INTERVIEW WITH MANOHARI SINGH - THE NOTED SAXOPHONE & METAL FLUTE
PLAYER

MS: Manohari Singh
YK: Yunus Khan

PART 2

(Incomplete)

YK: Now, let us come to R D Burman with whom you have worked the
longest period. So, when did you first meet him and how was it?

MS: First time I met him was in S D Burman's recording in Bombay
Labs. Salil Choudhury had brought me from Calcutta in 1958. S D
Burman was doing the background music of 'Sitaaron Se Aage' in Bombay
labs. Salilda took me there and introduced me to Burman dada. Pancham
and Laxmikant were sitting there, they were musicians there. I was
introduced to Pancham as well, his age was about 26/27 that time. He
asked me if I had come from Bengal. Jaidev, who was the assistant of
Burman dada, was also present there.. They asked me to play few
pieces. I played on my metal flute. Few days later I was called."

YK: Which was the first song in which you played flute or saxophone
for Pancham?

MS: In the first song of Pancham itself, in the film Chhote Nawab, I
had played flute.

YK: You yourself being musician, what do you think of Pancham as a
music director?

MS: His depth of composition is very deep, his knowledge of Indian
music is also very rich. He could sustain the sweetness of Indian
music in his songs inspite of using western colours."

YK: Can you cite one example to prove this?

MS: Take the Teesri Manzil song - O haseena zulfonwaali. Beautiful
melody is there, later in the song you can find some flute pieces,
the comes the trumpet, guitar, etc. So how many different colours are
there in this single song!

-------------------------------------------
Song: O haseena zulfonwaali (Teesri Manzil)
-------------------------------------------

YK: How many piece orchestra was used for this song?

MS: There were 80 to 85 musicians in this song, 30 to 40 were used
for violins, then there were brass, trumpets, guitar, base-guitar,
etc, and it was a live recording, not like the track system of the
present day.

YK: Tell us something about the 'mehbooba mehbooba' song of Sholay.

MS: In that song I had played Suprano instrument. It was this song by
which Pancham introduced this instrument in the film music.

--------------------------------
Song: Mehbooba mehbooba (Sholay)
--------------------------------

MS: He also introduced several other instruments like the
Nepali 'Maadal', the bottle (soda bottle).

YK: From bottle, I remember that in 'chura liya hai tumne' song, ek
glass was used in the prelude.

MS: Yes, the situation in the film was something like party was going
on, atmosphereis that someone is drinking, someone made some sounds
in the glass. For your information, real glass was used in this song.
In this song Bhupendra had played guitar, George Fernandez played
trumpet and Uttam Singh had played violin. Uttam Singh has played all
violin solos in all his songs.

-------------------------------------------------------
Song: Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko (Yaadon Ki Baraat)
-------------------------------------------------------

YK: Would you like to play some Pancham tune on your saxophone by
which you would like to pay him tribute?

Manohari Singh plays the tune of "Humein aur jeene ki chaahat na hoti
agar tum na hote" on his saxophone.

------------------------------------------------------------
Song: Humein aur jeene ki chaahat na hoti (Agar Tum Na Hote)
------------------------------------------------------------

YK: Manohari-da, you came to Vividh Bharti studio, shared with us so
many unknown things about yourself and various composers. I, on my
behalf, on behalf of Vividh Bharati aur on behalf of its crores of
listeners, I thank you and wish you all the best!

MS: Thank you very much!

THE END