Monthly Archives: November 2014

Kanyashree success finds place in US filmmaker’s lens

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

Kolkata :

A short film on a young girl’s fight to stave off marriage and help her family make ends meet drew appreciation at the film festival on Sunday.

Made by Oscar winning American short filmmaker Megan Mylan, the film is about a beneficiary of the state government’s Kanyashree and Sabala schemes that are aimed at empowering the women of rural Bengal. Mylan said she read about 16-year-old Monika Barman of Cooch Behar in an article and was stunned by her resolve.

Titled ‘After My Garden Grows’, the ten-minute film is more like a clip that conveys a strong message. It shows Monika working to develop her family’s own garden on a plot of land where she grows vegetables and helps her father earn by selling them at the local market. She is shown discussing the perils of an early marriage with peers and village elders and asking everyone around not to get their daughters married at an early age.

“I have just shot what was really happening. It was amazing to see Monika changing the lives of adolescents in her village and fighting a tradition. Through my film, I have tried to portray what adolescent girls in India are faced with,” said Mylan, while speaking to newspersons on Sunday.

She was accompanied by the state child and women’s development minister Shashi Panja, who felt the film showed that the government’s initiatives are bearing fruit. “Both Monika and her elder sister Kanika, who got married and had a child at the age of 17, are beneficiaries of our schemes. The Kanyashree and Sabala schemes have been helping hundreds like them. Girls have now been made aware that they shouldn’t be getting married before 18. I congratulate Megan for having handled this gender issue so sensitively,” said the minister.

Monika is now back in school and continues to tend to her garden which helps her family earn money. Monika, who was present at the event, said she would not get married in the near future. “Now, I have the courage and the support to refuse marriage proposals. My father has been very supportive and he wants me to be self-sufficient. I hope other girls of my village follows my example,” she said.

The film could be used by the state government to project its rural schemes, Panja said. “We are exploring the possibility. It is indeed a good advertisement for our schemes,” she said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / November 17th, 2014

The man who built a bridge between Tamil and Bengali

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Chennai :

Building a bridge between two languages is not easy. But S Krishnamurthi (aka Calcutta Krishnamurthi), who died recently in the city, did exactly that by translating major works in Tamil into Bengali and vice versa in a career spanning more than five decades. He translated the works of veteran Bengali writers like Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Mahasweta Devi, Sunil Gangopadhyay and Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay into Tamil. Similarly, he translated classic Tamil Sangam literature ‘Tirukkural’ and many modern Tamil literary works into Bengali.

Krishnamurthi’s translation of Indira Parthasarathi’s novel “Kuruthippunal” into Bengali won him the Sahitya Akademi award in 1991. “He would invite visiting Tamil scholars and writers home for dinner after long conversations in the Bharathi Tamil Sangam in Calcutta. It would lead to a lot of discussions on literature in Tamil as well as in Bengali,” said Tirupur Krishnan, scholar and writer. Krishnamurthi died on September 7 in the city after suffering from illness. Speaking at a condolence meet organized by the Tamil Heritage Trust a couple of days ago, Krishnan said, “He should have been recognized in Chennai like the way he was in Bengal.”

Born in Pudukkottai in 1929, Krishnamurthi obtained his MA in English literature from Nagpur University. Even though he was fluent in his mother-tongue Tamil, he learnt other languages like Hindi, Bengali, Sanskrit, English and German. While he was working with the audit department of the Government of India in the then Madras state in 1955, he was transferred to Calcutta. He embraced Calcutta as his second home since then.

“After Subramanya Bharathi who translated Rabindranath Tagore’s works into Tamil, Krishnamurthi was the one who took up the challenge. He also translated English and Hindi books into Tamil, including “Nehru, Ideology and Practice”, written by veteran communist leader EMS Namboodiripad,” said R Gopu, a software engineer.

