My father also sang as local artist in the function .
Either William Barry /or some other powerful officer of the company requested my father to record his music. they were some (classical based) religious song;"Modhubanme Radhika "// "Mere To girdhari Gopal".My father was blown away in joy; he informed my grand father cheerfully that he needed to go Calcutta for one /two days for recording .My grandfather burst out in anger and gave him warning not to keep any contact with the Company who recorded the voice of the women who were socially degraded /outskirt. My father became extremely sad as his dream of recorded artist was nip-in-the bud but he obeyed my grandfather. In1930s there was neither name nor fame of HMV. He didn't record but he enjoyed in practicing music regularly in the morning and evening prayer up to his last stage of life!
By the way, I saw once Beena Devi in her old age taking chat with my father after the function was over. She was very fashionable. and beautiful, even in her old age ! Her religious songs were heard often in the morning program in All India Radio, Kolkata.
***'Gramophone 'was a great wonder to me. I had no idea about the science of this music-machine . The sound of music from a super-shiny wooden box without the presence of any person was utterly mysterious to me !
Out of immense curiosity I asked some of the elders how and wherefrom the music was pouring ?
He/she answered seriously that a little fairy/angel was there who performed.
I asked,"I never saw anybody; please let me see her/him once ! how do they managed to enter inside this small box and how were they able to get out?"
"They are tiny and invisible !" I believed that lie for long time .
"What they eat when they are hungry?"I asked.
" Hey crazy baby! Fairies are never hungry ;they live on nectar which is needed only once in a year!
I asked my sister whether it could be true. My elder sister also convinced me so!
But I always stayed nearby the gramophone . I blocked my cryptic eyes with palm ,waiting with a hope if the mystic fairy slipped to be invisible someday by mistake and caught hold into my sight ! But at last, I always fell into slumber in sheer despair.
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