મહાનુભાવો સાથે મુલાકાત (૨)

મારી અગાઉની પોસ્ટમાં હું બે મહાન ચિત્રકારો સાથેના મારા અનુભવો અહીં વહેંચી ચુક્યો છું.  હવે બે સંગીતકારો સાથે થયેલી મુલાકાતો વિશે જણાવું.

ઉસ્તાદ બિસ્મીલ્લાહખાન...(૧૯૧૬-૨૦૦૬)

એક ખુબ જ ચવાઈ-ઘસાઈ ગયેલ વાક્યપ્રયોગ છે, ‘સુરજને અરીસો શો ધરવો!’. ઉસ્તાદ બિસ્મીલ્લાહખાન માટે ઉપયોગમાં લેવામાં આવે તો એ પૂરેપૂરો યથાર્થ નીવડે એમ છે. શરણાઈ તો એક જમાનામાં ‘પોલું છે તે બોલ્યું’માં ગણત્રીએ લેવાતું વાદ્ય હતું. એને લગભગ એકલે હાથે તેઓ શાસ્ત્રીય સંગીતની દુનીયામાં ટોચે લઈ ગયા અને એને વિશ્વપ્રસિધ્ધી અપાવી. પોતાની સમગ્ર સંગીતયાત્રા દરમિયાન એમના જે સૌથી નેત્રદીપક ગુણ પ્રગટ થતા રહ્યા એ હતા તેઓની સહજસાધ્ય સાલસતા અને નમ્રતા. પદ્મશ્રી, પદ્મભૂષણ, પદ્મવિભૂષણ અને ભારત રત્ન - આ ચારેય નાગરીક સન્માનોની નવાજિશ તેઓની ઉપર સમય સમયે થઈ. ઉપરાંત બનારસ હિન્દુ યુનિવર્સિટી અને શાંતિનિકેતન જેવી સંસ્થાઓએ ડૉક્ટરેટની માનદ ઉપાધિ તેઓને અર્પણ કરી હતી. એમની શરણાઈના સૂર કાશીના વિશ્વનાથ મંદીરથી લઈ, સંસદગૃહથી લઈ, દેશ પરદેશનાં સભાગૃહોમાં રેલાયા છે. વિશ્વભરમાં અસંખ્ય સ્થળોએ કોઈ પણ શુભ કાર્યનો આરંભ તેઓની છેડેલી મધુર સૂરાવલીના ગુંજનથી થાય્ છે. આજે યોગાનુયોગ ગાંધીજીની પુણ્યતિથી છે (૩૦/૦૧/૨૦૧૭) ત્યારે ખાનસાહેબની વગાડેલી ‘રઘુપતિ રાઘવ રાજારામ’ની ધૂન’ અહીં વહેંચવાનો લોભ રોકી નથી શકાતો

.

આવા યુગપ્રવર્તક કલાકારની રૂબરૂ થઈ, એમની સાથે થોડો સમય વાત કરવા મળી એ મારા જીવનની ધન્ય ક્ષણો હતી. મારો આ અનુભવ વર્ણવતાં પહેલાં સને ૧૯૪૫ની આસપાસની એક ઘટના વિશે જણાવવું જરૂરી છે. ઉસ્તાદજીની કારકિર્દીના પહેલા જ ચરણમાં તેઓનો કાર્યક્રમ ભાવનગરની એંગ્લો વર્નાક્યુલર (એ.વી.) સ્કૂલના મધ્યસ્થ ખંડમાં યોજાયો હતો. ચાલુ  કાર્યક્રમે ખાનસાહેબનું ધ્યાન હૉલના વેન્ટીલેટરની આસપાસ થોડી થોડી વારે થઈ રહેલી હલચલ ઉપર પડ્યું. ઈન્ટરવલમાં તેઓએ આયોજકોનું ધ્યાન એ બાબતે દોર્યું અને તપાસ કરતાં વેન્ટીલેટરની પાછળ અગાશીની કોરે બેઠેલા ૧૮-૧૯ વરસના બે જુવાનીયા મળી આવ્યા! પુછપરછ કરતાં જાણ થઈ કે ટીકિટના ભાવ પોસાણમાં નહીં હોવાથી એ બન્ને કાર્યક્રમ શરૂ થતાં પહેલાં જ અગાશીએ ચડી ગયા હતા. ઠંડી ખુબ હોવાથી થોડી થોડી વારે જગ્યા બદલતા રહેતા હતા અને એ હલનચલન ઉસ્તાદજીની નજરે ચડી ગયેલું. હવે આ વાતની ખબર પડતાં ખાનસાહેબે જે પ્રતિભાવ આપ્યો એ બેમિસાલ હતો. તેઓએ આ બન્નેને બાકીનો કાર્યક્રમ બેકસ્ટેઈજમાં બેસી માણવા માટે કહ્યું! જેમની સ્મૃતિમાં આ વાત જીવનપર્યંત ટકી રહી એ બે યુવાનો હતા મહેન્દ્ર પંડ્યા અને દેવેન્દ્ર ભટ્ટ, અનુક્રમે મારા બાપુજી અને મારા મામા.

હવે આવીએ 1976ની સાલમાં. મને અમદાવાદમાં આવ્યે થોડો જ વખત થયો હશે અને ખબર પડી કે પ્રેમાભાઈ હૉલમાં તેઓનો કાર્યક્રમ યોજાવાનો હતો અને એ માટે બૂકિંગ ચાલુ હતું. મેં સત્વરે જઈ ટીકિટ ખરીદી લીધી. કાર્યક્રમની ગુણવત્તા વિશે કશું કહેવાની મારી ક્ષમતા ત્યારે ય ન હતી અને આજે પણ નથી. બસ, એટલું કહેવું પૂરતું છે કે સમાપન સમયે હૉલમાં ઉપસ્થીત સૌએ ઉભા થઈને લાંબા સમય સુધી તાળીઓના ગડગડાટથી વાતાવરણને ભરી દીધું હતું. યાદ કરાવું, આ એ જમાનો હતો જ્યારે ઘેલસાઘરાપણું આટલું વ્યાપક ન હતું. લોકો હાલતાં ને ચાલતાં હરખપદુડા થઈ ને દાદ આપવા ન મંડતા.

