Mukesh Chandra Mathur was born in a small middle class family in Delhi on July 22, 1923. He was interested in acting and singing right from childhood and was a great fan and admirer of K. L. Saigal. In spite of the fact that he only studied till the 10th grade, he was able to obtain a good job as an assistant surveyor in the department of public works, where he worked for seven months. However fate had other plans for him. While in Delhi Mukesh had recorded some non-film songs secretly. Then, Mukesh was bitten by the Bombay bug like scores of other young people before and after him. He arrived in Bombay with the hope of becoming a movie star. He stayed with his relative the famous actor Motilal.With Motilal's help, Mukesh got a role as an actor in the film Years later, he was to act again in Raj Kapoor’s Aah in 1953. His debut as a singer however came in the film Nirdosh with the song 'Dil Hi Bujha Hua..', then followed a duet with singer Kusum for the film Us Paar the song was 'Zara Boli Ri Ho..'. He later went on to sing the song 'Badariya Baras Gayi Us Paar..' with Khursheed in the film Moorti. By this time he had established a small place for himself in the hearts of his audience. Then came an important milestone in his life. The year was 1945 and Anil Biswaas asked him to record the song 'Dil Jalta Hai To Jalne De..' for the film Pehli Nazar. That song brought a still relatively unknown Mukesh to the altar of public fame. A legend was born and in the coming decades his golden voice would be heard in songs from Aag, Anokhi Ada and Mela across the entire nation.In 1949, came another milestone in his life. His association with Raj Kapoor and Shankar- Jaikishan. Raj Kapoor had asked them to provide music for his R.K. films and Shankar- Jaikishan invited Mukesh to sing for them. The chartbusting success of the music in films like Awara and Shree 420 spread Mukesh’s voice all the way to Russia where even in the streets of Moscow you could hear people singing 'Awaara Hoon..' and 'Mera Joota Hai Japani..'. Raj Kapoor being the astute filmmaker that he was understood the importance of good film music and the direct impact it had on the success or failure of a film at the box office. His personal interest in music helped him. He would review every tune with Shankar- Jaikishan and his personal approval was needed before a tune was selected for the final recording. Raj Kapoor was present at the studio during the recording of all his songs, personally cheering the orchestra. The result of such dedication can be seen years later when each new generation freshly discovers the gems that lie embedded on the sound-tracks of such movies as Aah, Awara, Barsaat, Shree 420, Anari, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, Mera Naam Joker and many more. With the success of Raj Kapoor was intertwined the success of Mukesh and Shankar- Jaikishan.

However life was not always that easy and smooth. Following Awaara's success, Mukesh almost ruined himself when he sidelined his singing career to pursue acting to try and make it as a singing star. Mashooqa (1953) with Suraiyya and Anuraag (1956) with Usha Kiron both sank at the box-office. He also did a small role as a tangewala enacting his own song - Choti si Zindagani in Raj Kapoor's Aah (1953). Wizened by the ordeal, Mukesh returned to playback singing only to find that offers had dried up. The situation reached a point that his children Nitin and Ritu were turned out of school as they were unable to pay their fees.It was finally with 'Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai..' from Yahudi (1958), that Mukesh finally came back with a bang. Other hits that year like Madhumati, Parvarish and Phir Subah Hogi meant there was no turning back. Even S. D. Burman who had not utilized Mukesh's services for over a decade composed those two masterpieces for him - 'Chal Ri Sajni..' from Bombay ka Babu (1960) and 'O Jaanewaale Ho Sake To Laut Ke Aana..' from Bandini (1963). Mukesh thereafter flourished right through the 1960s and mid 1970s with soulful hits like 'Main to Ek Khwab Hoon..' from Himalay Ki God Mein (1965), 'Jeena Yahaan Marna Yahaan..' from Mera Naam Joker, 'Maine Tere Liye Hi Saat Rang Ke Sanpne Chune..' from Anand (1970), 'Main Na Bhoolonga..' from Roti, Kapda Aur Makan (1974) and of course 'Main Pal do Pal Ka Shayar Hoon..' and 'Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Me..' from Kabhi Kabhi (1976). Among the other music directors for whom Mukesh sang a good number of his songs were Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, Salil Choudhary, Usha Khanna, R. D. Burman,etc. Another music director to have used Mukesh’s voice well was Khaiyyam. The lyrics of Sahir Ludhianvi, Khaiyyam’s music and Mukesh’s voice created magic in the film Kabhi Kabhi.In 1974 Mukesh received a National award for the song 'Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai..' sung in the film Rajinigandha composed by Salil Choudhary. His last recorced song was Chanchal, Sheetal, Nirmal, Komal from Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978). He died on 27th August 1976, of a sudden heart attack in Detroit, while on a concert tour of the U.S. Although he is no more, his ever green voice is still being heard in some remote corner or the other.

