Remembering India's Forgotten Jazz Masters - International Jazz Day 2023

• Anthony Gonsalves

Even before Goans had found their niche in the Hindi film industry, music had always proved a dependable avenue for Goans to make a living, the greatest example being Anthony Gonsalves who started very early. Hailing from Majorda, Goa, his journey is unusual in the sense that he took a great liking for Hindustani Classical music & even conducted concerts that featured Lata Mangeshkar & Manna Dey. His first gig for the films as a violinist was for Naushad & later on, he even taught violin to the likes of R.D. Burman & Pyarelal Sharma(of the Laxmikant Pyarelal duo). The song ‘My name is Anthony Gonsalves’ from Amar Akbar Anthony is presumably a tribute by Pyarelal to his teacher. 

• Chic Chocolate

Hailed as the Louis Armstrong of India, Chic Chocolate was born in Goa as Antonio Vaz Xavier. He had his Jazz band - Chic & the Music Makers that regularly performed at important venues in Bombay. Mesmerized by the live performance, C. Ramchandra hired him & his band that eventually became an integral part of his repertoire. Songs like ‘Ina Mina Dika’ and ‘Diwana Parwana’ bear Chic Chocolate’s unmistakable stamp on them, with the latter even featuring him in the video (Albela, 1951).

• Chris Perry

Born in Margao (Goa), Chris Perry was raised in a musical family and began performing in Tiatr (musical theatre) at a young age as “Bab Pinto”. Later, he developed into a talented musician, especially on the trumpet and saxophone. He was renowned for his perfect pitch and being able to switch from the trumpet to the saxophone in the middle of a song.

Chris Perry grew up to be known as the man with the “Golden Trumpet” who worked alongside the likes of Khayyam (conducted the orchestra for Kabhi Kabhi) Lakshmikant Pyarelal, R.D Burman & Kalyanji Anandji for close to 25years.

• Frank Fernand

 Frank played a major role in the making of music for Raj Kapoor’s Barsaat alongside Shankar Jaiskishan. He was also the music conductor for films ​​including Don(1978), Hera Pheri(1976), Zanjeer and Victoria No. 203. He was born in Curchorem, Goa & later went on to produce some of the earliest Konkani films. He also opined that music directors were “mere subcontractors, men whose main job was liaising with financiers. We arrangers did the real work.”

• Sebastian D’Souza

Probably one of the most reputed arranger in Bollywood, Sebastian D’Souza was considered to be the master of fusing Indian Music with European classical music concepts of harmony, cadence and abbigato. Born in Reis Margos, Goa his first stint as an arranger was for O.P. Nayyar.

Sebastian D’Souza played a significant role in changing the entire harmonic structure of Hindi film songs to create an extremely listenable full body of sound behind the voice of the singer. He was the man behind the arrangement of some of the most famous Bollywood songs from 50s and 60s like Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu, Sun Sun Sun Zalima, Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan, Ajib Dastan hai yeh.

• Remo Fernandez

Born in Siolim, Goa, Remo has naturalized Portuguese citizenship. Although famous for being the voice behind ‘Hamma Hamma,’ Remo has also composed music for films including Khamoshi: The Musical, Trikal & Jalwa(1987).

• Madhav Chari 

Imagine a brilliant mathematician transforming himself into one of the greatest yet unknown Jazz musicians from India. Pianist Madhav Chari developed into one of India's most talented jazz musicians after his M.A. from the University of Illinois.

Often overlooked due to his personality, he had an excellent understanding of the New York jazz scene of the 90s when he was based in the US. His group Nordic Subjects recorded the album “The Other Side” in 1999. It was released posthumously in 2022 as “From The Other Side” under his name.

Madhav passed away at the age of 48 years in 2015. There is a well-made documentary called “Tam Bram in A Jazz Jam” by Ranjan Kamath which is based on one of Madhav’s India Tours and his quest of finding his Jazz roots in India.

• Amanico D'Silva

 Amancio was a master Jazz guitarist of the late 60s and early 70s, he remains one of the pioneers of what later came to be known as the Indo Jazz genre of music.
Influenced by the likes of Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and Charlie Christian, he developed a unique niche for himself. He calls Charlie Christian his greatest early influence.

Prior to the release of Sapana in 2022, Amancio went on to release five albums as leader or co-leader. Integration (1969), Hum Dono (1969, along with Joe Harriott), Reflections (1970), Dream Sequence (1972) and Konkan Dance (2006, recorded between 1972 - 1974).

• Braz Gonsalves

When it comes to jazz, Braz Gonzalves has done it all. From his first job as a musician, playing for a circus in Meerut to being India’s foremost Jazz Ambassador since the 1950s and eventually being hailed as one of the greatest Saxophone players of India. As noted Jazz Historian and expert Naresh Fernandes points out in the Liner notes of the album, it challenged the commonly held belief that John Coltrane was the first to integrate elements of Indian music into Jazz.

In fact, it was being done by Indian musicians in Bombay at least a decade earlier by the likes of Braz Gonsalves amongst others. The exalting Saxophone solo in the song “Om Shanti Om” from the Hindi movie Karz (1980) was played by Braz Gonsalves and serves as a fine example of Jazz elements in Bollywood soundtracks. Music was composed by the duo Laxmikant Pyarelal.

• John Mayer

Calcutta born John Mayer was one of few Indian musicians who left a mark in the British jazz scene of the late 60s and early 70s. In his early career in Calcutta, Mayer was given Violin lessons by Philippe Sandre who had established the Calcutta School of Music before continuing under Mehli Mehta, father of Zubin Mehta in Bombay.

He was also blending elements of Hindustani classical and Western classical forms fused with jazz undertones from 1952 onwards. His Violin Sonata was performed by Yehudi Menuhin in 1955.

John Mayer passed away at the age of 74 in 2004 after getting fatally injured in an accident.

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