ખેર, મૂળ વાત ઉપર આવી જાઉં. ઉક્ત કાર્યક્રમમાં ઈન્ટરવલ થયો એટલે હું હીંમત ભેગી કરી અને ગ્રીન રૂમ તરફ દોડ્યો. મારા સારા નસીબે કોઈએ મને રોક્યો નહીં અને હું ઉસ્તાદજી બેઠા હતા ત્યાં પહોંચી ગયો અને એમને ચરણસ્પર્શ કરી, વાત કરવાની અનુમતિ માંગી. એકદમ મીઠા હાસ્ય સહ એમણે “બોલો, બેટા” કહીને મારો સંકોચ દૂર કરી દીધો. મેં ભાવનગરમાં મારા બાપુજી અને મામાએ કરેલા ‘પરાક્રમ’ની વાત કરી. સ્વાભાવિક રીતે જ તેઓને ત્રીશેક વરસ પહેલાંની ઘટના યાદ ન જ હોય પણ હસી અને કહ્યું કે “ઠીક હૈ. બેટે, આપ ભી આજ આધા પ્રોગ્રામ યહીં બૈઠકે સુનો, જૈસે આપકે પિતાજી ઔર મામાસા’બને સુના થા”! આટલું બોલતાં જ એમનું ખુબ જ પ્રખ્યાત એવું બાળસહજ હસ્યા.

 મેં એમનો આભાર માન્યો અને પછી ત્યાંથી પાછા નીચે બેસવા જતાં પહેલાં એમના પગમાં પડવા જતો હતો ત્યાં ખુબ જ પ્રેમથી મારા ખભા પકડી, થાબડી અને મને લાક્ષણીક બનારસી શૈલીમાં “ખુબ જીયો, અચ્છા જીયો બેટે” કહી, વિદાય આપી.

આ બધું એક મિનિટ કરતાં સહેજ વધુ અને બે મિનિટ કરતાં ઓછા સમયમાં બની ગયું હતું પણ આ ઘટના મારા ઉપર એની અમીટ અસર છોડી ગઈ છે.

સી. રામચન્દ્ર...(૧૯૧૮-૧૯૮૨)

હિન્દી ફિલ્મી સંગીતકારોમાં આગવું સ્થાન ભોગવી ચુકેલા શ્રી રામચન્દ્ર ચિતલકર એક ખુદ્દાર આદમીની હેસીયતથી, કાવાદાવાઓથી ભરપૂર એવી ફિલ્મી દુનિયામાં પોતાની શરતોએ ટકી રહ્યા. જે ગીત કવિ પ્રદીપજી અને ગાયિકા લતા મંગેશકરની પ્રતિષ્ઠામાં પારાવાર વધારો કરવામાં નિમિત્ત બન્યું એ ‘અય મેરે વતનકે લોગો’ની તરજ તેઓની બનાવેલી હતી એ જગજાહેર વાત છે. પ્રમાણમાં ઓછી પ્રચલિત એવી એક વાત તેઓની ખુદ્દારીની સાહેદી પૂરે છે. આ ગીતની રજૂઆત લતા મંગેશકરે ૧૯૬૩ની ૨૬ જાન્યુઆરીએ દિલ્હીના લાલ કિલ્લા ઉપરથી કરી, એ કાર્યક્રમમાં રામચન્દ્રજી હાજર હતા. ઉદ્ ઘોષકે ગીતના સ્વરનિયોજન માટે તેઓના ફાળાનો ઉલ્લેખ કરવાનું ટાળ્યું. એ માટેનાં કારણો અહીં અપ્રસ્તુત છે. આ વાતથી ખુબ જ વ્યથિત થયેલા રામચન્દ્રજીએ સ્ટેઈજ ઉપર જઈને ઉદઘોષકની ધૂળ કાઢી નાખી. સામે ઉદઘોષકે ગુસ્સાથી કહ્યું કે એ સમયે હિન્દી ફિલ્મો સાથે સંકળાયેલા કોઈની એ ઓકાત ન હતી કે એની સામે ગુસ્સાથી વાત કરે. ત્યારે સી. રામચન્દ્રનો જવાબ હતો કે, “ભાઈ યુસુફ, એક જમાનામાં મારો પણ એવો જ રોફ રહ્યો છે એ ન ભુલીશ.” કહેવાની જરૂર નથી કે આ યુસુફ એટલે દિલીપકુમાર!

આમ તો તેઓએ ઘણી ફિલ્મોમાં સંગીત આપ્યું પણ એમની ત્રણ યાદગાર ફિલ્મો તરીકે ‘નવરંગ’, ‘અનારકલી’ અને ‘અલબેલા’ ગણાવી શકાય. તેઓએ કેટલાંક ગીતોમાં કંઠ પણ પૂરો પડ્યો છે. અહીં ફિલ્મ ’અલબેલા’નું લતા મંગેશકરની સાથે તેઓએ ગાયેલું એક મધુર ગીત સાંભળીએ. 

