Empathy in Symphony

Unfortunately,Manjit died of an ailment at the age of 33. “His father is alive and touching 93 now,” says Sharma,who,along with other musicians in the region,has now established the Manjit Singh Memorial Society. One of its major objectives is to assist musicians and their families in need. “We are not here to make money,but to help the families sustain and survive,through jobs,financial help,promoting new talent and so on,” says Sharma,who is now busy tracking down those in need. Several of these artistes made noteworthy contributions to the Punjabi music industry. Giving the example of Amrik and Manjit,Sharma says,“They gave a new lease of life to the Punjabi music industry in the 1980s by providing Bollywood-style orchestra arrangements in Chandigarh. It was a time of live recordings and they introduced a new style of orchestra,acquainted us with new recording styles,techniques and brought in expertise regarding rhythm and how to play in a studio.”

With noted music director Varinder Bachan as its president and Sharma as its vice president,the Society hopes to reach out to musicians across the region. It held a musical event “Aap Ki Yaad Main” at Tagore Theatre on January 11. “Music director Uttam Singh was the chief guest. He agreed to come at once,as he too traces his roots to Punjab,” says Sharma.