The old new years

Click here

The Old New Years, Times of India

Yep, it is New Year time again. Our beautiful planet has traveled 947 million kilometers around the sun since the same time last year. Some of us have had amazing years and some are looking forward to forget 2015 and get on with 2016. Some of us have seen a few New Year eves and some have seen plenty. Whatever may be the case each of us has a special place for this part of the year. As we transit from “ho-ho-ho” to “Happy New Year” we experience a sort of déjà vu, that strange feeling that we have been through all this before. While New Year Eve has been now commercialized beyond recognition it was not always this way. Come let us travel to the “old new years”.

The way it was
The popular culture of Vizag was quite different in the 60’s and 70’s. Several companies, organisations and institutions from other parts of India and abroad set up shop in our town and Vizag developed a vibrant cosmopolitan culture. Much of it was driven by the sociable and talented Anglo-Indian community with names that may sound alien to us now but were common place those days. That was the community that gave Vizag the unique flavor as the old year went out and the New Year came in. The days starting before Christmas and till New Year and beyond throbbed with excitement. There would be dances and get-togethers every evening in several places all over town. Every one participated because even the non-anglos who lived in close proximity also merged into their community ad you could barely tell them apart. The popular locations were Town Hall, Sacred Hearts Church Hall, Merchant Navy Club, New Costis, Marina Hotel, Railway Institute, Palm Beach Hotel, Sun n Sea and Sea View Hotel.

The dancing
Attractive young women in their full flared skirts graced the dance floors. Gentlemen in suits and tight drain pipe pants set the floor on fire as they jived and twisted their way around the floor with their agile lady dancing partners. As the girls twirled their skirts billowed sending a shot of testosterone through the waiting single guys, with Elvis or Cliff Richard hairstyles, around the perimeter of the floor. Once in a while the seniors, in their polished dancing shoes, shining new polyester trousers, black jackets and slick combed back hair would come in and show a thing or two to the upstarts as they glided smoothly across the ballroom dance floor. The young girls, who were still learning the ropes, loved to dance with these senior men because they had the effortless skill to make the girls look like great dancers.

The people
There were few jobs then. Men worked at the port, railways, shipyard or the naval base by day. The ladies worked as teachers, nurses and housewives. But in evenings of the festive season they transformed into darlings of the dance floor. Some of the well-known queens and kings of the dance floor were Sunbun and Nita Carr, Cresswell Abraham, Biddy the light footed dancer and Mervin Joseph. Rudy and Eleanor Gallyot, Florence D'cruz , Leonard McIntyre, Betty Taylor, Reggie and Gloria Brown, Jeffrey and Mary Pereira. One also remembers Valerie Massey, John, Trevor and Sylivia Bourne, Olive Howell, Patience Cousin, Derrick and Terence Baxter, Tony and Stella D'Cruze, Valerie Matthews and the amazing Charlotte White who’s dancing left many a hearts in smithereens. While the dancers were wonderful it was the musicians who gave them the music to dance to. Vizag had some wonderful bands at that time.
The music scene
Through this festive season the metallic sounds of electric guitars, the deep thump and roll of drums, the clash of symbols and the muscular sounds of trumpets reverberated through the air in and around the dance halls of Vizag. Music was alive, pulsing and all pervading. The masters of music in the 60’s and 70 entertained Vizagites with passion and love of their craft.

Rhythm Aces at the Town Hall
Men working in the South Eastern Railways generally played at the Waltair Railway Institute.  But at the other end of town in our venerable old Town Hall building the band called "Rhythm Aces" belonging to the Gilby family kept the wooden floor and rafters of the building vibrating and the boys and girls on their feet all night. The band comprised Harold on the steel Guitar and Lancy on the Drums. They were accompanied by Errol who demonstrated that even a small made musician could coax the Saxophone to do anything he wanted, and the charming Mrs. Flannigan who accompanied them on the Piano.

The Psychedelics
Then there was the "Psychedelics" consisting of Peter Joseph the lead Guitarist, Johnny Hugget on the base guitar, Douglas Reardon also on the Guitar. Randy Benjamin was the main drummer but in a pinch the versatile Prem Mirpuri who was the band’s crooner took over the drums and performed with great competence. Linda Adams also took over the crooning when a female voice was required.

Music was in their blood
The names are from several decades ago and this writer may be forgiven for getting some of the names or facts wrong. One of the first Electric Guitarist in Vizag was Bobby Norris who came from Khurda road. Other virtuoso guitarists were Tojo Norris, Thompson who some called Vizag’s own Jimmy Hendricks. One remembers Bulla Norris the drummer; Neville Matthews who played the piano-accordion and Derrick D'cruze, Hendrick brothers and Smythe Brothers on the guitar. Old timers remember Ivan Fernandez on the piano-accordion, Malcolm Fernandez on the Sax, Malcolm Ross on the Bass, Rosehill Lazar on the trumpet, and Vernon Thompson on the Drums. All were musicians who played for the fun of it for the love of music.


Simply beautiful
Old timers remember those days when the price for joining the merriment was virtually nothing. You needed less than two hundred rupees in the pocket to splurge like a king. IMFL was making its inroads in the mid 1960’s but booze was still local stuff at the neighborhood grog shop where most went down for “a wet” before heading off to “the hop”. Youth would borrow their uncle’s jacket, which hung loose on their body, put on their bell-bottoms or drainpipes - depending on where they were in the fashion curve, pull on their polished, zippered “Beatle Boots” with Cuban heels and be ready for action. Busses and Rickshaws were the means of commuting for most of us but the privileged used Vespas, Lambrettas or Java motorbikes. The girls they took to the dances loved getting on the bikes and hold on tight and it made the boys feel like heroes.

Here comes the sun

After mid night and after the party venues were closed, youngsters would ride or walk down to the beach. There was very few out there those days. They would sit on the sand with their trousers and skirts folded up and making occasional forays into the water’s edge as the crabs scurried into holes, as waves came in and went hissing out as they have done for a million “old new years”. As the wind blew through their hair, the youngsters talked quietly of things profound and basked in each other’s company. There were no mobile phones or screaming bikers to distract anyone. Some kids just dozed off on the sand. But when the wet red morning sun rose gently from the sea, everyone was looking East over the sea. A sense of immense happiness enveloped them. There was hope, challenges and anticipation. A brand new year had started.

Comments

Anonymous said…
sir, i always follow your blog..and i admire your sincerity and advocacy is immensely appreciated. yes you are right they dont know the difference between old and heritage in that situation we are living in and so be with the GVMC and other officials..Please raise about the issue of town hall and queen Victoria statue they are also in the bad situation.. never know when it will get disappeared..

Popular posts from this blog

The Science of Urinals

Whats your pole number?

Vizag's famous and historical Kurupam Market gone for ever