સને 1977ના સપ્ટેમ્બર મહિનામાં અમદાવાદના પ્રેમાભાઈ હૉલમાં તેઓનો સ્ટેઈજ શો યોજાયો હતો. મારા એકદમ આદરપાત્ર એવા આ સંગીતકારના આ અગાઉ ભાવનગરમાં યોજાયેલા કાર્યક્રમમાં અનિવાર્ય કારણોસર જવાયું ન હતું. હવે આવી પડેલી આ તક ગુમાવવાની તૈયારી ન હતી. અગાઉથી બૂકિંગ કરી લીધું. નિયત દિવસે કાર્યક્રમ એકદમ સમયસર શરૂ થયો. પડદો ખુલતાં જ એકોર્ડિયન, સેક્સોફોન અને પાઈપ ફ્લ્યુટના ઉપયોગથી લગભગ પાંચેક મિનીટ સુધી છેડાયેલા અસાધારણ સંગીતના પ્રભાવમાં આવી જવાયું. એ પૂરું થતાં જ સ્ટેઈજ ઉપર પ્રવેશી અને બે યુવતીઓએ ફિલ્મ ‘સરગમ’નું ગીત ‘તુ છેડ સખી સરગમ’ છેડ્યું. એ ગીત પૂરું થતાં સુધીમાં હૉલમાં ચોક્કસ માહોલ સર્જાઈ ગયો. એવામાં કાળો સફારી સુટ, ગોગલ્સ અને ફેલ્ટ હેટ પહેરેલા ઉદઘોષકનો પ્રવેશ થયો. એક પછી એક વાદકનો પરિચય અપાયો, જેમાં પહેલું જ નામ હતું એકોર્ડિયન વાદક એનૉક ડેનીયલ્સનું. સેક્સોફોન ઉપર હતા એ જમાનાના મશહૂર એવા સુરેશ. પાઈપ ફ્લ્યુટ ઉપર વિખ્યાત વાંસળી વાદક સુમંત હતા. મેંડોલિન વગાડવાના હતા ગોરખનાથ. આમ ને આમ પરિચયવિધી આગળ વધતી જતી હતી અને મારો ઉત્સાહ વધતો જતો હતો કે છેવટે ઉદ્ ઘોષક રામચન્દ્રજીને સ્ટેઈજ ઉપર બોલાવશે.

એવામાં ઉદઘોષકે માથા ઉપરની હેટ અને આંખ ઉપરનાં ચશ્માં હટાવી, ઝુકી, અદાથી કહ્યું, “ઔર અબ આપકે સામને મૈં, આપકા નમ્ર સેવક, ચિતલકર સલામ પેશ કરતા હૂં”. હું તો સ્તબ્ધ! એ પછી પણ સમગ્ર કાર્યક્રમનું સંચાલન તેઓએ જાતે જ કરેલું. એમના ગાયકવૃંદમાંની બે ગાયીકાઓમાંથી એકે તો પછી ઘણી લાંબી ફાળ ભરી લીધી, જેનું નામ હતું કવિતા ક્રિશ્ણમૂર્તી. પુરુષ ગાયક તરીકે તો માત્ર અને માત્ર રામચન્દ્રજી પોતે જ હતા. ખુબ જ ઉંચી કક્ષાનો કાર્યક્રમ ચાલતો જતો હતો  એ દરમિયાન તેઓ એ દિવસે લંડનના ઓવલ મેદાન ઉપર રમાઈ રહેલી ભારત અને ઇન્ગ્લેંડ વચ્ચેની ટેસ્ટ મેચની છેલ્લામાં છેલ્લી વિગતો પણ આપતા જતા હતા. આ બધાને લઈને મારા તેઓ માટેના અહોભાવમાં એકધારો વધારો થતો રહેતો હતો.

જેવો ઈન્ટરવલ થયો કે હું સીધો સ્ટેઈજ ઉપર ધસી ગયો અને એમની પાસે જઈ, તેઓને મારી સાથે  એકાદ મિનીટ માટે વાત કરવા વિનંતી કરી. ખુબ જ સરળતા અને પ્રેમથી તેઓ મને ગ્રીન રૂમમાં સાથે લઈ ગયા. ત્યાં અગાઉ નામ લખ્યાં છે એ બધા જ દિગ્ગજ વાદકો અને બન્ને યુવાન ગાયીકાઓ સાથે મારો પરિચય કરાવ્યો. એ સમયે મારી સાથે ખરેખર આ મારો અત્યંત પ્રિય એવો ગંધર્વ કક્ષાનો સંગીતકાર કે જેનાં ગીતોના ગળાડૂબ પ્રેમમાં હું હતો, એ આવી રીતે વર્તી રહ્યો હતો એવું માનવું દુષ્કર લાગતું હતું. એણે કયા કારણથી એક મુગ્ધ યુવાનને આટલી લીફ્ટ આપી એ હજી એક કોયડો છે. આજે ૪૦ વરસ પછી યાદ કરી રહ્યો છું ત્યારે પણ જાતને પુછું છું કે આ વર્ણન હકિકતનું છે કે સ્વપ્નનું! ખેર, એમની રજા લેતી વખતે નમન કર્યા ત્યારે તેઓએ “ફીર મીલેંગે” કહી અને મને વિદાય આપી. બાકીનો કાર્યક્રમ મેં હૉલમાં બેસી ને નહીં, આસમાનમાં ઉડતે ઉડતે માણ્યો હતો.

આ પછી એકાદ વરસમાં જ ફરીથી અમદાવાદમાં એમના કાર્યક્રમનું આયોજન થયું. આ વખતે આકર્ષણમાં ઉમેરો હતો. એક જમાનાના સુપર સ્ટાર ભગવાનદાદા પણ સાથે હતા. આ કાર્યક્રમમાં પણ ઈન્ટરવલ દરમિયાન એમને મળવા ગયો તો તેઓ મને ઓળખી ગયા અને ભગવાનદાદા સાથે પણ મારી ઓળખાણ કરાવી. મેં થોડો વધુ સમય ફાળવી આપવા માટે વિનંતી કરતાં તેઓએ બીજે દિવસે સવારે તેઓ ઉતર્યા હતા એ હોટેલ ઉપર મળવા આવવા જણાવ્યું. છુટો પડતો હતો ત્યારે ટકોર કરી કે એમની ‘સવાર’ બારેક વાગ્યે પડતી હતી! 

