PARK STREET REVIVAL
PARTY, - KOLKATA (CALCUTTA).
Usha’s Park Street Party.
An article by Barry O’Brien 2003.
Sometime in the mid-fifties, a timid Goan lad in his early twenties travelled to Calcutta to appear for an entrance examination for a job in the Post and Telegraph Department. His father, a pianist at The Connemara in Madras, sent him to 'get a move on in life'. The young lad never looked back; in fact, he never went home and never joined the Post and Telegraph. He chose Park Street instead. It became his training ground, his workplace, his life.
Sometime
in the mid-fifties, an attractive blonde teenaged girl showed no interest in
getting involved in her mother's business. Instead she hopped from night club
to night club requesting band leaders to allow her to sing a couple of numbers,
jam in, and move on. She chose Park Street. It became her training ground, her
workplace, her life.
Some
fifty years on, the timid Goan lad and the attractive blonde girl are still
around. He's still reserved; she's still attractive; they both still perform.
They were on stage again, though not on Park Street.
Last
week Anto Menezes and Pam Crain got together at G. D. Birla Sabhagar for an
evening of nostalgia and jazz. Those who were there are still talking about it;
those who weren’t are asking for an encore.
I
wasn't, but I got a first hand review from Maureen Roberts, 80, a regular
visitor to the city for the last sixty years. She said the show took her back
to Park Street when they used to sell roses outside most restaurants and could
I please write about its glory days. She said she and her husband came to
Calcutta from Jamalpur in Bihar as often as they could, primarily to be on the
street which was the music and showbiz capital of India – some say, Asia!
I
told her that I couldn't because I wasn't fortunate enough - read, old enough -
to have experienced the magic of the Street. I did, however, tell her that I
would let some who did, talk about the glory days of a street that became a
lifestyle in itself. So, for her and for all those for whom Park Street was a
way of life, let's turn back the clock to an era when music was the food of
love and Park Street had plenty of it - music, food and love. Let it play on,
to the tune of those who loved it, and lived it.
I
first spoke to Park Street's greatest lover, Usha Uthup, who intends to do her
bit to relive some magic moments on Park Street: "Uncle Josh (Ellis
Joshua) and Om Mama (Om Puri) hired me without an audition. I was singing at
The Little Hut in the Ritz Hotel in Bombay. When I arrived here, one of the
first things they did was to take me to Lal Bazar for my licence. In those days
all singers needed one and they were obviously not very keen to go to Lal
Bazar. I didn't mind because I was the daughter of a police officer”.
One
of the clauses in my contract with Trinca's stated that 'the party should not
solicit customers'. This frightened me, an innocent Malayali girl. Uncle Josh
told me not to worry. This only meant that I was not allowed to socialize with
the guests and sit at their tables. This also meant that I would have to sit
alone in the confectionery next door. I can still smell the cakes and the
patties as if it all happened only yesterday.
Every
night that I performed I received a bouquet of roses, but my first night at
Trinca's will remain my most special. A very suave man walked up to me and
said, 'Actually you were super tonight.' His name was Jani and he went on to
become my husband. Park Street changed my life forever. In fact, for me Park
Street is life. Later this year I intend to organize The Park Street Revival
Party. It will be held over a week in late November.
Musicians
of every genre will be invited to perform at restaurants and nightclubs on Park
Street. Musicians and guests will be encouraged to go pub-hopping. Books, works
of art and interesting knickknacks will be on sale right down Park Street. If
we get permission, the finale will take place outdoors on Park Street itself, with
artistes young and old singing in English, Bangla and Hindi. I'm sure all of
you will be with me on the Street where we lived and loved!"
I
then spoke to Park Street's half-a-centurion, Pam Crain, who says she'll do
anything to make it happen, because she'll do anything for Park Street:
"Before my eighteenth birthday I had already done spot acts at many
restaurants. It was then that a French impresario named Reberto told me to get
serious. Pat Tarley, Marie Sampson, a girl named Karen and others were already
established crooners. With Joe Pereira, who is now doing very well in Mumbai,
we put together a band. I finally settled in at Mocambo's with Anto Menezes.
After we finished playing every night, musicians from every restaurant on Park
Street would come in to Mocambo's through the back door and we would keep
jamming till it was time for breakfast. Without a doubt, Park Street has been
the most important street in my life and I owe it so much."
I
finally zeroed in on Park Street's youngest performer of all time, Nondon
Bagchi, who will do whatever it takes to be part of the year-end celebration:
"If the big bash on Park Street happens later this year, it will be a
great moment for me because I will be celebrating my thirty-fifth Park Street
Anniversary this December. It was in December 1968, a few months before my
sixteenth birthday that I played in Trinca's for the very first time. A group
of North Pointers, including PC Mukherjee, had a band called Checkered
Tricycle. Fortunately for me the drummer's dad did not allow his son to 'risk'
playing at a nightclub. I stepped in and the romance began.
Park
Street is a jewel in the crown of the city. It never died – not even in the
quiet years when there was no music. People could still dress as they wished, walk
as they wanted to and be themselves, without worrying about who would say what,
only because it was Park Street. I used to spend Rs. 3.18 to hear the
Flintstones as I sipped a coke for four hours - it was the highlight of my day.
I now play drums for Skinny Alley, a couple of times a week at Someplace Else -
it is the highlight of my day. So, the Party isn't going to be a 'revival',
because Park Street never died. It's going to be one big celebration of one big
survivor!"
Finally,
I spoke to one of Park Street's senior-most fans, Nilima Dutta, who will put
aside everything to be a part of the 'revival' of the street on which she grew
up in the 1930s and 1940s: "My favourite shop was Mrs. E. Wood, which then
stretched from Peter Cat to Flury's. It was a young girl's dream shop - lovely
dolls, clothes ... and even a doll's hospital where we took all our dolls for
treatment. I also remember Mr. Flury and Mr. Trinca, the two Swiss gentlemen
who owned a tearoom called Flury's & Trinca's, located where Flury's stands
today. As children we were told that Mr. Flury ran away with Mrs. Trinca - or
was it the other way around - and the partnership split. Mr. Trinca moved his
confectionery to where Ming Room now stands.
Then
there was an Englishman, Mr. Murray, who was one of the finest milliners in the
world. His hats were sold at Sybil, a shop located bang opposite Sky Room. I
will never forget how we used to hire bicycles for an-anna-an-hour from Royd
Street and cycle up and down Park Street, finally treating ourselves to the
best ice cream in town from Magnolia's. Though Park Street has changed so much,
it will always be my favourite street since it is Calcutta's heartbeat!"
If
you want to be part of Usha's Park Street Party, send in your ideas to me at
hrpl@vsnl.net. And together let's make it happen !
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