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Owen
Ali
Owen Ali was
an indian dancer of african descent. He lived in
Carapichaima and was very popular in his district
when he first ventured into indian dancing. He danced
where ever there was an indian orchestra playing
at a wedding or even at a stage show. At some of
these stage shows, when Naya Zamana performed and
Champa Devi danced, Owen Ali became part of the
performance and danced duets with Champa.
As an Afro-Trinidadian, he identified himself completely
in indian culture and danced his way into the hearts
of the indian population. He was well liked and
apreciated in the community. He passed away in 2001
at the Mount Hope Hospital after a period of illness.
Quite remarkably, just a few weeks after Champa
Devi died in New York.
Jhagroo
Kawal
Jhagroo Kawal whose original name was Joseph Narine
was a singer of the old tradition. He gained his
first knowledge in music through Fakeer Mohammed
and the Indra Sabha Dance Drama. He got most of
his experience in classical singing from a group
which consisted of Fakeer Mohammed, Ali Jan, Bel
bagai and Ramcharan Ustad. In addition to this he
acquired a great deal from music books.
With this stock of musical knowledge, Jhagroo was
bound to be in the frontline among great singers.
Jhagroo reached the peak of his musical career during
the 1940's with the passing of the old mentors.
Singing duets were common events at that time. The
first concert of the sort was held in Port of Spain
in 1938 between Jhagroo Kawal and Benny Seenath
in a battle of twenty songs. Jhagroo walked away
the winner of this contest and another which followed
in 1943 between Ramdhanie Sharma and himself.
Taran
Persad
Taran Persad was unquestionably one of the most
outstanding singers of his time. Born in Carapichaima,
at the age of 12 he migrated to Port of Spain to
reside at the home of Hamid Ali, where in the late
1930's and 1040's he was exposed to the latest in
indian records.
Under the watchful eyes of Hamid and the guidance
of Nazeer, Taran began his career of singing and
inundated Trinidad with the kind of singing that
mesmerized the population. His tone and melody and
other embellishments placed him above the rest.
In 1940 he went to Guyana with Nazeer's troupe and
created a sensation with his youthfulness and brilliant
singing.
In the Gulshan Bahar show he was the star singer
with Champa Devi as the star dancer. When radio
was inaugurated with the programme indian talent
on parade, Taran Persad was among the first singers
with the naya zamana orchestra on the airwaves.
indeed, Taran Persad was the brightest star of his
time.
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Champa
Devi
Champa Devi was a great celebrity in dance throughout
the decades of the forties and fifties. Champa was
born in 1923 and while still in her teens, came
under the supervision and care of Fakeer Mohammed
from whom she learnt her early dance steps.
In the early 1940's, she went
with Nazfer's troupe to Guyana. Champa remained
in Guyana and appeared in stage shows with Mohini
Devi and a Guyanese impressario named indal singh.
In 1943 she returned to Trinidad
at the request of Murli Kirpalani and Budbeer Singh
to take part in the stage play Gulshan Bahar. She
was the main attraction in the show as she danced
and sang to audiences who were overwhelmed. Nezeer
Mohammed and Naya Zamana Orchestra utilized her
talents afterwards and throughout the following
years gave performances in theatres, halls and tents.
Where ever Champa Devi danced the Naya Zamana Orchestra
was called upon to play.
In 1945 the indian celebrations
were held at skinner park, San Fernando to make
100 years of east indian indentureship in a spectacle
of pomp and pageantry. The highlight of the celebration
was a stage performance by Champa Devi and Naya
Zamana. With the coming of radio programmes, Champa
was a regular feature singer with the Naya Zamana
Orchestra. Later she migrated to the United States
where she later passed away in 2001.
Narsaloo
Ramaya
Narsaloo Ramaya had a strong musical bent as a child.
In 1938 he bought his first violin and with Nazeer
Mohammed and the Naya Zamana Orchestra, was in the
vanguard of modern music development, which started
in the 1930's. It was a period of growth and change
when old musical forms were being ushered into the
background and the modern indian film songs and
the Gramoxphone Records had overtaken the musical
landscape of Trinidad.
Narsaloo was one of the central figures in this
development and with his violin and the Naya Zamana
Orchestra laid a trail of music across the country
during the 1940's to 1950's, the like of which was
never before witnessed in Trinidad.
Narsaloo became the leader of the orchestra in 1965
and continued steadfastly in indian music. In the
late 1970's he relinquished his commitment to the
Naya Zamana Orchestra, but continued throughout
the 80's and 90's to oblige requests as guest solo
player occasionally, but more significantly to play
at devotional satsangs in mandirs and other religious
functions.
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James
Ramsewak
James Ramsewak was one of the renowned singers in
Trinidad who celebrated a long career in classical
singing. He was born in Barrackpore, with music
being his first love. He was a graduate of the American
Voice Institute. At the age of 17 he started singing
classical songs at weddings. In 1940 he was among
the first group of artistes to put their voices
on DECCA records.
He participated in the international singing competition
in Guyana. Ralph Narine accompanied him on the violin
with Bisram Gopee being the organizer of the event.
James Ramsewak founded the Sangeet Siksha Mandali
and tutored upcoming singers in the classical art.
Some of his students were Lily Ramcharan, Tarzan
Shah Mohammed, Drupatee Ramgoonai and Heeralal Rampartap.
He was a music tutor in the Ministry of Community
Development program. Having a good knowledge of
hindi, he was able to compose some of his own songs.
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Kunjh
Beharry Singh
Kunjh Beharry Singh was the most popular classical
singers of Trinidad. He was born in El Socorro but
later moved to Longdenville where he settle and
raised a family. 'K.B.' as he was popularly known,
engaged in many singing competitions, but his most
notable achivement was his successive victories
in the classical singing competitions hosted by
the NCIC, in which he was a four time winner.
K.B. started singing in his teens, having gotten
his inspiration from his father. He developed a
good style of the classical form and maintained
his love for classical singing when most of the
singers of his time were shifting to the newly popular
film songs.
He developed a good repoitoire and became a favourite
singer on'cooking nights'when he would encounter
his rivals Hanif Mohammed and Yusuf Khan. K.B. was
bestowed with other talents besides singing. In
his youth he was a dancer and played a vital role
in the Indra Sabha show.
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