નિયત સમયે હું પહોંચી ગયો ત્યારે એમના રૂમમાં મહેફીલ જામી હતી. થોડા સમયમાં તેઓનો ઈન્ટરવ્યુ કરવા કેટલાક પત્રકારો આવવાના હતા અને રામચન્દ્રજીએ એ દરમિયાન હું ત્યાં જ બેસીશ એવી એ લોકો સાથે સમજૂતી કરી લીધી હતી. ત્રણ પત્રકારો સાથે લગભગ દોઢેક કલ્લાક સુધી તેઓએ મન મૂકીને વાતો કરી. એમાંનું એમનું શરૂઆતનું વાક્ય હજી યાદ રહીગયું છે....”Gentlemen, I drink like a fish almost whole day while I am awake. But I never go wild. But if asked any personal questions, I DO go wild.” આ દરમિયાન હું ઘટનાક્રમનો મૌન સાક્ષી બની બેસી રહ્યો. ઈન્ટરવ્યુ પછી તેઓએ મને ખુબ જ પ્રેમથી ભોજનમાં જોડાવા કહ્યું પણ હું એનો સાભાર અસ્વિકાર કરી, આ મહાન સંગીત નિર્દેશકની રજા લઈ નીકળી ગયો. જીવનભર ચાલે એવો સંતોષ ગજવે આવી ગયો હતો. હા, એક વાત હજી ખટકે છે કે આપણે સાંભળ્યું એ ગીત ‘ધીરેસે આજા રી અખીયનમેં’માં અંદરથી હચમચાવી દે છે એવું વાયોલીન કોણે છેડ્યું હતું એ પુછવાનું રહી ગયું.

બન્ને સંગીતકારોની તસવીરો નેટ ઉપરથી લીધેલી છે.

શરણાઈ વાદન અને ફિલ્મ ‘અલબેલા’નું ગીત યુ ટ્યુબ ઉપરથી લીધું છે.

સી.રામચન્દ્ર અને દિલીપકુમાર વાળો પ્રસંગ શિરિષ કાણેકરના મૂળ મરાઠી પુસ્તક ના જયા મહેતાએ ઇમેજ પ્રકાશન દ્વારા પ્રકાશિત ગુજરાતી અનુવાદ ’ગાયે ચલે જા’માંથી લીધો છે.

                                                                                                                            

Anil Gode, the man with an Accordion

The city of Pune is almost a goldmine to me as my daughter Prit, her husband Ravi and their children Aadya (8 years) as well as Udit (3 years) live there.  In addition, to someone as mad after Accordion as I am, a city that houses the legendry Accordion maestro in the name of Shri Enoch Daniels is a great incentive. As if this is not enough, there lives another champion Accordionist Shri Suhaaschandra Kulkarni. Pune is residence to Shri Amit Vaidya; another ace Accordion player. Over more than five years of friendship, I keep talking to Amit about the Accordion and its exponents. When I was talking to Amit while doing a feature on him for this Blog, he dropped a name more than once. He said the artist was someone very senior as well as a reputed one and then asked me, “Haven’t you ever heard about him? He is a professional and comes often to perform in Amdavad.”  

But then like everywhere else, even in Amdavad, the programmes are sold by the names of the singers and very rarely by the name of orchestra. The individual instrument players take a back seat. If at all, in the middle of the programme, the compere would fast go through the names of them. So I could not recollect if I had ever heard about or listened to the artist whom Amit had referred to.

It was somewhere in November 2014 that I was teletalking to Shri Gajanan Navathey, yet another very good Accordion player who is residing in Pune. He said, “Are you sure, you haven’t ever heard him or heard about him? But then he is too good to be not known to you”. Now I made up my mind to meet and to listen to the man both, Amit Vaidya and Gajanan Navathey were so fondly referring to, namely Shri Anil Gode. 

 I requested Gajananji to kindly inform me whenever Anil Gode was to visit Amdavad and so he did within one month. He instructed to me that I should go and meet the artist at Tagore Hall of Amdavad in the evening of the same day. I managed to buy the entry pass for the show and went straight backstage. As I met the man, I could place him instantaneously as the one who used to play Accordion for Melody Makers, an internationally famed orchestra of yester years.  This group used to hold shows in Amdavad and I don’t think I missed any of them!

Shri Gode greeted me warmly. As the show was about to begin, we decided to meet during the intermission. That was exactly what we did for nearly 15 minutes. We exchanged our phone numbers and promised each other to keep in touch not only virtually but also physically as and when possible.

For two years however, we kept crossing each other. On his visit to Amdavad, I would be away. Similarly when I would call him prior to my visit to Pune, he would invariably be away! Finally, one fine morning of the last week of this February I received a phone call from Shri Gode, inviting me to attend his one man performance in Pune on 26^th of March. I did not want to miss this opportunity and I made sure I did not miss it. I booked my tickets, packed my bags and what happened in Pune, is following below....

I reached Pune on 25^th Morning. 26^th of March will remain itched deep in my memory as the noon was spent talking with Shri Enoch Daniels and in the evening I got to listen to Shri Anil Gode rendering one gem after another, manoeuvring his Hohner brand Accordion so swiftly.  Let us enjoy two of the songs he played over there . One is ‘Zamin se Hame Asamaan Par’ from film Adalat and the other is ‘Aiye Meheraban’ from film Howrah Bridge.

At the end of the programme, he asked me to meet him the next evening at the cultural centre of Pune, ‘Bal Gandharva Natyagruh’. Come the next evening and as I reached the venue quite in time, he was already waiting me with a warm smile. We sat together for almost 100 minutes and talked at length about himself and his Accordion (Not that the two are separable!). Following is the outcome of that interaction.