ASHA BHOSLE

Asha Bhosle's career who worked as extensively with trendsetting composers across three generations, from O. P. Naiyyar's breezy, foot-tapping ditties of the 1950s to R. D. Burman's pop blitzkrieg in the 1970s to A. R. Rahman's sensational contemporary rhythms? Her distinctiveness arises from her enormous appetite for experimentation. She sang one of Hindi cinema's first rock 'n' roll numbers, 'Eena Meena Deeka..' way back in the 1950s. She has recorded memorable ghazals with the likes of Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh, pop songs with Biddu and innumerable disco numbers with Bappi Lahiri. Asha Bhonsle, one of the Mangeshkar sisters was born on September 8, 1933 to the renowed Maharashtrian parent, actor and singer Dinanath Mangeshkar in a small hamlet called 'Goar' in Maharastra. Like her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar, Asha also initially did a small stint as a child artist. But being trained in classical music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar it was more natural she too turn to playback singing like Lata did. In April 1942 her father Dinath Mangeshkar died, causing upheaval in the family which moved from Pune to Kolhapur and in turn to Bombay. Around the age of ten she apparently sang her first film song in the Marathi film Majha Bal. Asha like her other sisters and brother was introduced to music at a very tender age. Asha remembers her birthplace as she says " I still remember my childhood days in sangli, because of me Lata didi use to bunk the school, I cannot forget sangli as it's my birth place ".Asha made her playback debut in 1948 with the film Chunariya. But it took a long, long time for Asha to make it to the top. By the end of 1949 with the release of Lahore, Barsat, Andaaz and Mahal, Lata Mangeshkar became first love of all the music directors. Asha didn't get her true share despite being equally good. Besides there were some music directors who thought of Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt first in the absence of Lata. This left Asha almost nothing. Only some low budget films, or on occasions where Lata was not available, songs came Asha's way. It was composrs like Master Krishna Dayal, Vinod, Hansraj Behl, Basant Prakash, Dhaniram, Sardul Quatra and others who gave songs to Asha in early days of her career. Apart from Chunariya the only film were Asha has sung is Lekh and Khel both in 1949. In Lekh she has a solo, besides a duet with Mukesh 'Ye Kafila Hai Pyaar Ka Chalta Hi Jayega..' under the baton of Master Krishna Dayal. The fame came to her way only after Armaan (1953). Here she sung under S. D. Burman that famous song 'Chahe Kitna Mujhe Tum Bulavo Ji, Nahi Bolungi Nahi Bolungi..'. The same song was sung as duet too, with Talat Mahmood.