Krishnamurthi wrote biographies of Nazrul Islam, Sarat Chandra, Munshi Premchand and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in Tamil. K Mohan, a retired school teacher, said, “Krishnamurthi translated a Tagore story studded with proverbs with great expertise. It was a great attempt as he did not want to lose the flavour in Tamil. This was the main reason why communist leader and former chief minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu praised him for the beauty of his Bengali,” he said. Even though Krishnamurthi didn’t want to leave Kolkata, he had been living in Chennai for more than a year due to old-age related illness. He is survived by a daughter and a son.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Chennai / by M. T. Saju, TNN / September 16th, 2014

Indian farmers who fought WWI in France

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Caleidoscope

French consul-general Fabrice Etienne, director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale Stephane Amalir and General (retd) Shankar Roy Chowdhury at Victoria Memorial. (Anindya Shankar Ray)
French consul-general Fabrice Etienne, director of Alliance Francaise du Bengale Stephane Amalir and General (retd) Shankar Roy Chowdhury at Victoria Memorial. (Anindya Shankar Ray)

On a day when French President Francois Hollande was to pay a tribute to the 6,00,000 foreign soldiers who fell in World War I, Alliance Francaise du Bengale, in association with Victoria Memorial Hall, opened to the public a photography exhibition titled “War and the colonies”, presenting glimpses of soldiers at work on French soil from lands as varied as India, Ireland and Senegal, 100 years after the Great War.

“Around 28,500 Indian soldiers came to fight on French and Belgian soil as part of the British army by end-1914. They faced the severe winter of 1914-15 and the war in Neuve Chapelle in March, Ypres in April, Festubert in May and Los in September,” said French consul-general Fabrice Etienne at the inauguration of the exhibition at Victoria Memorial.

WW102KOLKATA17nov2014

“From 1914 to 1918, around 90,000 soldiers in various capacities fought for the freedom of France and Belgium. Of them, 8,500 died and 50,000 were injured. France will never forget the suffering and the heroism of these men,” he added.

General (retd) Shankar Roy Chowdhury pointed out that WWI was no concern of India. “It was not their war. But the Indian army was a professional one and part of the assets of the British Empire. What choice did they have?”

Two factors loaded the situation against them. “They were meant for imperial policing and not equipped for a full-blown battle. Within a week of arrival in Marseille, they were put in the assault zone. Also, their efficiency relied heavily on their personal bond with their British officers. But the 10-12 officers there were in each battalion died within the first week. Young officers, fresh from Britain, were sent in haste to lead the Indian troops.

“No wonder Indians did not fare well in France and Flanders, and were moved out to Asia Minor. Still they got nine Victoria Crosses for gallantry,” Roy Chowdhury said.

Without the colonies, the Allies could not have won, said Kaushik Roy, a professor of history at Jadavpur University. “Of a population of 235 million, 1.2 million Indians were serving in WWI. This is a significant percentage. Raised voluntarily, mainly from Meerut and Lahore, they were mostly illiterate farmers who did not write much except for some letters home. The poorest were not taken as they were thought to be malnourished. Punjabi Muslims, Sikhs, Garhwalis and Gorkhas were the dominant segments while Bengalis and Madrasis were under-represented,” Roy said.

WWI resulted in fragmented identity-building of each race, rather than evoke any pan-Indianness, he added.

The evening concluded with Theophilus Benjamin playing works of French composers on the guitar.

The exhibition is on till November 23, except Monday.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta / Front Page> Calcutta> Story> Caleidoscope / by Sudeshna Banerjee / Sunday – November 16th, 2014

Digi life for old records

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All
Suresh Chandvankar at the inauguration of the digitising centre at Weavers Studio. Picture by Bibhas Lodh
Suresh Chandvankar at the inauguration of the digitising centre at Weavers Studio. Picture by Bibhas Lodh

If you have inherited a collection of old gramophone records you have no idea how to preserve or perhaps even where to play, this is the address where to head. Weavers Studio Centre for the Arts has opened a digitising centre in its gallery space in Ballygunge Place where old and rare records are being digitised.

“We want collectors to come forward. We will digitise and archive their records and return the discs to them along with a CD of what we archived. We have started with 400 records and can digitise two records per day,” said founder Darshan Shah. Early 20th century single-sided cardboard Nicole, shellac Pathe, paper records and pre-World War I Beka-Grand records form part of their acquisition, sourced from flea markets. “We are working on a wide range of genres — Hindustani and Carnatic classical, folk, early film or theatre music, Bengali songs and speeches of leaders,” Shah added.