Question: Tell me about the early years of your life and how did you take fancy over Accordion.

Answer: “I was born on 11^th of December 1946 in the city of Pune. I have spent my entire lifetime here. Like a typical Maharashtrian family, mine was essentially a music oriented one. We had an old Harmonium over which I used to try my fingers. In my childhood days, Radio Ceylon (Now Shri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation) was very popular among the lovers of Hindi film music. Every Thursday, between 8.00 – 8.30 am there used to be on air, a programme of film songs being rendered using musical instruments. I used to wait eagerly for that. I would sit before the Radio with our Harmonium and would try to play along with the song being aired. Quite often, one of the songs in that programme would be on Accordion being played by Shri Enoch Daniels, who has been my hero ever since. I fell in love with the instrument and the artist. In the year 1961, a fund raising programme was held where I got to see and listen to  Enoch Daniels and Van Shipley ( Famous Hawaiin Guitar Player ) perform live on the stage. I saw the Accordion for the first time then. That was when I made up my mind to become an Accordion player, the first thing in my life. Knowing fully well that the Accoedion was far far out of my reach, I played Harmonium with all my zeal. I started playing Mouth Organ too.”

Question: How and when did Accordion enter the scene?

Answer: “Since I had gained reasonably good command over Harmonium by 1965, I started dreaming of buying Accordion, learning to play it and taking up a career in music. But what went against the idea was the fact that I scored more than 71% in my S.S.C. Board examination (Readers, please note, this happened in 1965.)! This led my parents to get me admitted to Science faculty. Thus my father wanted me to study hard and make a decent academic career. He did not appreciate the idea that his son should take up music as a career. He was of the opinion that music can at the most be acceptable as hobby, not any further. Thus temporarily, project Accordion was put off. Though I was disappointed, I did not lose heart. I kept practicing over Harmonium. I had earned good reputation as I used to play in cultural programmes at College and at University level. Ultimately in 1967, I bought an Accordion from Sharad Moghe, my cousin. My father was not very happy about this but as I started playing the instrument, he understood that Accordion and I were made for each other. He encouraged me to go ahead then.”

“In 1970, I bought a superior(Scandelli Brand)Accordion from a Parsi gentleman. He demanded Rs. 4500/- for it. I had only Rs.3100/- with me. When I told him I was falling short by Rs.1700/-, he put a condition.  Said he, “Play this Accordion, you young man! If you will play to my expectation, I will give it to you for the amount you have.”  I played right then and he was more than happy! This is how I got a splendid deal and my lifelong association with this wonderful instrument started. Believe me, I am more than enjoying it.”

Question: Where, when and how did you learn the finer points of playing Accordion?

Answer: “Honestly, I have never had what can be said the formal training for this. The keyboard part of Accordion was not much of a problem as I had acquired good command over Harmonium. It was the art of manoeuvring the chord buttons on the bellow which was important. Shri Suhas Nargolkar gave me very useful guidance for that. Over the passage of time, I got acquainted to the art. There have been two gentlemen who have taught me the art of playing music. They are Shri Nandu Belvelkar and Shri Vikas Paranjape.  Shri Paranjape also taught me the methodology of writing music notations. Have you heard that joke about a boy who said he could write stories but could not read them? Similarly, I can write notations both, Indian and Western way but by natural instinct I don’t read them I’d rather say I don’t have to read them! I have always played by instinct and intuition.”

Question: When did the stage performances start?

Answer: “I had been performing on stage right from my school days. Even during college, I performed at College, University and State level programmes quite often. I got my first chance to play at a professional show when famous Hawaiian Guitarist Sardar Hazarasinh performed here in Pune. I must have been about 25-26 then. बस, फिर तो अपनी चल पड़ी! The organizers liked me more because not only would I play Accordion, I would also write notations for entire orchestra (with a gleam in his eyes, he added, ‘I won’t write my part’!). I was invited to play with the renowned orchestra of Pune, the Melody Makers. This became a strong association as I travelled a lot, within and out of the Country with this group.”

“As I travelled across the Country, more and more people connected to show biz came to know me. As a result, I started getting calls from reputed show houses. By 1983, I had participated in the programmes of many reputed artists. At that time, I considered having my own show house. I thought that prior to that, I should develop more proficiency over Accordion. I went to U.K. and learnt much more about the art of Accordion playing. I participated in and arranged a couple of stage shows over there. As I came back, I was a much more confident man. The first assignment I got was to arrange the orchestra for Shri Manna Dey’s stage programme. The legendary gentleman was so happy at my services, he made me an integral part of his stage show troupe. The word spread and I got assignments for stage shows of Shri Talat Muhammad and of Shri Kishorkumar."

With Kishore Kumar and Amit Kumar

 "I also got a chance to be part of the troupe of Smt.Asha Bhosle that travelled overseas. Ashaji was extremely happy with me. In the year 1999, I got a big chance to arrange the orchestra for the stage show of Shri O.P.Naiyer. At the end, the maestro was ecstatic at my contribution and praised me to no end. He presented me with a Rs.Hundred note, on which he wrote, ‘Anil, you are best arranger of my music'! As luck would have it, a very close friend of mine took that note and never returned it, saying it was lost! I also got to arrange for a stage show by Famous Lakshmikant  Pyarelal duo.”

Question: When you were doing so good, did not you consider going for a full time professional career? The idea of joining film music industry must have given you a bite!

Answer:” At that stage and at that age, it was only too natural that I was bitten by the idea. But I had already acquired a decent, well paying job with Bank of Maharashtra. The provision of pension was there too. So I decided to have best of both the worlds. Besides, the bosses were very appreciative of my musical prowess. This is how I could enjoy my music as well as financial security without much struggle. I am thankful to my bosses and colleagues at the Bank.”

