Harmonica Lovers of Hyderabad: January 2012

HaLoH introduces you to Shri Asim Banerjee and his student Ujjal Dutta who are from Jamshedpur. Hope you will enjoy their breath-taking performances. Published below are their autobiographies.

Autobiography of ASIM BANERJEE

My memory drags me long back to my childhood when I felt magnetically attracted to the small instrument- ’MOUTH ORGAN’. I used to buy some toy instruments but couldn’t manage to play any way. Days passed on until a memorable day of 1980 when I was a student of Matriculation. Through one of my school friends, I came to know about the Chinese ‘Hero’ harmonica. My eldest brother-in-law inspired me a lot to play the Instrument. One day suddenly to the pick of my surprise I found that I could play the Bengali song- ’DHAN O DHANYE PUSHPE BHARA’. Needless to say, there was no perfection at all.

By and by in the year of 1982, for the first time, I listened to the LP record of legendary mouth organist -late Milon Gupta. I was totally mesmerized. What a perfect rendition it was. That day I dreamt of becoming a perfect MOUTH ORGANIST like him. Time passed by. It was in the year 1985 that I got admission in a private polytechnic college in Kolkata. This was a golden chance for me to meet the maestro and to surrender myself to him whole heartedly. By the grace of GOD, one day, I got that chance. I came to know that one of my college friend’s uncles was a close friend of Milon Gupta. I utilized the opportunity and requested my friend to introduce me to Milon Gupta through his uncle by hook or by crook. The uncle wrote a letter to the maestro referring me and told me to meet him.

I went to Mr. Gupta’s residence at Deodar street (Garcha, Ballygunj, KOLKATA) but to my disappointment I couldn’t meet him. He was then working as an electrical engineer in Gestkin Williams. There was a major break down in the factory and he was busy managing that. Every day, I used to go to that place twice a day (morning and evening) by bus. One side journey lasted for at least two hours. One day his wife sympathized with me and committed to ensure that I meet Milon Gupta. At last I could meet the legend- A six and half feet tall fair giant man with a pleasing personality. He asked me- ‘’Do you have the basic knowledge of playing? How could you learn?’’ I answered-’’ I just follow your recordings because I could not get you directly’’. He told me to play something from his recordings and something of my own. He was very much pleased. His wife exclaimed- ‘’you are EKLAVYA!’’. From that day onwards both of them used to call me EKLAVYA.

After that my learning session started. He was an excellent teacher and artist. He had extra-ordinary sense of music. I am fortunate enough to get such a person as my preceptor.

I was astonished how a technocrat could become a high-level musician at the same time. I have seen him play many songs live from his recordings. One of the songs which is in my memory is ‘’Jaago Mohan pyare ‘’ (from the film- Jagte Raho). I got the best compliment of my life from MILON DA - ‘’ You are my carbon copy’’.

Now I am an amateur mouth-organist. I have performed in a number of shows including performance in Doordarshan (Kolkata). At present I am working as faculty of electronics at RD TATA TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTRE in JAMSHEDPUR which is my native place.

Autobiography of UJJAL DUTTA:

Hi, I Ujjal Dutta have been playing the harmonica for last seven years. Initially I was not aware of the instrument- Mouth Organ. Its connection with me is a co-incidence. In the year 1994, I took admission in I.I.H.T Jamshedpur to learn computer hardware. There, I came in contact with my electronics instructor Mr.Asim Banerjee. One day I learnt that Mr.Banerjee is a very good Harmonica player. I also came to know that he was a disciple of the legendary Harmonica maestro Late Milon Gupta. One day, I requested my Sir and I went to his residence. I got a chance to listen to his rendition- (Chingari koi bharke and Pani Pani re). I was very much attracted towards the lovely instrument. I made up my mind to take lessons from him which are still going on till date. I learnt a lot from him and as a result I am an amateur Mouth organist and mouth organ is my passion. It seems that my life without Harmonica will be dry and unimaginable.

Now, I am running a small jewellery business in Jamshedpur.