For a few records more

Whew! And that8217;s not all 8211; that huge collection has some relatively rare records. Have you heard humorist Pu La Deshpande render a powada in the film, Vande Mataram?, or Mohammed Rafi croon an English song, The World is One, to the tune of Shankar-Jaikishen8217;s Baharon Phool Barsaon or actress Meena Kumari lend her voice to songs in three different films? Or a 1936 recording of a mangalashtaka a nuptial chant recited before the Maharashtrian wedding is solemnised? You8217;ll find them all in Kamat8217;s collection.

Says Kamat of his singular passion, 8220;We were a musically inclined family and I grew up listening to classical and natya sangeet records. I also took vocal training in classical music,8221; he says. In college, Kamat was exposed to another brand of music altogether 8211; film songs! After college, he would visit various record dealers in the city, even doing the rounds of record shops and chor bazaars in Delhi and Mumbai during his college vacations 8211; all in search of an elusive record that would complete a particular set. 8220;In those days, film records would not bear the name of the playback singer but that of the actress. One had to know the lyrics of the songs in order to trace the record. What made my endeavours more difficult was the fact that I was only interested in rare records,8221; says Kamat. He also admits that he has been lucky to have been gifted 600 to 700 records as well as some 30 spools.

This musical journey has resulted in some rare gems. His collection starts with Govindrao Tembe8217;s Chhod Gaye Akash Ke Tare from the 1932 film, Maya Machhindra. 8220;I also have a record of the song Sojare, Soja Meri Akhiyon Ke Tare sung by Lata Mangeshkar for the HMV music company and by Asha Bhosale for the Columbia Recording Company,8221; he says. The first recorded songs of Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar and Talat Mehmood, as also the first Lata-Asha duet, also find their way into his collection. Kamat admits that he has a fondness for the golden era between the 1940s and 1960s. 8220;The popularity of singers and music directors who started their career in this period has transcended their time. Even my college-going son likes Rafi8217;s songs. I almost feel like I8217;m back in college again,8221; he smiles.

An interesting feature of the collection is what Kamat calls version records. 8220;A version of Mukesh8217;s Hum Aaj Kahin Dil has been sung by producer/director Raj Khosla. In another case, Suraiya8217;s song Tu Mera Chand Main Teri Chandni has been sung by Geeta Dutt8221;.

Kamat has also got a wealth of classical music featuring Himanshu Biswas, Salamat and Nazakat Ali Khan, Ramkrishnabua Vaze, Gangubai Hangal and Kesarbai Kerkar.

Kamat has organised seven exhibitions of his record collection in the city. Determined to share his treasure trove of music with other music buffs, in 1992, Kamat, along with six other people, started Survihar, an informal organisation that arranges theme-based record programmes on various singers and music composers.

8220;The idea was to get as many interested people as possible to listen to these songs. These programmes also help me get in touch with other record collectors who may have interesting records. Survihar has become a kind of identity,8221; he says. Currently, Kamat is busy with preparations for the 25th such programme on December 6 at the Amphitheatre in Fergusson College, which will feature 25 different singers, music directors and lyricists.

This busy physician, who spends almost three hours everyday listening to records, says that music has a soothing effect on patients. 8220;I also keep a stock of cassettes at my clinic,8221; he smiles, adding, 8220;Now, I8217;m known as a musical doctor.8221; That, of course, was off the record!