Question: I know there are some very good Accordion players right here in Pune. How do you rate them?

Answer: “The first and the foremost is Shri Enoch Daniels. Like I said in the beginning, right from my early childhood, I have been in his awe. I don’t have words to tell you how good he is. Then there is Amit Vaidya who is excellent. We also have Chandu Kale and Gajanan Nawathey who are very good too. And yes, there is a young man Sameer Sapre, who is holding great promise. There are some more but I can’t recall names at the moment. Last but not the least; let me add the maestro to the list. Though he did not stay  in Pune, I have tremendous respect for (late) Shri Kersi Lord. He knew me personally and encouraged me a lot”

Question: Before we conclude, two very personal questions....

1) A bird cooed in my ears that you can play as many as 1200 film songs instantaneously. Can you, REALLY?

2) Please say a little about your family.

Answer: “(Smiling naughtily)Who has been spreading such exaggerating stories about me? On a serious note, well, with more than fifty years of experience, I’d say I can play about 800-900 songs without prior preparation. And I can play about 100-150 songs with a little practice. (Looking up) It is all his grace (Folds his hands).”

“Answering your second question, at 70 I am a content man, spending retired and peaceful life in the company of my wife Ajita. Adwait, one of our sons is settled in U.S. while Parag, the other one is here in Pune only. They are well settled in their career. I keep myself engaged by still travelling a lot for the programmes and while in Pune, I teach music to genuinely interested few.”

So that was it. A very straight forward and down to earth Anil Gode talked about his lofe and his first love, viz Accordion. He is too modest to be talking about his accomplishments and the recognition he has got. He however shared a photograph of his with Mirco Patarini, the President of world leader Accordion manufacturer compny, Scandelli. He was highly impressed with Anil Gode’s control over the art of Accordion playing.

With Mirco Patarini

As it was time to bid Good bye, I wondered if he would agree to me recording him play at least one song. His response was very positive. He said, “But then you DID record a couple of songs in yesterday’s programme, didn’t you? Anyway, if you want, we will do one more.” As luck would have it, he was to fly to Indore for a programme the next day. “I will ask someone to record me playing the song of your choice and will share it with you later.” said he. My Faramaish was for a C. Ramchandra composition from film Naushervan E Adil, ‘Bhul Jaye sare ghum’. Please find below, the same being rendered by this artist, sitting in the suite of an Indore hotel.

That is it. Shri Anil Gode ji, thanks a lot.

Acknowledgement: The Photographs kindly provided by Shri Anil Gode
                                The Videos are procured from You Tube. These are not to be used for                                                     professional interests.

A Traveller, Sportsman, Musician, Adventure Tourist who also Performs Surgery!

It was about three and a half years ago that he arrived a little late at Parimal Garden Amdavad, where we meet every Sunday morning for our Mouth Organ practice. This was quite uncharacteristic of him as normally he is among the earliest ones to arrive. His face had turned almost pink when I looked at him. I asked if everything was alright. With a radiant smile, he replied, “Everything fine, it is just that I am arriving after having run a half Marathon!” A man of more than 45 yearsof age coming straight to play Mouth Organ after having run 21 kilometres is not a very common sight! All of us present there were surprised. My curiosity prompted me to ask if it was alright to run half a marathon at his age. His answer was very straight. He was building up his fitness as he was to scale Mountain Kilimanjaro in a few months to come. Now we were much more than surprised. It is believed to be among the toughest mountains to scale and this 45 plus fellow was preparing for that! That morning we were in for one surprise after another as next he told us that he had already done Kailas Mansarovar yatra and had also been to Everest base camp! In addition, he had done an advanced course in Scuba diving and had already dived in the fathoms of oceans in Goa, Mauritius, Thailand and to top them all, had also done the same in Great Barrier Reef of Australia. As if all this was not enough, the gentleman has to his credit, a cycle trip from Manali to Leh in August 2017!

If anybody thinks I am talking about a scion of a stinking rich family with nothing else to do except to nourish his adventurous hobbies, let me clarify.... He is deeply engrossed in his profession and works meticulously there too. This fellow is Dr. Himanshu Shah, M.S., M.Ch., a very successful Uro Surgeon, having a fully equipped hospital in the city of Amdavad. 

 When asked how does he manage to indulge into a rainbow of activities, he answers with a smile, “થઈ જાય છે.” i.e., ‘it just happens.’

On a serious note, he gives full credit to his life style.... simple food habits, sleep of a minimum of six hours, rising early, Yog, Pranayam, jogging and a game or two of Badminton on regular basis takes care of his fitness. Besides, no smoking, no hard drinks, no late nights(except when attending to a medical emergency) also helps. Intermittent participation in marathon/half marathon/cyclothon/walkathon keeps him in action. And yes, music! An ardent lover of instrumental music, he plays (and also learns fineries of playing) Mouth Organ and Electronic Keyboard Synthesizer. He is also planning to learn playing Guitar. “Playing an instrument is a great stress buster and a soother” says he. When I asked him if I can share his diverse experiences and some photographs of each, he agreed reluctantly on a condition that there will not be his personal glorifying. I agreed to that and then he agreed too. That is how this story of his expeditions both on the land and under the sea has developed. The photographs displayed here are essentially captured on his own camera, many of them by himself.

    *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

Himanshu Shah was born in Mandavi, a small town in Kachchh district of Gujarat. Apart from being an extremely bright student, he was much above average in sports and athletics too. Mandavi being a coastal town, swimming came only too natural to him.  He studied there and finished an enviably luminous schooling career with a brilliant score in Higher Secondary Certificate examination. This lifted him straight to B.J.Medical College of Amdavad. Having acquired his M.B.B.S. degree from there, he earned his M.S. degree from N.H.L. Municipal Medical College of Amdavad and next went on to procure a super speciality degree of M.Ch. in Urology from B.J.Medical College. He also offered his services as Assistant Professor over there, at the same time working tirelessly in Civil hospital attached to it. All these years left him with no scope of thinking of anything about his childhood hobbies. Following the academic endeavour, the next target was to establish a successful practice. By the time all this was successfully realized and he made his identity clear, Dr. Himanshu had already crossed four decades of his life.

