IF I CANNOT FLY, LET ME SING

 



“Sing like there’s nobody listening;

and live like it’s heaven on earth.”

William Watson Purkey

 

My elder brother, Franklin, is a ‘retired man’… He is presently 68. Eight years ago, when he retired from his ‘sailing life’, he clearly knew, that he was not retiring from living life. So, today, he is busier than all his younger brothers. Mom is 89... For the last two years, she has been confined to her bed – unable to move, eat, recognize…Franklin and his wife, Merlyn, have taken upon them the responsibility to look after Mom – nurse her, feed her, care for her like a little baby. We brothers, who live faraway from our native home in Mangalore (where Mom lives with Franklin and Merlyn), endlessly feel not only guilty, but also grateful for the selfless care Mom has been receiving from my elder brother and his wife…

Franklin’s daily duty gets over only around 10 in the night. A shower, followed by 2 pegs of whiskey and dinner – and some time on catching up/sharing some fun-stuff on WhatsApp… Then to ‘retire’ for the day… The next morning - whether two-pegs down or twenty the earlier night - Franklin is up from his bed alongside the Sun in the East…

Last night, probably after two/three pegs down, Franklin shared a video… The caption read: “Two senior citizens friends enjoying their meeting with legend medleys… Real retirement pleasure… Enjoy every moment.”

The first in that medley was ‘Tu Ganga ki Mouj’ from the timeless film – ‘Baiju Bawra’… sung by the legendary Mohammed Rafi, composed by another legend, Naushad, and written by Shakeel Badayuni. This B/W film was release in 1952, six years before I was born. Mohammed Rafi was barely in his twenties when he sang the songs for ‘Baiju Bawra’… The story of the film was set during emperor Akbar’s time. One must read about it to get the real feel of this story… Here is the Wikipedia link. Please read fully…

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baiju_Bawra_(film)

 

 



Well, why am I taking you to Akbar and Tansen’s time?

I had commented on the video Franklin had shared:  

“HaHa! The first in the medley was Dad’s favourite… He would throw his heart out singing these songs from 'Baiju Bawra' – particularly the high-noted ‘O Duniya ke Rakhwale’ - like as possessed man… Of course, almost half-a-bottle of country down!”

Dad was a die-hard fan of Mohammed Rafi. Imagine, he was just a local mechanic, with no schooling or money… There was no radio at home, leave alone TV and YouTube. But, he would go about singing the ‘Baiju Bawra’ songs at every village function – be it a wedding, a parish feast, a birthday or an anniversary celebration.  I was a school boy, and would feel extremely shy every time Dad broke into his singing frenzy. People loved this madness and called him ‘Acchu Bawra’… Acchu (Alex) was his name… ‘Bawra’ meant ‘Insane’!






Looking back, I realize the significance of my Dad’s insanity and obsession with Mohammed Rafi songs, particularly from ‘Baiju Bawra’. The relentless consumption of country booze had taken its toll on his liver. Dad died years before he could turn a senior citizen… sadly, his many songs still left unsung… His music died with him!

Stephen Sondheim said, “If I cannot fly, let me sing.” Dad was a simpleton, who couldn’t fly… but, could sing. Perhaps, the only person, who understood – and bore – Dad’s ‘insanity’ was Mom. She wanted him to sing… She, also, wanted him not to go down with it… but, fly.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic’s: Pixabay

Videos: Shemaroo Filmi

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