The centre wishes to disseminate the digitised content among music lovers and researchers through audio-visual exhibitions, listening kiosks and portals, guided listening sessions etc. It has set up a permanent listening facility for visitors to enjoy the digitised sound, on two computers with headphones and 10 Android phones gifted by Tata Docomo. On each phone, close to 150 audio clips have been uploaded, which are being changed depending on the theme of the exhibition organised most recently by the centre. “We can take the phones to schools or to other cities when we hold travelling exhibitions,” Shah said.

Schools are also being invited to send students over to experience India’s audio history. One can walk in and listen to any of the digitised material like the “Tryst with destiny” speech of Jawaharlal Nehru or Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago address, or voices of Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi. There are also 70 versions of Vande Mataram. The listening facility is available on weekdays, 3pm to 7pm.

The centre was inaugurated by Suresh Chandvankar, the secretary of the Society of Indian Record Collectors in Mumbai. “In Calcutta, where India’s first commercial recording was done in 1902 by Gauhar Jaan for The Gramophone Company, there are people with knowledge in the field but not many are ready to come forward and share it. This is the first time that a digital archive is being set up and exhibitions on records being held by a private body unsupported by the government,” said Chandvankar, who has bought an apartment on the outskirts of Mumbai just to store his collection of records.

Even after a record has been digitised, Chandvankar argues for its preservation. “Digital can never replace the physical form. When a new technology comes, the physical recording will be needed again.”

The future of preservation, he believes, is a virtual archive. “Put all digital material on Cloud. And for outreach, the best channel is social media,” he advised. “But when it comes to sound quality, aficionados abroad are getting tired of the digital sound. So a revival of the disc is on the cards. In fact, many of my collector friends believe that the 78 rpm disc has the best sound quality.”

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta / Front Page> Calcutta> Story / by Sudeshna Banerjee / Sunday – November 16th, 2014

Expo on lost Kalamkari textile in city

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Kolkata :

They had originated and proliferated in India, possibly in Tanjore, in the late 16th or early 17th century under the patronage of the Mughal emperors. But, with the passage of time, Kalamkari paintings on textiles faded into oblivion.

Thousands of miles away, a museum in France on the Swiss border has preserved some of the oldest specimens of Kalamkari paintings on textiles. These are very rare to find even in museums within the country.

For a fortnight starting on Wednesday, the textile gallery of the Indian Museum will showcase the world famous ‘Tapis Moghol’ — some of the most elaborate designs replete with mysterious animals, birds, foliage and flowers — that hold the key to many stories of the times. The ‘Tapis Moghol’, that dates back to the late 16th or early 17th century, has been preserved for the world at the En Musea De L’Impression Sur Etoffes De Mulhouse or the Museum of Printed Textiles at Mulhouse, France.

Kalamkari paintings in its earliest form were motifs painted on large wall hangings that were used to decorate the altar behind the deity. Kalamkari, though, is not a lost art form in the sense that it is still practised in both the painted and block printed versions. But, we have lost most of the original designs that were popular when it was used as an altar backdrop in South Indian temples.

“A gentleman called Funffrock, who was an employee of the French East India Company, was posted in Tanjore. The Frenchman was immensely interested in the traditional art form and got a cotton cloth, measuring eight feet by eight feet, done up with rich intricate designs that showcased the best motifs of that time. With time, this became the focal exhibit, around which the other collections of the period grew. The exhibition will give the city a glimpse of the Funffrock collection,” explained Ruby Palchowdhury, spokesperson of the Crafts Council of West Bengal, which is a wing of the Crafts Council of India and is funded by the Centre.

Textile and culture ministries and the Alliance Francaise have funded the expo that will have 25 panels to show off design details and the stories underneath. The exhibition has been curated by ethnic historian Lotika Varadarajan.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Jhumli Mukherjee Pandey, TNN / November 16th, 2014

Japanese scholar traces history of Kolkata

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All, World Opinion

Kolkata :

Once Okamoto Yoshiko starts speaking on the history of Bengal, jaws are bound to drop. Yoshiko, a history scholar of modern Japanese thought at Institute of Asian Cultural Studies of International Christian University, Tokyo, is tracing the untold history of Bengal and the city in connection with modern Japanese thought.

