A Blog begun years ago as a stroll on the Funny Side of Serious
Street, highlighting India's problems. Revived by adding memories of old
Bombay, including excerpts from Dreams of One Country.
I was in college when the first jukebox arrived in Bombay. Within months every Irani restaurant in town - from VT Station to Flora Fountain to Museum to Colaba - including the Empire, Bastani's and Leopold's - had a jukebox. In those days there were far more Irani restaurants in the city than south Indian or Udupis. People went there specially for tea, cakes, pastries, samosas and a technicolor cold drink called falooda Anyway, I became a confirmed jukebox fan. Or a juke junkie? (I did not even spare lunch money, making up for that at home. At dinner.) Every day from college I headed out to town for the music. The jukeboxes were showpieces with flowing coloured lights. You put in a 4-anna bit and pressed the button against the song you wanted in a side-list. A mechanical arm moved the record on to the turntable. Then stereophonic sound filled the restaurant. Over mutton samosas and tea, the music enthralled me. My favourite Hindi singer was and still is Mukesh. But the piece of music on which I lavished my lunch money was Billy Vaughn's orchestra.playing Sail Along Silvery Moon.
Soon we were heading into the Rock-n-Roll era beginning with Bill Haley and the Comets. And everyone wanted to hear the new big beat music. Songs from the movie Rock Around the Clock - the story of how Rock began with Bill Haley - became chartbusters. Among the movie's songs I still remember the Platters crooning The Great Pretender.
Times changed. Not only did the fancy jukeboxes disappear, but - in an increasingly narrow-minded world - so did old Bombay's Irani restaurants.
Tail-Lights
1. India Cinemascopic
My novel Dreams of One Country - for download on I-phone, pad or computer from Amazon.com - is a moving panorama of young dreams and ideas inspiring India's people to come together as Ek Desh (One Country) and build a truly modern nation.
2. Can Happy Families Afford to Shut up?
Nothing is easier in the world than to jump to conclusions, misunderstand and add to misunderstandings. The preventive treatment is a family policy to bring up issues openly - if there is doubt, confusion or a suspicion of motive or intention. An unknown proverb: In families initial annoyance is better than lifetime rifts.
Jukebox Junkie In Old Bombay
I was in college when the first jukebox arrived in Bombay. Within months every Irani restaurant in town - from VT Station to Flora Fountain to Museum to Colaba - including the Empire, Bastani's and Leopold's - had a jukebox. In those days there were far more Irani restaurants in the city than south Indian or Udupis. People went there specially for tea, cakes, pastries, samosas and a technicolor cold drink called falooda Anyway, I became a confirmed jukebox fan. Or a juke junkie? (I did not even spare lunch money, making up for that at home. At dinner.) Every day from college I headed out to town for the music. The jukeboxes were showpieces with flowing coloured lights. You put in a 4-anna bit and pressed the button against the song you wanted in a side-list. A mechanical arm moved the record on to the turntable. Then stereophonic sound filled the restaurant. Over mutton samosas and tea, the music enthralled me. My favourite Hindi singer was and still is Mukesh. But the piece of music on which I lavished my lunch money was Billy Vaughn's orchestra.playing Sail Along Silvery Moon.
Soon we were heading into the Rock-n-Roll era beginning with Bill Haley and the Comets. And everyone wanted to hear the new big beat music. Songs from the movie Rock Around the Clock - the story of how Rock began with Bill Haley - became chartbusters. Among the movie's songs I still remember the Platters crooning The Great Pretender.
Times changed. Not only did the fancy jukeboxes disappear, but - in an increasingly narrow-minded world - so did old Bombay's Irani restaurants.
*
Tail-Lights
1. India Cinemascopic
My novel Dreams of One Country - for download on I-phone, pad or computer from Amazon.com - is a moving panorama of young dreams and ideas inspiring India's people to come together as Ek Desh (One Country) and build a truly modern nation.
2. Can Happy Families Afford to Shut up?
Nothing is easier in the world than to jump to conclusions, misunderstand and add to misunderstandings. The preventive treatment is a family policy to bring up issues openly - if there is doubt, confusion or a suspicion of motive or intention. An unknown proverb: In families initial annoyance is better than lifetime rifts.
***
