Tribute to Dev Anand

The Harmonica Club of Gujarat paid tribute to ever green actor Dev Anand during their Sunday meet at Parimal Garden. All members played impromptu a song from Dev Sahab's film. Here are some videos:

Shivang Shastri at NHL Bristol 2011

Shivang Shastri is 13 year old  and he played `pavane`by Faure at NHL Bristol 2011
Shivang's family is from Ahmedabad.  His grandfather was in GEB Ahmedabad
His father is a Doctor living in Brmingham.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR-ZomuQRug

Ben Bouman at NHL Bristol 2011

I met Ben Bouman at NHL Bristol 2011 on 29th Oct 11
I thought I will share the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTwIPkVqUNMtp://

Shirish Swami
http://www.youtube.com/user/Sadashiv45

Evergreen Karun

He goes by the name of Evergreen Karun on Youtube. He is visually impaired and is 75 years' old. He has been playing harmonica for more than 50 years and has been a student of legendary Milon Gupta. Karun has given several public performances in the USA where he has been living now. He is originally from Shillong.

This is what he writes about himself by way of introduction on his Youtube channel:

" I am an artist by profession, and have been performing music on the harmonica as a hobby for the last fifty years. I learnt this art from the late Milon Gupta, the famous harmonica maestro of India in the mid-'50s. I enjoy playing both Eastern and Western music, and have performed the harmonica (or mouth organ) at various public performances in the United States and in India. 


I am a member of the Society of the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (www.spah.org) since 2000. I am now visually handicapped due to macular degeneration since my early 30s, and playing the harmonica is my life."


Here are a few of his renditions:


1. Main Shayar to nahi

2. Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago

You can visit his Youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/EvergreenKarun

Collector of Harmonicas: Amzad Khan

Automobile engineer Amzad Khan from Baroda has made amazing progress in the last four years that he picked up harmonica. Since then, he has collected more than a dozen harmonicas, some of them rare pieces. I first heard him play in 2007, when he had just started learning the instrument. Today, Amzad Khan, popularly known among his friends as Babubhai, plays to perfection several popular Hindi film songs. We present here some of his renditions.

1. Jawaniya ye mast mast

2. Awara Hoon

3. Bekaraar karke humein yu na jaayiye

Apoorva Bhatt weaves music

The Harmonica Club of Gujarat has some gems without who this tiny musical instrument would not have gained popularity among the generation next. One such gem is textiles engineer from Baroda, Apoorva Bhatt. He has taught scores of young people the art and craft of playing mouth organ. A perfectionist, Apoorva rehearses several times over before his public performance. However, his friends and fans have captured on video several of his renditions off guard. Here are some samples.

1. Jyoti Kalash Chhalake


2. Dil Ek Mandir Hai

3. Dil Ki Girah Khol Do

Master of detailing: Apoorva Bhatt

Textiles engineer Apoorva Bhatt has been playing harmonica since he was a toddler. "I learned mouth organ in my cradle," he says. And, it shows. He has been playing the instrument with perfection. Apoorva Bhatt has also been training young harmonica players of Baroda to popularize the instrument among the young generation. We present here a song he played at the Rajpath Club, Ahmedabad recently.

Thank you Sirishbhai

I received the following surprise message on my email from Sirish Swami from London on my 60th birthday. Thank you Sirishbhai for such a lovely gift.

Combo occasion

Wishing all the Dearest members of HCG a very happy Diwali and prosperous new year ahead.

Wishing ND a very happy Birthday.

Sagar Kinare by Sirish Swami

Literally from across seven seas, Sirish Swami has brought to us this wonderful rendition of the song Sagar Kinare from the film Sagar.