For last few days, she has been running from one house to another belonging to forgotten luminaries of Calcutta in search of documents, old photographs and books to track the vibrant bond Japan shared with Bengal more than 100 years ago.

Recently, Yoshiko was sifting through old books and documents at the house of Tapan Sen, great grandson of Narendranath Sen (1843-1911), the founder-editor of nationalist newspaper, Indian Mirror.

“He was a liberal Hindu, with a deep interest in other religions, particularly Buddhism. He was the founder of the Theosophical Society of Bengal,” Yoshiko said.

Yoshiko is working towards a book on an international religious conference that was to be held in Japan — a cancelled event at Kyoto in 1903. The key mover of the conference was Okakura Kakuzo (1863 -1913). This was after Kakuzo and art historian and Japanese monk Oda Tokuno came to Kolkata in 1902 and 1903 and met literary, cultural and spiritual luminaries like Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda and Sister Nivedita. Narendranath Sen was elected chairman of the committee for the religious conference, Yoshiko said.

Why did the conference not shape up? “One of the reasons was the premature death of Swami Vivekananda. Without him the conference would have lost its sheen. There were other reasons as well. But the cancelled conference became a threshold of modern Japanese thought and forged an international intellectual network. With the idea of one-Asia, Kakuzo ceased to identify himself as Japanese but an Asian,” Yoshiko explained. The conference evoked world-wide response. Two Indian monks — Swami Rama Tirtha and Agamiya Parama Tattava — travelled to Tokyo for the conference.

Kakuzo had some wonderful intellectual exchanges with Narendranath Sen, who first interviewed Vivekananda after his return to India. In fact, Narendranath was the prime mover behind Vivekananda’s supposed participation at the Kyoto conference, the scholar explained. Yoshiko was sad that the original house of Narendranath Sen was razed.

Like Tagore, Kakuzo’s prophesy in his book, ‘The Ideas of the East’, proved true a century later, she said. “He noted that Japan’s rapid modernization was not universally applauded in Asia,” Yoshiko said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay, TNN / November 13th, 2014

Spotlight on heritage assets

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel

The Kathgola Palace, where the then chief of the British East India Company had met Mir Jafar after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, has regained some of its lost glory. The house of the Jagat Seth family, pre-eminent for its powerful moneylenders and bankers in the first half of the 18th century, has been restored, too.

Decrepit and prey to vandals till a couple of years back, both buildings are now popular tourist spots in Murshidabad, which was the capital of undivided Bengal during the Mughal era.

“They are now sustainable heritage properties and generate Rs 10 crore in tourism revenue,” said Pradip Chopra of the PS Group, who is also president of Murshidabad Heritage Development Society.

The Murshidabad model of conservation will be showcased along with other successful conservation projects in a seminar titled “Get the best out of your Heritage Property/Assets” at Palladian Lounge on November 22 and 23. The seminar will be part of “Resurgence — 3rd Murshidabad Heritage Festival 2014” to be held at Hazarduari palace and Kathgola palace in Murshidabad.

The Murshidabad Heritage Development Society is organising the festival, along with CREDAI Bengal, The Palladian-Asian Hotels North Limited, Hotels and Restaurants Association of Eastern India, The Calcutta Gastronomes, Intach and ASI.

“It will bring together stakeholders like property owners, developers, tour operators, hoteliers, restaurateurs and conservationists to develop a sustainable conservation effort,” said Anjan Mitra, architect and seminar coordinator.

The seminar will have an eclectic mix of speakers, including Debasish Nayak, the director of the Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University, civil engineer R.K. Anil, Aman Nath of Neemrana Fort Palace Hotel, Raj Basu of Help Tourism, Kasturi Gupta Menon, the chairperson of Crafts Council of India, and Sunil Rampuria, a heritage property owner in Bikaner.

Heritage is not just the building but also history, memories, lifestyles, craft, cuisine and a host of other things that need to be conserved holistically, said Mitra. So the inclusion of stakeholders like The Calcutta Gastronomes represented by chef Shaun Kenworthy.

