Aami jamini, tumi shoshi he :: Antony Firingee (1967) :: Sumanta Basu on Harmonica

Composer: Anil Bagchi
Original vocalist in the movie: Manna Dey
Harmonica, Recording, Camera, Editing: Sumanta Basu

This was a popular Bangla film song I've been hearing since childhood. I loved the beautiful composition [By Sri Anil Bagchi], the magical vocal rendition [By Sri Manna Dey] [and certainly the glorious screen presence of Mahanayak Uttam Kumar] without any doubt. I've enjoyed watching the movie too.

We see Mahanayak Uttam Kumar is playing a Banjo while singing this song in the film. I wondered a number of times, that in the music arrangement why we do not hear the sound of a Banjo. Or was it really a composition, which could be accompanied meaningfully by a Banjo at all? The kind of composition it is, couldn't it be better if it was a Guitar instead of a Banjo?

This wonderful song (though with a silent Banjo on screen) was there in my thoughts forever, but I never thought this could be a good musical composition as a harmonica solo, and so I've never tried to touch it with my instrument before.

A few days back while listening to this song again, I again felt amazed by the way Sri Manna Dey was singing. He was touching the notes and the words with such a care and love; it touched my soul again. As the eternal law of a good song, I re-discovered it. The mood ['MEJAJ'; that's what we call it in Bangla] he conveyed to me [I as a listener], I felt was more important than the finer and precise 'touching notes' he was dealing with as an Ustad. That very moment I took a decision to pick the mood to my instrument.

While recording, I took some liberty to change the tune here and there to make it suitable for Harmonica. What I emphasized on, was the mood [MEJAJ] of the song. And NOT the 'purity' at the micro level as far as 'touching notes' are concerned.

On the Video: I am aware of the fact that there are some imperfect focuses in some shots. This is really a tough job to operate the camera as well as perform in front of the camera at one go - absolutely alone... and that too from so many angles. I found the problem after the shooting was over. I did not re-shoot, as my health was not permitting any more.

Well, this is not an excuse. I'm sure; I will rectify this error when I'll shoot my next video.

I believe... if you are a self learner, you will have to learn from your mistakes, one who tries to hide mistakes, is not a good learner at all.

:-) Enjoy.

And do not forget to share this video to your friends if you like it.

Sumanta Basu
11 June, 2011
Dum Dum Cantonment

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ami
• Aami
• jamini
• tumi
• shoshi
• Antony
• Firingee
• Anthony
• Firingi
• Mahanayak
• Uttam
• Kumar
• Manna
• Dey
• Bangla
• Adhunik
• Aadhunik
• Bengali
• Harmonica
• Mouth
• Organ
• Sumanta
• Basu
• Anil
• Bagchi
• song
• indian
• music
• cinema
• movie
• oldiesixtys
• 60s
• Tollygunge
• Classic
• Photography
• Editing
• Video
• DSLR
• Nikon
• D3100
• camera
• Film
• Bengali Language
• India
• Indian

[AmarMukherjee]

Your editing and mixing skills are pretty good but your Harmonica is just mesmerizing. This particular one is pretty difficult to render on Harmonica.

Which brand/scale you used? Hohner in C?

[sumantaharmonica]

@AmarMukherjee thanks a lot :-) I played a Hohner SuperChromonica to record this song and my tonic was F.

[ramanaraaga]

I am Speach less :-)

[sumantaharmonica]

@ramanaraaga don't be! :-D

[sumantaharmonica]

@ramanaraaga I need to record this song again. there are problems in it

[kumaryadaw]

Virtuoso classical rendition !! enchanting sweet sound .

[sumantaharmonica]

@kumaryadaw :-) many thanks.

[AmarMukherjee]

@sumantaharmonica Waiting to see (no, listen to) some more uploads from you. I have some questions for you - can you contact me through mail - my id is my full name as it is here at the rate yahoo dot com