And it followed with Ravi picking up where S. D. Burman left, in 1954 Vachan with one good song with Mohd. Rafi : 'Jab Liya Haath Mein Haath..'. This lone song gave her enough ground to establish her self firmly. But till this time it was films like Ek Do Teen (1951), Muqqaddar (1950), Ramman (1954), Saloni (1952), Bijli (1950), Naualakha Haar (1954), Jagriti (1953) and other such films with one or two songs, gave her some hope to sustain.1957 was her breakthrough year when O. P. Naiyyar used her to sing the heroine's songs in Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Naya Daur. The same year S. D. Burman had his rift with Lata. Also Geeta Dutt’s troubled marriage did not make her easily available . Consequently S. D. Burman chose to groom Asha along with O. P. Naiyyar rather than wait for Geeta. The following year Asha made it right to the top with hit songs in films like Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti ka Naam Ghadi (1958) and Lajwanti (1958). Asha got involved with O. P. Naiyyar and thereafter she remained his premier singer till their break-up in the 1970s. The 1960s saw Asha at her best as she belted out her best songs particularly under O. P. Naiyyar's baton. The 1970s also brought her close with R. D. Burman who gave her a new hip and happening sound altogether. 'Piya Tu Ab To Aajaa..' (Caravan), 'Dum Maro Dum..' (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), offered fresh and stimulating challenges to her voice. 'Jaane Jaan..' from Jawaani Diwaani (1972) had her switching from the higher scales to the absolute lower ones within the song with ease! 1980’s brought a lucky and prosperous year for Asha as she rocked the show with evergreen ghazals like 'Dil Cheez Kya Hai..', 'In Aankhon ki Masti..', 'Yeh Kya Jagah hai Doston..', 'Justaju Jiski Ki..' (All Umrao Jaan), a few of the finest singing. Ijaazat (1987) saw her in top form winning a National Award for 'Mera Kuchh Saamaan..', a most difficult song to sing as the lyrics were more in prose form rather than standard rhythmic verse. In the 1990s Asha has even further widened her horizon by succesfully coming out with albums in Indipop giving the albums a western touch and beating the Indian pop artists on their own turf. Though she has cut down on her singing now she still makes an Urmila Matonder or Aishwarya Rai sizzle in Rangeela (1994) or Taal (1999).Today her vocals are in better, more supple, sensuous and inviting shape then ever before. If we listen to her singing R. D. Burman’s 'Teri Meri Yaari Badi Purani..', right before going on to Sandeep Chowta’s 'Kambakht Ishq..', we notice no perceptible difference in the rendition of the two tracks, even though they are separated by 30 years.

