This is a tale of two characters. United by a unique condition of the soul that has defined and dictated their life’s experiences- a condition called the “blues”. A journey traversed in music and movies, living and reliving the work and life of the greatest ambassadors of a genre of music, which a lived experience, more human than the extraordinary humans who produce it.
Life of Blues & Blue Curacao
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
One is Desmond Nazareth, who leaps out of the character of Professor Calculus in the Tintin comics. He is, by the way, the CEO of one of India’s most innovative indigenous liquor companies with a quirky and lovable name, “DesmondJi’ after himself. But his Blues story preceded the story of his creation of the Blue Curacao by a decade.
The Blues loving ad and travel geek
If you ask folks in the blues, concert or intellectual, “adda” ( the term that covers most conversations in Bengali) circles who Prachya Deb Mukherjee is, you will draw a complete blank. Rumour has it that even his wife gets stumped if there is a rare being who calls him Prachya. PD is what the world in these parts knows him by, with Prachya, respectfully retreating into the background, allowing the person of PD to emerge and delight
As a former advertising professional who to curating back of beyond experiences for travelers coming to Goa, his life centers around the blues.
And as any blues-loving bong will tell you, the roots of the blues are in Bengal. The affinity to create art, music, poetry out of passion and pathos is a quintessential Bengali trait. And even as blues gurus are hero-worshipped, the fans see a bit of the gods in themselves.
The story goes that 15 years ago, Desmond and PD met as members of a movie screening and watching club run by a couple in Goa. Over time, these two from diverse backgrounds has a very strong blues connection. And this grew over time and extended to not just songs but movies and documentaries where the leitmotif was blues. Over time they realised that they both loved an iconic gem of a television series, watched by every true- blue fan. This is seven-part television series of films centered around the journey of blues, its musicians, and its places, viewed through the lens of seven world-famous film directors who were just simple and passionate fanboys of Blues music. These films, were by absolute gurus, Martin Scorsese, Charles Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Mike Figgs, Marc Levin, Richard Pearce and Wim Wenders.
Over seven months, in 2004, Blues lovers of Goa watched these films made by some of the world’s best directors on one aspect of the Blues journey showcased at Clube Vasco Da Gama in Panjim run by the lovable brothers Ernesto who had hair raising hairstyles and his gentle giant brother Vasquito. The films were:
Feel like going home by Martin Scorsese as he winds his way from the banks of the Niger River in Mali to the cotton fields and jue joints of the MIssissii Delta to trace the origins of the blues.
The Soul of man, by Wim Wenders exploring the music and lives of three of his favourite blues artists, Skip James, Blind Willie Johnson and JB Lenoir.
The Road to Memphis by Richard Pearce Pearce traces the musical odyssey of blues legend BB King in a film that pays tribute to the city that gave birth to a new style of blues.
Warming by the devils fire by Charles Burnett who explores his own past torn between an uncle who loved the blues and a mother who believed that the blues was the devil’s music
GODFATHERS AND SONS by Marc Levin where hip hop legends legend Chuc D and Marshall Chess return to Chicago to explore the heyday of Chicago blues
RED, WHITE & BLUES by Mike Figgis on post-war traditional jazz and folk revival which sowed the seeds for the roots of a new kind of blues music and finally
PIANO BLUES by Clint Eastwood ( also a piano player) explores his life long passion for piano blues, and their great exponents like Ray Charles and Fats Domino
15 years later Desmond and PD met to revive the experience.
And for two Mondays now, a re-run of that elective experience has commenced at the International Centre. We gather around the proverbial fire, warming our hearts and letting our spirits guide us. OH, the ceaseless endless romance.
Last Monday, the second evening of the PD, Desmond Blues ‘jugalbandi’ was held with the screening of The Soul of Man. The movie was riveting but to feel the essence of Goa’s charm, you either had to sit right at the back of the room or look around. Folks you knew over the years, friends, friends of friends, with the colours of their hair changing or the thickness waning, a few more wrinkles, a surrender to age but with their smiles constant, embracing age with a twinkle, some not upright in girth but ramrod straight in spirit, women who have become moms and grandmothers or aunts, with their years unable to cease the skip in their steps.
Many of them saw this same series, 15 years ago and came back because when it comes to the blues, there are no re-runs, just a continuous, ceaseless tenor, a piece of steady background music playing during life’s journey.
Abhijit Almeida, was in the center of the room, a cap in place of one of his larger hats. He sat with a smile, soaking in music he has grown up with, ever warm, friendly and loving, giving people he cares for, a nugget of a life lesson, you take away and keep very close.
After the movie, some of those who came with their instruments jammed on stage- businessman Roy Trivedi on guitar, Ansalem Francis on flute, my erstwhile music partner on stage, when I played the djembe, which was played by George Philip that night and adman Ryan Sequeira joined in with his flute, with an evocative rendition of ‘What a wonderful world”
And there will be more. More movies, more music with ties getting cemented and new ties woven with a fabric called music.