The teaser launch of the seminar at Palladian Lounge on Tuesday showcased the royal vegetarian cuisine of Murshidabad, called Sheherwali cuisine.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta / Front Page> Calcutta> Story / Thursday – November 13th, 2014

Eden Gardens 150 years stamps released by CAB

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Sports
Bishan Singh Bedi made his Test debut at the Eden Gardens Dec 31, 1966 against the West Indies – a match infamous for a riot at the gallery © IANS (File Photo)
Bishan Singh Bedi made his Test debut at the Eden Gardens Dec 31, 1966 against the West Indies – a match infamous for a riot at the gallery © IANS (File Photo)

Kolkata:

The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Tuesday released postage stamps to commemorate 150 years of the Eden Gardens, considered the home of cricket in this part of the world, as legends of the game nostalgically recalled their fond memories of the iconic ground.

The first day covers of the stamps, released under the India Post My Stamp venture, were brought out at a star-studded function on the historic ground, which hosted the World Cup final in 1987.

Postage stamps were also released to mark the contribution of CAB chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, former head of the world cricket governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) and its India affiliate, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The function was graced by the legendary spin trio – Bishan Singh Bedi, Erappali Prasanna and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar – as also former Indian skippers Ajit Wadekar and Dilip Vengsarkar, besides West Indies‘ fast bowling great Michael Holding. CAB joint secretary and ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly joined the celebrations midway into the programme.

Wadekar, who led India to historic series triumphs in England and West Indies in the early 1970s, said after Lords, the ground he relished more during his long cricketing career as player and coach was Eden.

“The facilities at Eden gardens was excellent, the people were very hospitable.”

Narrating a funny incident when he was India’s coach, Wadekar said he once offered England batsman Mike Gatting a prawn curry. “He liked it so much that he kept eating. As a result he could not go to the field the next day. His absence helped us win the match here.”

Bedi made his Test debut at the Eden Gardens Dec 31, 1966 against the West Indies – a match infamous for a riot at the gallery.

“I have fond memories of Eden Gardens. During my debut Test there was fire in the stands. There was a teargas charge. Players ran helter skelter. You can say that for me, it was baptism by fire,” he quipped.

Describing Eden as the most “electrifying stadium” in the world, Bedi said: “It is a proud momenta nostalgic moment for me to be here. Eden can give the Melbourne Cricket Ground [MCG] a lot to chase.”

Master legspinner Chandrasekhar, who had some great successes at the ground, said before making it to the Indian team, he had his first look at the Eden Gardens in 1962 during a visit to the city. “I was sitting in the gallery and thinking how I wish to play here!!”

Considered a lameduck batsman, Chandrasekhar said his most memorable moment in the Eden came in 1964, when he and Bapu Nadkarni put on 51 runs for the last wicket against England.

Prasanna, who prides himself as the son-in-law of Kolkata having married a Bengali, said the city and the CAB has never forgotten him. “Whenever I have come to the city, even for personal visits, the way I’m looked after is great.”

Comparing his hometown Bangalore to Kolkata, he said: “Banglalore’s hospitality is unbelievably low. The warmth and liking that Kolkata exudes has always floored me.”

Vengsarkar, who also went down memory lane, said ahead of his first Test experience at the Eden Gardens in 1978-79, he was told that one has to bat, bowl and field well at the ground. “As otherwise, the crowd will be after you.”

“I made sure I did well, I got my maiden Test hundred during the match against the West Indies. Later [in 1987-88] I scored another 100 on this ground.”

Holding said the 150 year association between cricket and Eden itself was commendable. “Not many associations, companionships or friendships last that long. But the fact that the association has lasted has given a fillip to the game here as also the CAB.”

Ganguly, for whom Eden was the home ground, said the stadium has through the years provided happiness, fun and satisfaction to the players, the crowd and sports administrators”.

source: http://www.cricketcountry.com / The Cricket Country / Home / Kolkata – November 11th, 2014

Murshidabad to get heritage hotels

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel

Kolkata :

Murshidabad, 250 kilometres north of Kolkata and the erstwhile capital of undivided Bengal, offers an unparalleled treasure-trove of heritage to tourists, both domestic and international. But, thanks to years of neglect and indifference, the majestic buildings are falling apart and the art, crafts and cuisines of the past are fading into oblivion.