Geeta dutta

The first thing that strikes one when you hear Geeta Dutt sing was that she never sang. She just glided through a tune. Of all her contemporaries her musical training was perhaps the sketchiest but what she lacked in training and technique, she more than made up with her ability to breathe life and emotion into any song she was singing. To quote Raju Bharathan, Music Critic..."Geeta Dutt was thandi hawa and kaali ghata rolled into one. The moment she came, you got the refreshing feeling of aa hi gayi jhoom ke. There was a rare swing in her voice. She hit you like a thunderclap..........This made Geeta Dutt the one singer that Lata Mangeshkar really feared. In training and technique Lata was way ahead but neither training nor technique was of much use when pitted against Geeta in the recording room........This put Lata on the defensive and I think she avoided singing with Geeta as far as possible. I vaguely remember Lata acknowledging this fact when Geeta died on July 20, 1972." Geeta Roy was born in Faridpur District in East Bengal in 1930. In 1942 when she was just twelve her parents shifted to Mumbai. Over there in their modest flat at Dadar music director Hanuman Prasad heard her singing casually. He gave her two lines to sing in the film Bhakt Prahlad (1946). But her rendering of those two lines stood out and astonished everybody in the recording studio. A minor incident became the genesis of a great musical career. Her major assignment came the following year, 1947, with Do Bhai. The music of that film clicked in a big way particularly Mera Sundar Sapna Beet Gaya and Geeta became a top playback singer. 1947-1949 saw Geeta Roy rule as the number one playback singer in the Mumbai film industry as she moved from strength to strength. However three films released in 1949. Barsaat, Andaaz and Mahal. All three smashing hits. The music of each film better than the other. In all three films the heroine's songs were sung by a young lady who had also made her debut in playback singing in 1946 but till then had not made any significant headway in her career. The success of these films changed all that. The song 'Aayega aanewala' from Mahal soared to heights of till then unseen popularity. ( It remains an all time favourite even today ) The singer was ... Lata Mangeshkar. Lata went on to become the greatest playback singer the Indian screen has ever seen. Only two singers managed to survive the Lata onslaught in the 1950s. Shamshad Begam and Geeta Roy. Though relegated to the second spot, Geeta managed to hold her own against Lata for more than a decade and she and Lata were the premier two female playback singers of the 1950s.Initially Geeta was a singer well known for bhajans and weepy, weepy sad songs. But 1951 saw the release of a film, Baazi. The jazzy musical score of the film by S.D. Burman revealed a new facet to Geeta's singing. The sex appeal in her voice and the ease with which she went western was marvelous to behold. While every song in the film was a raging hit, one stood out for special appeal - Tadbir se Bigdi hui Taqdeer. From then on in the 1950s for a club dance or a seductive song, the first choice was Geeta. During the recording of the song she met the young and upcoming director of the film, Guru Dutt. Thus blossomed a romance, which culminated in marriage on 26 May, 1953. Geeta went on to sing some of her best songs in his films while continuing singing in various outside assignments as well. It was however a stormy marriage as the couple fought and made up repeatedly caused it is said by her suspicious and possessive nature. S.D. Burman was among the earliest to discover the magic in her voice with Do Bhai. He effectively used the Bengali lilt in her voice memorably in films like Devdas (1955) and Pyaasa (1957). The song Aaj sajan mohe ang lagalo from the latter is one of the finest examples of the Bengali kirtan put over on the Hindi screen. In fact, no female singer has better articulated the spirit of Burmanda's music in its early years. O.P. Nayyar developed the side of Geeta which had emerged with Baazi. Under his freewheeling baton Geeta developed into a really hep singer who could belt out any number - soft, sultry, happy, snappy, romantic, teasing or tragic. It was Geeta Dutt's rare gift that she could effervescently sing for both the doll and the moll. And it was O.P. who got Geeta to stop being overtly emotional in sad songs. O.P.'s comments on Geeta : " ..........Who will deny there is a unique quality to her singing. Give her a blatantly westernized tune this moment and a complex classical composition the next, and she will do equal justice to both with an ease of expression which a singer can only be born with. She is particularly good for songs accompanying boisterous jamborees. With that tantalizing lilt and fascinating curves she puts into her singing,she is the ideal choice if it is seductive allure you want in a song........Geeta Dutt is an asset to any music director." However by 1957 her marriage had run into rough weather and was on the rocks. Guru Dutt had fallen for his new leading lady Waheeda Rehman. The breaking up of her marriage also began having repercussions on her career. To quieten things down Guru Dutt launched a film Gauri (1957) with her in the lead. She was to be launched as a singing star and it was to be India's first film in cinemascope but the film was shelved after just a few days shooting. This was the time when one heard complaints from music directors about her not being easily available for either rehearsals or recordings. In fact in 1957, when he fell out with Lata Mangeshkar, Burmanda was looking to make Geeta his main singer rather than the upcoming Asha Bhosle. After all by then Geeta was a mature singer while Asha was still raw. But due to her troubled marriage Geeta was not free to practice in the style required by S.D. Burman who was a hard taskmaster regarding rehearsals. He joined O.P. Nayyar in shaping Asha rather than wait for Geeta. Consequently Asha not only took her place but also went beyond her. And to make things worse, Geeta began finding solace in drinks. On October 10, 1964 Guru Dutt passed away. Geeta was a broken woman, shattered by his death. She suffered a nervous breakdown. When she recovered she found herself in a financial mess. She did try to resume singing again, cutting discs at Durga Puja and giving stage shows and even doing a Bengali film, Badhu Bharan (1967) as heroine! But her health kept failing as she drank herself to a point of no return. She died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1972. But not before she showed she still had it in her were she given a mike to sing. The songs of Basu Bhattacharya's Anubhav (1971), Meri Jaan Mujhe Jaan na Kaho Meri Jaan, Koi Chupke se Aake and Mera Dil Jo Mera Hota represent some of the finest work that Geeta Dutt ever did.Apart from Hindi songs, Geeta was a leading playback singer for Gujarati films singing for scores of films under the baton of music maestro Avinash Vyas. And in the period from the late 50s to the early 60s, Geeta Dutt returned to her roots so to say and sang some of the most sublime and well-known songs in Bengali Cinema during its golden period. Most of these were for Hemanta Mukherjee although she did some brilliant work for music directors Nochiketa Ghosh and Sudhin Dasgupta as well. Some well-known Geeta Dutt film songs in Bengali include Tumi Je Amar (Harano Sur (1957)), Nishi Raat Baanka Chand (Prithivi Amara Chhaye (1957)), Ogo Sundor Jano Naki (Indrani (1958)), Eyi Mayavi Tithi (Sonar Harin (1959)), Ei Sundar Swarnali Sandhya (Hospital (1960)) and Aami Sunchi Tomari Gaan (Swarilipi (1961)). She also sang several Bengali modern songs and cut discs at Durga Pooja as well.

