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Dastak – The Knocking

In 2002, a musician by profession, Dinesh Ghate took the initiative of forming Dastak (Now Swar Aalap), a magazine aimed to feature the legendary musicians of the Indian Film Music Industry to acknowledge and appreciate their valuable contributions.

In the following year in 2003, Dinesh Ghate was successful in getting two legendary musicians of the Indian Film music industry’s all-time greatest musicians Cawas Lord (Multi-Instrumentalist & Percussionist) and Tony Vaz (ace Bass Guitarist) on one stage to appreciate their contribution. It was a memorable and emotionally charged evening mesmerizing the audience and numerous musicians, who had gathered that evening. Musicians and supporters of the cause joined hands to honor two legendary icons of the Music Industry.

The uncrowned king

The uncrowned king of Percussion Mr. Cawas Lord, who is fondly called “Cawas Kaka” by his fans, friends and fellow musicians; and the inimitable Bass Guitarist Mr. Tony Vaz. Despite physical discomfort and health issues, they both braved the evening to the best of their endurance.

The auditorium was flushed with excitement at the presence of such venerated personalities. One was Manohari Singh, who is considered India’s most accomplished musician and arranger of his era. Also present on the momentous occasion were Kersi Lord, the son of Cawas Lord, and a Music Arranger of international repute; and the well-known Playback Singer and ace guitarist Bhupender Singh, who stole the show with his short and sweet but extremely effective tributes to Cawas Kaka, and Tony Vaz. It was a sentimental moment for all as Bhupender called Mr. Tony Vaz ‘papa’ and teased him with anecdotes of the past.

The mellifluous renditions

The Program began with a 2-minute silent as a mark of respect to veteran lyricist and poet Shri Qamar Jalalabadi. He had passed away on January 9th, 2003. The songs rendered that evening were selected from the long list of evergreen musical gems. The songs originally played by the two dignitaries being felicitated. The icing on the cake was the towering presence of Playback singer  Sudesh Bhosle. He regaled the audience not only with his mellifluous renditions but also with his humorous antics on stage. The other singers who made their mark on stage were Shailaja, Kiran Shembekar, Poonam Bhatia, Vaishali Karnik and Viren Bilicia.

The sincerity and gusto

The musicians on stage performed with extreme sincerity and gusto. Ajay Madan, one of the senior-most guitarists conducted the full orchestra, which was brimming over with highly talented musicians. On keyboards, there were accomplished players like Deepak Walke, Chitti Pillai and Nandu Kerkar. Their playing was a lesson in synchronization of melody and harmony. Adding to the grandeur of sound was the richness of Suraaj Sathe’s accomplished Accordion playing which was streamlined by the expert guitarists Kiran Hingne (Acoustic Guitar) and Manish Kulkarni (Bass Guitar). Manish has imbibed the typical style of Tony Vaz’s playing. All who heard him were reminded of Tony Vaz. The percussion was led by Vijay Jadhav, on Bongo – who reminded all of Cawas Kaka’s style and nuances of playing. The Dhamankar brothers, Satish and Sachin were in total control of the Dholak, Bongo, Tabla and Octopad. Vinay Gavankar on the Tumba delighted all with his expertise. Nitin Shankar, one of the rhythm arrangers of today’s music industry played the Tumba with extreme deftness adding to the balance of the orchestra. Ravji, who is considered one of the senior-most drummers, too graced the stage. It was a brilliant collection of talent on stage, and the sound of the orchestra was expertly handled by Sound Recordist Sanjay Rane. Dastak – A Nostalgic Musical Evening in 2003 was one of the greatest moments in history.

Highlights of the event:

Songs with original percussion (Bongo) by Cawas Lord, replayed by present-day musicians:

Mera Naam Hai Shabnam (Kati Patang), Main Sitaron Ka Tarana (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi), Jiya Ho Jiya (Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai), Mere Toote Huye Dil Se (Chhalia), Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara (Jewel Thief) and Hits from “Teesri Manzil”.

Songs with original bass guitar by Tony Vaz replayed by present days musicians:

Jaane Do Na (Saagar), Nisha Aha ha, (Sanam Teri Kasam), Aisa Sama Na Hota (Zameen Aasmaan), Meri Jaan Maine Kaha, Pyar Hume Kis Mod Pe (Satte Pe Satta) and so on.

The program was a great success. Thanks to all the supporters including Subhashini Shivpuri, Vaishali Karnik, Rajat Nath, Navin Manaraja, Rajan Ranadive and Kiran Hingne. It was a rewarding dream come true for Dinesh Ghate and proved to all that teamwork can help in the success of any dream, however impossible it may be.