Sundar Popo
Encyclopedia
Sundar Popo was a Chutney musician from Trinidad and Tobago
. He popularised Chutney music
, beginning with his 1970 hit Nana and Nani.
drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at church and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Bahora worked as a watchman at a Barrackpore factory, and trained under Ustad James Ransawak. In 1969, at a mattikoor in Princes Town, he met Moean Mohammed, a radio host and promoter. After listening to "Nani and Nana", a song with lyrics in both Hindi
and English
, describing the affairs of an Indian grandmother and grandfather, Mohammed got maestro Harry Mahabir to record the song at Television House, accompanied by the BWIA National Indian Orchestra. The song revolutionized East Indian music in Trinidad & Tobago. After the success of Nani and Nana, Bahora devoted more of his time to his singing career. He followed "Nani and Nana" with an album combining Trinidadian folk songs with traditional Hindu material. In total, he recorded more than fifteen albums. He is best known for his song Scorpion Gyul which spoke about love, death, and happiness. His other hits include "Oh My Lover", "Don't Fall in Love", and "Saas More Lage (also known as I Wish I Was A Virgin)". His songs were covered several times by the India
n duo Babla & Kanchan
, who had a major success with a version of his "Pholourie Bina Chutney", bringing him to a wider international audience, and leading to tours of Europe and the United States.
It was through the production and promotion of Mohan Jaikaran and his JMC music empire and later with Masala radio that Sundar Popo became recognized as the pioneer and founder of Chutney music. There wasn't a chutney show in Trinidad or New York City promoted by Jaikaran that Sundar Popo wasn't a part of. Jaikaran's Mother's Day concerts were always headlined by Sundar Popo.
Popo won many awards during his career, and in 1995, Black Stalin
won the Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Monarch title with his "Tribute to Sundar Popo".
In addition to his solo albums, Popo has also released collaborations with Trinidadian performer Anand Yankaran, and JMC Triveni.
While Popo had recorded and performed prolifically since the early 1970s, failing health and eyesight forced him to slow down. At the 2000 Chutney Monarch competition, his performance had to be cut short after one song, and he played his final concert on 1 April 2000, in Connecticut
. On 2 May 2000, he died at the home he had built in Barrackpore, from heart and kidney ailments relating to diabetes. His funeral was attended by Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He popularised Chutney music
Chutney music
Chutney music is a form indigenous to the southern Caribbean, originating in Trinidad. It derives elements from traditional Indian music and popular Trinidadian Soca music.-History:...
, beginning with his 1970 hit Nana and Nani.
Biography
Popo grew up in a musical family. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassaTassa
Tassa is a form of kettle drum, presumably of Persian derivation. Tassa drums are widespread all over India. Typically, one or more tassa drums are played together with a heavy bass drum called dhol, perhaps along with brass cymbals or a metal shaker...
drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at church and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Bahora worked as a watchman at a Barrackpore factory, and trained under Ustad James Ransawak. In 1969, at a mattikoor in Princes Town, he met Moean Mohammed, a radio host and promoter. After listening to "Nani and Nana", a song with lyrics in both Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, describing the affairs of an Indian grandmother and grandfather, Mohammed got maestro Harry Mahabir to record the song at Television House, accompanied by the BWIA National Indian Orchestra. The song revolutionized East Indian music in Trinidad & Tobago. After the success of Nani and Nana, Bahora devoted more of his time to his singing career. He followed "Nani and Nana" with an album combining Trinidadian folk songs with traditional Hindu material. In total, he recorded more than fifteen albums. He is best known for his song Scorpion Gyul which spoke about love, death, and happiness. His other hits include "Oh My Lover", "Don't Fall in Love", and "Saas More Lage (also known as I Wish I Was A Virgin)". His songs were covered several times by the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n duo Babla & Kanchan
Babla & Kanchan
Babla & Kanchan were an Indian husband-wife musical group best known for work in the chutney music and Desi music genres. They performed together for forty years until Kanchan died in 2004...
, who had a major success with a version of his "Pholourie Bina Chutney", bringing him to a wider international audience, and leading to tours of Europe and the United States.
It was through the production and promotion of Mohan Jaikaran and his JMC music empire and later with Masala radio that Sundar Popo became recognized as the pioneer and founder of Chutney music. There wasn't a chutney show in Trinidad or New York City promoted by Jaikaran that Sundar Popo wasn't a part of. Jaikaran's Mother's Day concerts were always headlined by Sundar Popo.
Popo won many awards during his career, and in 1995, Black Stalin
Black Stalin
Black Stalin is a leading calypsonian.Born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, to George and Elcina Calliste ,He is one of four children. Stalin began singing calypso in 1959, but did not join a calypso tent until 1962 when he joined the Southern Brigade...
won the Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Monarch title with his "Tribute to Sundar Popo".
In addition to his solo albums, Popo has also released collaborations with Trinidadian performer Anand Yankaran, and JMC Triveni.
While Popo had recorded and performed prolifically since the early 1970s, failing health and eyesight forced him to slow down. At the 2000 Chutney Monarch competition, his performance had to be cut short after one song, and he played his final concert on 1 April 2000, in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. On 2 May 2000, he died at the home he had built in Barrackpore, from heart and kidney ailments relating to diabetes. His funeral was attended by Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday
Basdeo Panday
Basdeo Panday was the 5th Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2001 and has served as Leader of the Opposition from 1976–1977, 1978–1986, 1989–1995 and 2001–2010. He was first elected to Parliament in 1976 as the Member for Couva North. He is the former...
.
Awards
- St. Kitts Carnival Road March winner (1971)
- Four-time winner of the Indian Cultural Pageant
- National Award for Excellence
- Local Song category Indian Cultural Pageant (1976)
- Top Indian vocalist (1988)
- Sunshine Award for first place in Indian Soca (1993)
- King of Chutney in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (1993)
- Humming Bird Medal (silver) (1993)
- Caribbean Music Award (1994)
- "Caribbean Bachanal" trophy (1996)
Songs
Some Songs he sang between 1969 to his death in 2000.- Nana & Nani
- Awo My Darling
- Caroni Gyul
- Scorpion Gyul
- Chaadar Bechaow (resung by Babla & KanchanBabla & KanchanBabla & Kanchan were an Indian husband-wife musical group best known for work in the chutney music and Desi music genres. They performed together for forty years until Kanchan died in 2004...
) - Subhagie
- Suraji
- Don't Fall In Love
- Tears In My Eyes
- Mother's Love
- Pholourie Bina Chutney (resung by Babla & KanchanBabla & KanchanBabla & Kanchan were an Indian husband-wife musical group best known for work in the chutney music and Desi music genres. They performed together for forty years until Kanchan died in 2004...
as Kaise Bani) - Naina Bandh
- Saas More Lage
- Oh My Lover
- Saiya Dole
- Lucy
- Dulari
- Na Baba Na Baba (Kaise Karon Prem Ki Main Baat from the movie Anita (1967 film)Anita (1967 film)Anita is a 1967 Indian suspense film, directed and written by Raj Khosla, and starring Manoj Kumar and Sadhana.-Plot:Neeraj is in love with Anita but their relationship is opposed by Anita's father...
) - Rampersad
- Phoolabasiya
- Chalka Chal
External links
- http://mohabirrecords.us/index.php