Kundan Lal Saigal

Recognized as the greatest singer of the century, K.L. Saigal was a musical genius who became a legend in his life time. He brought music to the masses and with his God-gifted voice and unique style gave a totally new dimension to the music of his time. His unforgettable melodies continue to enthrall millions of listeners and have become a part of our heritage.Kundan Lal Saigal was born on 11 April 1904 at Nawa Shaher in Jammu. His father Amar Chand Sehgal was a Tehsildar in the court of the then state of Jammu. His mother Kesar Kaur was a deeply religious lady who was very fond of music. She used to take young Kundan to various religious functions where Bhajans, Keertan and Shabads were sung in traditional styles. Kundan often accompanied his father to the interior parts of the State where he would drink deep into the folk music of Punjab and Kashmir straight from the shepherds and wandering minstrels. He did not have a formal training in classical music nor had a Guru but his extraordinary musical perception made him absorb the notes that went into his ears and responded to all technical musical needs as a singer. His only formal training apparently came from a little known Sufi peer, Salman Yussuf. The singing tradition he assimilated had little classical rigour but emphasized the poetic blending of syllables into musical forms like the thumri and ghazal. His renditions of Mirza Ghalib's poetry and his identification with its tragic iconography formed the famous Saigal persona. A school dropout, he worked first as a railway time-keeper and then as a typewriter salesman and hotel manager when B. N. Sircar of Calcutta's New Theatre discovered him.

Bhumi( bangla band)

With Bhoomi's lyrics, one can paint visions in their thoughts, their souls and imagination while the music touches various chords in the heart. The music is simple yet evokes profound thoughts. Media has described this music to be extremely visual and listeners across echo the same feelings. Folk styles like baul, bhatiyali , moishaal, jhumur,saari gaan, qawaali forms the inspiration for Bhoomi's musical expression.
Bhoomi uses a wide range of acoustic instruments that include the thumbas, bongos, dotara, djembe, drums, violin, flute, khanjira, mandolin, banjo, khamak, matka, handi, guitar, castanets, tambourine, kanshar ghanta, conch, resso, blues harp, pan flute, spring drum, steel drum, melodica, blues harp, harmonium, piano, moorcing, ektara, recorders, tabla, balalaika, dugdugi, dubki, edakkaii ,cowbells, chimes, dholak, khol, madol etc.
The blend of these wide range of instruments contributes to the atmosphere of a Bhoomi lyric.
Bhoomi is known to play most of these instruments live on stage along with a whole lot of sound effects, storm effect (Song Pocha Kaka from the album Jatra Shuru) bird sounds (Song Doel Doley from the album Udaan, Smriti from the album Paal Chhutechhe, Dustu Haowa from the album Jatra Shuru) and train effects (Song Logen express from the album Udaan), LIVE without using pre programmed sound from the keyboard .
Bhoomi has this unique feature of blending different styles of music. For example, Bhoomi has used a rock and roll arrangement with a typical bengali folk song (Rock and roll guitar playing for the song Sohaag Chand, in the album Paal Chhutechhe) or even used blues with a contemporary song (Song Bhasate Paarli Na from the album Dekhtey Dekhtey) , reggae (Song Kande Sudhu Mon from the album Jatra Shuru and Sonali Chander Alo from the album Udaan) rap (Song Picchu Picchu from the album Udaan), Goan folk tune (Song Kaam Sarse from the album Jatra Shuru), the famous lavani rhythm of Maharashtra (Song Chandni Raatey from the album Dekhtey Dekhtey) the typical 'toppa" inspired style of singing (Song Logen express from the album Udaan), Irish folk form (Song Tori Baorey in the album Udaan) and many such explorations where the blend and the brew seems ideal for the sound that is quintessentially BHOOMI .