Now was the time to fulfil his long cherished dream of indulging into adventurous activities. Following is the account of his five different adventurous expeditions that he has undertaken in last eight to nine years. In addition to these, he has been travelling extensively both, for academic interest and for fulfilling his cherished hobby.

           *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

1) Kailas Mansarovar....   

This was the beginning. He joined a group of amateur but enthusiastic trekkers in the month of August 2011. This was organised by a private operator. They flew up to Simikot via Nepalgunj. From there, the trek started. They covered about 120 kms. in seven days. People, who have done this trek, tell us how difficult it is. But Dr. Himanshu tells us that it was the easiest of the five different expeditions he has undertaken so far. Yes, there were a few unforeseen troubles popping up from nowhere but none of them lasted for very long. Dr. Himanshu says, “Despite the trek being extremely difficult, the weather remained ‘not very unfriendly’ on most of the days. Thus, it was almost a pleasure trip for us.” Following are some of the photographs captured during what he puts as a ‘pleasure trip’! Here are a few photographs.

Kailas in the
Early Morning

                                                     

Mansarovar

Kailas In  the Night

Track to Kailas

         *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

2) Everest Base Camp....

 Dr. Himanshu joined a group of amateur mountaineers in an expedition to Mount Everest in September of the year 2014. There are four base camps en route out of which these enthusiasts were to go to the top one, about 18,500 feet above mean sea level. This was arguably the most challenging task he has undertaken so far. All of them had prepared themselves well to condition their minds and bodies to meet the oncoming challenges. While everything was falling in line, Dr, Himanshu could not manage to reach the ultimate point along with the fellow travellers. He is still not very happy talking about the aborted expedition....

“We started our expedition from Luk Laa Airport of Kathamandu. This airport has facility for takeoff or landing of only sixteen sitter mini planes. Out of the two planes, the one which was carrying a few members of the group, three guides and most importantly, medicines and still more importantly, Oxygen bottles could not land and had to fly back. Thus, we were stranded without essential commodities. The next day, we had to start our upward trip as per our schedule. Thus, as we started, we were without some essentialities.”

 “We made two wrong decisions which cost me dearly. One, we started our expedition a bit too early. We should have waited for two more weeks for the season to be a little friendlier. Second mistake we made was a deliberate attempt to take up a much tough route which hardly 3 – 5% of those who scale Mt. Everest take. Our logic was simple....since very few venture to take this route, it has remained almost virgin. The natural beauty is nothing short of a dream taking one to heaven, if there ever existed one. There is a breathtakingly beautiful landmark known as Lake Gokiyo. It is one among a chain of seven lakes and the route is named after it. Having said this much about the beauty of the route, let me tell you it is just tough, very tough and clearly the toughest route I have ever walked through.”   

“As we climbed higher, the thinning of the air due to high altitude coupled with the excessive tiring walkthrough started showing its effect on me. I could feel the signs of high altitude sickness like headache, shortage of breath and nausea. The Oxygen levels in the air were dropping on gradual basis. Loss of appetite is very common. Also, one loses the sense of thirst. But then I had known and had anticipated all this. As a matter of fact, we all had made provision to counter minor problems and even dire emergencies. On the second day, I was tempted by the chaste stream of a river that flowing parallel to the route. Knowing fully the undesirable consequences, I took a dive into the chilling waters and remained inside for more than five minutes. Those were probably the most costly five minutes of my life! Once out of the water, I developed hypothermia, a medical condition not very desirable! I continued to go further the discomfort. As if we did not have enough problems, the rain started. This only added to my discomfort.”

“As we reached our campsite for the night halt, I felt feverish. A little later, I started coughing badly. My Oxygen level was reduced to 66%. I knew this was a matter of concern. As the second plane that could not land contained most of the medical back up, there was little anybody could do to make me comfortable. Most importantly, all the Oxygen bottles were in that plane. Thus, I had to spend the night with whatever little medicine supply that I had carried myself. With administeration of that, I felt a little better and could sleep for a few hours of that night. One of the guides accompanying us was very badly worried about my health. My explanation to him that I was a qualified and experienced Medical Doctor did not console him. Without taking me in confidence, he called for a rescue helicopter. I was airlifted back to Kathmandu against my resisting efforts and arguments. So, this does not bring me exactly a very pleasant memory. I derive satisfaction from the fact that the successful trek up to Lake Gokiyo was in itself quite an adventure. Also, I believe in ‘There is always a tomorrow’. May be next time I will go there much more fit and equipped.”

Following are some of the photos of that trip.

En Route Everest

Everest in the Clouds

Everest in the Backdrop

    *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

3) Mount Kilimanjaro....

Dr. Himanshu and a group of his friends scaled world’s tallest single mountain(19,000 feet), Kilimanjaro in February of the year 2016. It is the highest point of African subcontinent and also of entire equator belt. The peak of this mountain is known for being snow laden all 365 days of the year. This, despite the fact that it is a volcanic mountain. This is how Dr. Himanshu tells us the story of that trip:

“Among all the adventurous expeditions that I have undertaken, this one was the second easiest one after the Kailas – Mansarovar trip. Remember, when I say ‘easy’, what I mean is, it was the easiest of the tough expeditions of my life! The track is very well maintained. One starts the climb from the plaines and keeps gaining height gradually during 8.00 morning to 4.00 noon for a day or two. The track by itself is very beautiful. One has to pass across jungle, streams, thick vegetations and what not! Ultimately one reaches a campsite known as Barafoo. The real challenge begins from here. You have to start the journey to the peak by 11.00 in the night. If everything goes alright, one reaches the peak by early morning. The downward journey should be planned such that you return before 3.30 - 4.00 in the noon. This schedule is to be strictly adhered to as there is a probability of heavy rains in the late afternoon almost every day.”

