Discover the history of Bombay Jazz through this play at Prithvi Theatre

Seventeen years is a long time In a city that is dug up and rebuilt every month this period can be an infinity For Denzil Smith left actor and producer of Bombay Jazz it feels like a continued journey ldquoIt has been a long and glorious journeyrdquo he shares as we talk about the Ramu Ramanathanwritten play opening at Prithvi Theatre this Friday Alongside Rhys Sebastian Dsouza Smith will bring to the stage the stories of the unsung Goan and AngloIndian musicians from the 1950s to 1970s whose legacy influenced Hindi cinema and thereby Indian popculture and nostalgialdquoWhen I first started with it I wanted to keep the production bare bones and minimalistic so that it could travel with ease The most expensive production aspect was the video capturing the different charactersrdquo Smith admits So it has remained with Smith and Rhys reiterating the main roles on stage Over the years the play has acquired new significance in terms of legacy ldquoJazz is still young in the context of musical history For these individuals to have been present as a part of its birth years is something I am grateful forrdquo Rhys addsRhys Sebastian DsouzaFor a generation fed on the cityrsquos fame as a musical stopover for Green Day and Coldplay the play is a reminder that the past was just as exciting Dave Brubeck and Dizzy Gillespie to Duke Ellington were some of the names that graced Bombayrsquos shores Smith recalls Taj Mahal Palace Hotel being the venue for many musicians and Churchgate Street now Veer Nariman Road being a music hub ldquoGaylord Talk of the Town later Jazz By The Bay Ambassador Hotel were among the hottest spots in the city Most music directors from the Hindi film industry would drop by watch these talents perform and recruit them into their teamsrdquo Smith saysChic Chocolate second from right and Lucilla Pacheco on the piano performing after the success of the film AlbelaFrom Braz Gonsalves Chic Chocolate to the one name every Hindi cinema fan recognises Anthony Gonsalves they would reshape Hindi film music ldquoI mean Anthony Gonsalves is immortalised in the song and rightfully so He was Laxmikantjirsquos music teacherrdquo the producer adds Among those names is Sebastian Dsouza Rhysrsquo grandfather Over the years the production has enabled the saxophonist to rediscover that life The saxophonist reveals ldquoI knew him very late in the latter stages of his life as a teacher to the kids in the village I heard stories about him in his heyday and other musicians like him Piecing it all together is a wonderful experiencerdquoC Ramchandra standing centre on stageDirector Etienne Coutinho has been key to shaping these stories together An important change in this iteration he reveals is the approach to the dialogues ldquoWhen we initially started we used to sing the dialogues We found that the singing obscured the clarity and grittiness of the story Once we had it set to the tempo of the music it leapt out It is set to different rhythms on the track brilliantly composed by Merlyn Dsouzardquo he explains The music which also dives into some nostalgic rhythms from Eena meena deeka to Mera naam chin chin chu acquires a jazz structure ldquoI think as far as the music goes there is a lot more flexibility I am used to being a musician and he Coutinho allows me to carry on that role on stagerdquo shares Rhys talking about his jazz improvs on stageFrom left Manna De with Anthony Gonsalves during a performance Pics CourtesyStagesmith ProductionsWith the city constantly being reshaped the production is also a reminder of a fading past Smith points out ldquoThe only venue that continues with the old name is Gaylord Most other places have changed or shut This play serves to wake people up to these beautiful memories about these unsung heroesrdquoRhysrsquo grandfather Sebastian Dsouza first from right working on a tune in the studioRhysrsquo jazz picksgtgt Mera naam chin chin chu by Geeta Duttgtgt Nature boy by Stan Getzgtgt Hey Nineteen by Steely Dangtgt Thatrsquos life by Frank Sinatragtgt Quegdevelim Sunset II by Bombay BrassOn April 4 7 pm and 9 pmAt Prithvi Theatre Juhu Church Road JuhuLog on to prithvitheatreorgCost Rs 500 onwards