Team members

1)

Soumitra Ray: Lead singer, lyricist, composer. The massive display of rhythm instruments that occupy the center of the stage belongs to him. His range varies from the drums, thumba, bongo, madol and even the African djembe. Initiation into music from the age of three and influenced by years of choir singing in school in Darjeeling. Has rendered his voice in numerous ad jingles and TV serials and has also sung the title track of the award winning film Mr. & Mrs. Iyer under the direction of Ustad Zakir Hussain. Has successfully accompanied stalwarts like Manna De, Sandhya Mukherjee, Kumar Sanu and Kavita Krishnamurthy among others. An avid reader, he also sketches, writes and takes interest in all types of sports. Loves his camera too. Father of two music-loving sons, loves to spend time at home when possible.
Birth Day: 29th NovemberZodiac Sign: SagittariusYou can mail Soumitra at : soumitra@bhoomimusic.com

2)

Surojit Chatterjee:Lead singer, lyricist, composer, arranger whose repertoire includes a wide range of musical instruments like the guitar, English flute, pan flute, recorders, whistler, blues harp, mandolin, banjo, castanets, dotara, khamak and a whole lot of percussion instruments. Learnt tabla from the tender age of four from Professor Chitta Bose and subsequently from Bhupal Bhattacharya under Allahabad University. Later on went on to learn Guitar from Tapas Ghosh and was then under Tuhin Ghosh's tutelage for three years. Composed and arranged music for commercial movies and has to his credit many acclaimed advertising jingles and TV serials title tracks. Being with his family and daughter, writing, listening to music and watching movies are his favourite pastimes. Once in a while, he also manages to rustle up some innovative dishes.
Birth Day: 7th May Zodiac Sign: TaurusYou can mail Surojit at : surojit@bhoomimusic.com

3)

Sanjoy Mukherjee:Sound juggler, percussion specialist of Bhoomi. Tambourine, ghungroo, khamak, matka, rattle, shakers, powder case, stone chips, moorcing, bottles and glasses anything can be used by him to make music. Imitates the sound of the birds, crickets, dogs, cats, storm, wind and trains to create the Bhoomi effect. Done his advanced music training with degrees from Royal School of Music, London. Loves to play with words and keeps everyone entertained with his unusual sense of humor.
Birth Day: 18th AugustZodiac Sign: LeoYou can mail Sanjoy at : sanjoy@bhoomimusic.com

4)

Abhijit GhoshBassist holding the base of all Bhoomi songs within the four strings. Songwriter and a singer who sometimes hits high harmonies. Initiated into music under the tutelage of eminent musician from Darjeeling, Kesang Tshering and has been associated with music from his school days at Darjeeling followed by representing St. Xavier's College Kolkata, in music festivals winning several credits. Professional debut in 1983.A total family-man and a loving father he spends most of his time net surfing and listening to varied music styles.
Birth Day: 5th NovemberZodiac Sign: ScorpioYou can mail Abhijit at : abhijit@bhoomimusic.com

5)

Robin Lai:Plays the violin, keyboards and is also the sound engineer of Bhoomi. The credit for setting up sound within a very short span of a few minutes is his doing. Robin is a self-taught pianist and a violinist, performing since school. Qualified for the Trinity College Grade IV and played piano for the Calcutta Foundation Orchestra under Fran Caterini. Claims to be interested in contemporary folk because he has already "done" classical, rock and jazz. A computer wiz, he is best appreciated for his easygoing attitude and witty remarks.
Birth Day: 18th NovemberZodiac Sign: ScorpioYou can mail Robin at : robin@bhoomimusic.com

6)

