[Remembering this legend on his first death anniversary. I wrote this article just one year ago, the day he passed.]
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A legend passes. His creations stay on. If you have time, visit some of his songs here.
Today, I am mourning Manna Dey, legendary Bengali and Indian singer. He passed away this morning in Bangalore. He was 94.
I grew up with Manna Dey’s music. He was a Bengali and his formal name was Probodh Chandra Dey. Under the tutelage of his proverbial singer-uncle Krishna Chandra Dey, who was blind and thus nicknamed “Kana Keshto” (the blind Krishna), Manna Dey began taking voice lessons when he was only a kid. Very soon, he became well known for his melodious singing style and dexterity in Indian classical ragas. After recording a few Bengali albums, he left for Bombay to record Hindi songs for the Bombay film industry, now known as Bollywood.
It was a time when Bombay films were soft and subtle, unlike today’s glamour and glitz. Indian film talked about a peaceful, loving life. Film music brought in loving, affectionate voices: Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Hemanta Mukherjee (also known as Hemant Kumar), Geeta Dutt. Manna Dey fit right in. His masterful voice that effortlessly transcended three octaves as well as his mastery on Bengali, Hindi and Urdu languages quickly made him a musical sensation. Legendary directors such as Raj Kapoor and composers such as Salil Chowdhury and S. D. Burman helped him flourish. Then, Manna Dey returned the favor to the industry, and brought in Mukesh and Mohammad Rafi to record Bengali songs.
And of course, we the Calcutta youngsters always vied on the superiority of Hemanta Mukherjee over Manna Dey, and vice versa. In fact, we were two invisible fan clubs.
For six decades, starting from 1940’s, Manna Dey held his own, prestigious place in Indian and Bengali music. He was a household name in all corners of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. I do not know of any South Asian family — North or South Indian living either in the subcontinent or across the world — that does not play Manna Dey’s songs.
Manna Dey recorded 3,500 songs — primarily in Bengali, Hindi and Urdu.
There will be many obituaries on Manna Dey, some written by noted artists, singers and film personalities. I do not mean to add to that flood of statements.
I only remember Manna Dey whom I knew through that little transistor radio we had in our home in Calcutta. I remember how his Bengali modern songs, as well as a few Tagore songs he sang occasionally, stayed with me through my adolescent years. I remember how we would be glued to his songs played out of old-fashioned gramophone discs at our neighborhood Kali Pujas.
My best friend Subroto who killed himself in 1999 was a special admirer of Manna Dey’s jodi kagoje lekho naam…(if you write a name on a piece of paper)…he was in the midst of a broken affair at that time.
I remember hearing a much older Manna Dey once here in New York City. He was already well into his 80’s, yet he was so wonderful and smart and crisp. His voice faltered once in a while, but his memory and sense of humor — in both Bengali and English — did not. He never looked at notes. He sang from his memory. He played his harmonium with style. I believe he was 84 years old at that time. He in fact recorded a few albums past that age, one being a phenomenal disc of Tagore songs. Here’s one of those golden songs.
I remember attending a Bangladesh Institute of Performing Arts-organized open-air soiree at Queens’ Athens Park in New York. A group of Bengali Hindu and Muslim youngsters was singing a group Kirtana, directed by noted teacher Ms. Selima Asraf. Suddenly, a familiar-looking, old man in his familiar glasses and Nepali-style felt hat showed up and sat in a simple chair right next to the young singers. I saw this man closing his eyes in appreciation for the devotional music, and the environment where Hindu and Muslim young boys and girls were performing a Hindu musical ritual together. Suddenly, I realized it was none else than the legendary Manna Dey. It was like, WOW!!
Off YouTube.
We presented an honorary award to him at the end of the soiree. I even had a chance to say a few words of tribute for him. I remember I said, “in Bengali, we have a saying called Ashitipar Briddha (octogenarian old man), but here we see an Ashitipar Jubak (octogenarian youth). We are blessed that he is still with us. We are blessed that he is here with us.” Then, we put a flower garland around his neck. He smiled and said a few words too, in praise of the youngsters and their teachers.
Happy memories to remember.
Last year, on October 23, our beloved poet Sunil Ganguly passed. One year later, another man who got all our love and respect passes.
It is not easy to deal with such great losses. There is no other way but to be philosophical about it.
Their creations will stay with us though. The man has just left, but his genius has not.
Still, I shall be missing Manna Dey, a lot.
Paying a very heartfelt tribute,
Partha
Brooklyn, New York
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Not just a great singer. A great, intelligent, kind, affectionate person with incredible music knowledge and dexterity.
Very nice and touching Partha.
Thank you. Nothing special. Just how I have always felt about my slowly but surely disappearing funs of life.
Just to have lived to 94 is something great! Then lived while having made significant contributions to one’s country/culture is even better. I am sorry for the loss.
Thank you. Yes, we have no choice but to accept it. But what a musical genius we just lost! Unbelievable!
I cried yesterday and I cried again today after reading it. We loved the legend and neglected him.
It is beyond belief that people in Kolkata didn’t get to see him one last time. This was his city. His beloved city.
I am not the fortunate one to see/meet this great man. The closest was hearing him at Shanker Jaikishan Nite at Sanmukhananda hall, somewhere in 1978. “Eh bhai jara dekh k chalo”, which was repeated by public demand. My singing is a torture to my family members, who are trained in music n singing. Still when my sister shifted to Air-India quaters, which had a huge hall. I used to sing “Kasme Vaade pyar vaffa sab battey hai. .” & ” Eh mere pyare vatan”.
I have written on fb n repeat here. When Manna dey used to speak Iit was in a typical Bengali accent n pronounciation. When he used to sing it was perfect Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, or Marathi. Like you dada I will miss him forever.
Very nice. Personal. Intimate. Touching. Thank you, brother.
Partha, this is very nice. I also remember Manna De. I was @ the Goenka College of Commerce in Kolkata and we invited him to sing for us @ Mahajyoti Sadan in 1966 and he was absolutely brilliant. I will never forget that night!
I also heard him in concert in Milton Keynes in UK and he was over 80 at that time. He is a legend and we are all very fortunate to have known him in our lives.
I used to like all his renditions especially, ‘Abhimane chole jeo na’ and ‘Jodi kagoje lekho naam’…(if you write a name on a piece of paper).
We all pay our personal tributes to the legend. He will be sorely missed across the globe.
Thank you Partha for your personal tribute, so wonderful. I know I will miss him a lot as many of his songs were classically based and they were very difficult but he sang with greatest of ease. I totally agree with lostpoem.
Manna De, the legend will live in our hearts for ever.
Beautiful, Maitreyee. So much to talk about. So many songs. He blessed us with his magic since our childhood. Unforgettable!
Dear Partha,
Manna De is a legend and legend never dies. So Manna Da will always be with us forever. He is simply unforgettable as you have written.
Yes, Maitreyee. In fact, I’m writing a second article on him today. Please share. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Dear Partha,
Will share your next post.
Kind regards,
Maitreyee
Thank you. I just posted a third and final article on him. Hope you listen and share the songs.
Thank you Partha. Will do.
Maitreyee.