The Murshidabad Heritage Development Society (MHDS), which has launched the revival project for Murshidabad through conservation of buildings, running of museums of family heirlooms, exhibitions of lost arts and crafts, cuisines, handloom and textile, have now planned to initiate the next level of heritage campaigns — converting some of the palatial buildings into heritage hotels to attract tourists and generate a tourism-centric industry.

MHDS, along with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on the occasion of World Heritage Week will hold a seminar at Palladian in Kolkata on November 22 to create awareness about the rich and vibrant heritage of Bengal encompassing architecture, arts and history and build a learning bridge between our past, present and future.

But, if you think that Murshidabad is only a hub of the Nawabi heritage, you should look beyond. Along with Nawabi culture, a powerful stream of rich traders and bankers, mostly from Rajasthan, had made its mark here. More than 400 years ago, they came, settled, prospered, built mansions, places of worships and even schools and colleges. They were known as ‘Sheherwali’. “We have identified 97 such heritage buildings with fascinating architecture and historical importance,” said Sandip Nowlakha, founder secretary of MHDS.

Murshidabad cuisine in general, or ‘Sheherwali’ cuisine in particular, is one such fascinating aspect of the heritage. “The love for food, especially all things sweet, is an apt description of any ‘Sheherwali’ cuisine. Food features prominently in the community, having evolved passionately through centuries of their existence in Bengal. ‘Sheherwali’ cuisine is possibly the finest vegetarian spread one can find, even in modern times,” said Siddharth Dudhoria, the founder president of MHDS.

The symposium aims at fine-tuning the heritage-tourism model being developed by the MHDS. It would put together experts across the country and bring forth some successful models. “Heritage can be a great revenue earner. Unless we drive this point home, we cannot make younger generation understand the value of our heritage. Several heritage buildings at places like Azimgunj, Ziagunj, Lalgola, Kathgola can be heritage hotels offering finest heritage experiences. Once heritage generates revenue and employment, the care for it would reach the zenith,” said Pradeep Chopra, president of MHDS.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / TNN / November 12th, 2014

Former child prodigy leads naval band to Kolkata

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Kolkata :

He claims that he only managed to chew on the harmonica that his father gifted him at the age of four. His father, however, believed that there was something in the way he played it. By the age of six, he was playing a piano and barely six year’s later, he was invited to the Teen Murti Auditorium in New Delhi to play the piano on the occasion of the bicentenary celebrations of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This child grew up to be Lt CdrSatish K Champion, principal conductor of the Navy’s Eastern Command Band that is presently in Kolkata.

“I am from Chennai but was born and brought up in Mumbai. My father was in the Navy as well. After starting with the piano, I passed a series of examinations under the aegis of the Royal School of Music, London. Even then, I had not planned a career in music but took up computers. This was when the two officers from the music wing of the Navy retired and they started looking for talent. I was selected,” Champion told TOI.

Joining was not even half of the job done. Over the next few months, he had to gain sufficient mastery over several musical instruments and had to pass several rounds of tests. After all, he was to be a conductor. Champion is also formally trained on the trumpet apart from the piano and has several musical compositions to his credit.

On Sunday evening, Champion and the members of his band mesmerized the audience at Lascar Memorial. The selection of tunes was done to suit the occasion. While numbers like Colonel Bogey (of Bridge on the River Kwai fame) got people clapping, many in the audience were tapping their feet during the Rock and Roll medley. The Xylophone solo ‘Tipy Toes’, composed by Champion was also a hit as was Henry L Kling’s composition ‘Piccolo Duet’.

On Monday, the band performed at the ICCR Auditorium. On Tuesday, it is scheduled to perform at the Tollygunge Club. This back to back schedule hasn’t been easy for the band.

“We are hardly getting any time to rehearse. After all, the selections will have to be different for every location. The compositions will depend on the audience and the ambience. We have to adapt to the changes at each location. However, I have full confidence in the members of the band and they are doing their best,” Champion added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Jayanta Gupta, TNN / November 10th, 2014