Hemanto Goswami:Lead guitarist who with his own set of guitars is the quiet one on the stage but equally verbose and expressive through his guitar solos, be they acoustic, electric or nylon string. Learnt guitar from eminent guitarist Amyt Dutta with special emphasis on blues and rock-n-roll style of guitar playing. Trained in Indian Classical music under the tutelage of Anjali Rana. He is also interested in trekking and rock climbing and other adventurous sports. Happily married, he finds it difficult to fend off adoring fans.
Birth Day: 22nd MayZodiac Sign: GeminiYou can mail Hemanto at : hemanto@bhoomimusic.com

Rahul dev burman

It is a curious thing that R D Burman also goes by the name of Pancham. Story goes that when veteran Ashok Kumar saw Sachin Dev Burman's newborn uttering the syllable 'Pa' repeatedly, he nicknamed him Pancham. And the name stuck. To many, he's still Pancham Da. The man who added his unique dash of pep and verve in to Hindi film music starting with the 60s. The first music director who added a pinch of Rock 'n' Roll to lilting Hindi tunes. And created a brand of music so distinctly his own, that even his father, the older Burman came to be proud of his son's unconventional music.Rahul Dev Burman was born on 27 June 1939. To him, music came easy and early. He learnt to play the Sarod from the legendary Ustad Ali Akbar Khan at very young age. He also played the mouth organ. When he was nine years old, he composed his first song, 'Aye Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa..', which was later used for the film Funtoosh and the very next year, his father borrowed the tune of 'Sar Jo Tera Chakraye..' for the Guru Dutt film Pyaasa. The first film the younger Burman scored music for was Mehmoood's Chote Nawab in 1961 and the first song in the film was to be recorded was by Lata Mangeshkar. The film marked the reconciliation between S. D. Burman and Lata Mangeshkar who had stopped recording together six years ago.Vijay Anand can be credited with bringing about R D Burman's first big break. He arranged a music session for the youngster before Nasir Hussain commenced the production of Tesri Manzil. Shammi Kapoor, who heard RD's tunes, is said to have screamed 'Yahoo' in sheer appreciation while Nasir Hussain signed the young composer for six of his forthcoming films. At that time, he would not have known that the breathy 'Aaja Aaja..' would become one of the best seduction songs ever! R D Burman's constant efforts to break musical typecast and explore new possibilities came through in the music that he made. Be it the poignant tunes of Kati Patang, the love songs of Pyar Ka Mausam, the fun numbers from Padosan or the soulful melodies of Amar Prem, Pancham had done them all. While making music was his profession, singing always remained R D's passion. He sang occasionally and when he did, it was never went unnoticed.

Sachin dev burman

Known as "Sachin Karta" to the music connoisseurs of Kolkata, "Burman Dada" as fondly called by the musicians of Bombay, "Shochin Deb Bormon" by the radio listeners of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, "S.D. Burman" by the film cine goers or simply "SD" by his "jeans" filmi fans -- he created songs that bore the stamp of his inimitable genius, abounding in variety yet retaining the distinction of his style. Drawing from the vast store of folk music-forms and from the classical teachings, as the mood called for, he produced what is known as the Sachin Dev Burman music which is at once rotund, vibrant and unorthodox both in form and substance. Sachin Dev Burman was born October 10, 1901 as one of the nine children of Prince Komilla of Tripura. Sachin Dev underwent classical training from his father, Sitar player and Dhrupad singer Nabadweep Chandra Dev Burman. He later trained under Ustad Badal Khan and Bhishmadev Chattopadhyay and this classical training gave him a firm rooting for the music that he was to compose later in life.After his father's death Sachin left home, travelled for years in the forests of Assam and Tripura from where he gained his formidable knowledge and rich repertoire of the rich folk of that region and Bengal. Later he became a disciple of Ustad Aftabuddin Khan, becoming an ace flautist, and starting his own music school, ‘Sur Mandir’ in Calcutta in the 1930’s. He rose to be a popular singer there, learnt more under the illustrious K. C. Dey. He also scored music for Rajkumar Nirshoney, a Bengali film, in 1940. He married Meera, an accomplished singer in 1938. Rahul Dev Burman was born a year later.