"Keeping this in mind, we reached Barafoo base camp by 4.00 in the noon. Abiding by the time table as provided by the accompanying authorities, we started our climb exactly at 11.00 in the night. We were advised to protect ourselves well against chilling cold, windstorms and rains. Thus, I was equipped with a five layer cloth cover on the upper half of my body, while the lower half was secured with a three layer attire! Three high quality woollen caps were protecting my Head. This was certainly not comfortable during the climb but as we reached the top, we realized the worth of such ‘heavy protection’. The wind was blowing at about 80 kms./Hr. The ambient temperature was minus 14. The view from the top cannot be described by words. One has to be there in person to feel it. All of us were so elated at the successful scaling of this peak and at the unimaginable view from the top, that we started jumping and jumping, conveniently ignoring the exhaustive fatigue and also our age!”
    A few photos of that memorable trip can be seen here:

Dr. Himanshu at Campsite

Jungle on the trek to Kilimanjaro

Jumping in Joy at the Peak

Mt. Kilimanjaro

   *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

4) Manali to Leh Cycling....

In August of the year 2017, this ever enterprising ‘Young Fellow’ took up yet another expedition. He decided to travel from Manali a popular tourist destination to Leh a popular but little challenging tourist spot. So, what about it? There are quite a few who go to these places. Well, the catch is, he was to travel this distance of about 500 kilo meters, covering almost 6000 feet rise, in the company of a few friends, each one riding a bicycle! Let us know the breakup of that distance by considering a few landmarks. The group members began their cycle ride from Manali and went up to Khardungla Pass, Leh.

From Manali                      to     Rohtang Pass          (13,044 feet)       54 kms.

”                                         to     Nakila Pass             (14,000 feet)       75 kms.

”                                         to     Bara Lacha              (16,043 feet)       189 kms.

”                                         to     La Chung La Pass   (16,613 feet)       276 kms.

”                                         to     Taag Lang La Pass   (17,582 feet)      365 kms.

”                                         to     Khardung La Pass    (18,ooo feet)       500 kms.

This expedition takes a minimum of ten days. The two main factors affecting a smooth climb by cycling adversely are the climate at the high altitude mountain terrains and poor condition of the roads at intermittent patches. But Dr. Himanshu and his friends were well equipped with provision to counter every probable problem that may pop up during the entire trip. The local support staff including the guide, cook and porters travelled along with the cyclists in a jeep.

Here are some photos of that trip.

Curveterous Road to Leh

The 'Cycle Gang'

Lifting Cycle at the Plateau

             *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

5) Scuba Diving....  

In his childhood days in Mandavi, his hometown, there was no luxury of having water supplied at home through pipeline. Entire water need was to be satisfied by fetching it from far away or by paying for it. Thus it was quite a routine practice for the gent members of the family to go to the seashore for a bath. This made him water friendly from early childhood. In those days, he was often wondering about the unseen part of the earth which was occupying two third of the total earth area. The creatures he encountered during his daily visits to the sea triggered a deep curiosity in him about what was the aquatic life all about. He knew he had to wait before he could explore what he wanted to. Wait he did. And then finally came a time when he made up his mind to go ahead. He decided to go ahead with Scuba Diving.

First, he took a beginner’s crash course at a training centre at Goa. Scuba diving is an art of balancing one’s buoyancy in deep waters by managing the respiration, positioning of the body with reference to the depth of water and also by help of Scuba gears. Following the primary training, he dived into the deep ocean waters of Goa and the waters of islands of Murudeshwar as well as Port Blair. The amazing experience prompted Dr. Himanshu to take up an advanced training session which made him much more efficient and also added to his already above average confidence. As he rose to the next level of expertise in Scuba diving, he took up expeditions under the ocean waters of Mauritious, Bali, Thiland and Great Barrier Reef. “It is a totally different feeling.” Says Dr. Himanshu. “ One goes into the state of trance. You get to see the forms of life much much beyond your imagination. You get to hear strange sounds but can not trace the direction of the origin of those sounds. In short, thrill, thrill and thrill, nothing else!”
Let us look at some of the wonderful photos of his underwater wandering.

Scuba Gears

Looking for Corals in Deep Waters

Rare Fish Seen at Depth

           *          *          *         *          *          *          *          *          *          *

As if all these activities are not enough, he has already trained himself for skiing. He is waiting for an opportunity to go and indulge into one more ‘adventure sport’. “Very soon, hopefully!” he says. Yes, very soon, we hope too, Himanshubhai!

With all these fun/adventure filled activities, he relaxes by listening to and playing Music. He ranks among the most sincere members of our ‘Harmonica Club of Gujarat’ and attends our meets religiously with sincerity of a teenager. His willingness to learn is comparable to that of a teenager. Apart from Harmonica, he has also developed his hand upon Electronic Keyboard Synthesizer. Here is a Video of him rendering a song using both, Harmonica and Synthesizer intermittently.

I am not allowed by him to talk about medicinal and surgical expertise but take liberty to put my claim that he is in the possession of head of a multitalented individual, hands and fingers equipped with delicate expertise of a Surgeon as well as that of a musician and heart of a noble as well as a humble human being.

As I am publishing this Blog post today(15/07/2019), by a pleasant coincidence, Dr. Himanshu completes 50 years of his life. Let us all wish him the other half of his life filled with more success, more music, more fun and yes, more and more adventurous expeditions!