Padmabhushan Manna da- the "nonagenarian-in-the-running" musical genius, is perhaps the only living legend among yesteryear male Hindi playback singers. He started his innings back in 1943 and was a consistently sought-after artiste for songs with semi-classical to heavy classical underpinnings. He was a favourite of several composers of yesteryears- S.D.Burman, Salilda, Panchamda to name a few and has made many incredible marks with their compositions. In addition to Hindi, his popularity in West Bengal and Assam is huge. He is a role-model for simplicity, discipline and perseverance. Down south, he is instantly recognized through Salilda's soulful composition 'Manasa Maine Varu' from 'Chemmeen'.
Today's audio posting is a Desh-raag based Bengali song composed by Prabhas Dey. This song was originally released as a part of Manna da's album on seasons and depicts the rainy one. The cover version here was my first(and the most arduous) attempt in Bengali music, performed at a Durga Puja celebration held in Phoenix, AZ in 2007.
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