Discover the history of Bombay Jazz through this play at Prithvi Theatre in Mumbai

(From left) Rhys and Smith in the play

Seventeen years is a long time. In a city that is dug up and rebuilt every month, this period can be an infinity. For Denzil Smith (left), actor and producer of Bombay Jazz, it feels like a continued journey. "It has been a long and glorious journey," he shares, as we talk about the Ramu Ramanathan-written play opening at Prithvi Theatre this Friday. Alongside Rhys Sebastian Dsouza, Smith will bring to the stage the stories of the unsung Goan and Anglo-Indian musicians from the 1950s to 1970s whose legacy influenced Hindi cinema, and thereby, Indian pop-culture and nostalgia.

"When I first started with it, I wanted to keep the production bare bones and minimalistic so that it could travel with ease. The most expensive production aspect was the video capturing the different characters," Smith admits. So, it has remained with Smith and Rhys reiterating the main roles on stage. Over the years, the play has acquired new significance in terms of legacy. "Jazz is still young in the context of musical history. For these individuals to have been present as a part of its birth years is something I am grateful for," Rhys adds.

Rhys Sebastian Dsouza

For a generation fed on the city's fame as a musical stopover for Green Day and Coldplay, the play is a reminder that the past was just as exciting. Dave Brubeck and Dizzy Gillespie to Duke Ellington were some of the names that graced Bombay's shores. Smith recalls Taj Mahal Palace Hotel being the venue for many musicians, and Churchgate Street now Veer Nariman Road being a music hub. "Gaylord, Talk of the Town (later Jazz By The Bay), Ambassador Hotel were among the hottest spots in the city. Most music directors from the Hindi film industry would drop by, watch these talents perform and recruit them into their teams," Smith says.

Chic Chocolate (second from right) and Lucilla Pacheco (on the piano) performing after the success of the film Albela

From Braz Gonsalves, Chic Chocolate, to the one name every Hindi cinema fan recognises, Anthony Gonsalves, they would reshape Hindi film music. "I mean, Anthony Gonsalves is immortalised in the song, and rightfully so. He was Laxmikantji's music teacher," the producer adds. Among those names is Sebastian Dsouza, Rhys' grandfather. Over the years, the production has enabled the saxophonist to rediscover that life. The saxophonist reveals, "I knew him very late, in the latter stages of his life, as a teacher to the kids in the village. I heard stories about him in his heyday, and other musicians like him. Piecing it all together is a wonderful experience."

C Ramchandra (standing, centre) on stage

Director Etienne Coutinho has been key to shaping these stories together. An important change in this iteration, he reveals, is the approach to the dialogues. "When we initially started, we used to sing the dialogues. We found that the singing obscured the clarity and grittiness of the story. Once, we had it set to the tempo of the music, it leapt out. It is set to different rhythms on the track brilliantly composed by Merlyn Dsouza," he explains. The music, which also dives into some nostalgic rhythms from Eena meena deeka, to Mera naam chin chin chu, acquires a jazz structure. "I think as far as the music goes, there is a lot more flexibility. I am used to being a musician, and he [Coutinho] allows me to carry on that role on stage," shares Rhys, talking about his jazz improvs on stage.

(From left) Manna De with Anthony Gonsalves during a performance. Pics Courtesy/Stagesmith Productions

With the city constantly being reshaped, the production is also a reminder of a fading past. Smith points out, "The only venue that continues with the old name is Gaylord. Most other places have changed, or shut. This play serves to wake people up to these beautiful memories about these unsung heroes."

Rhys' grandfather, Sebastian Dsouza (first from right) working on a tune in the studio

Rhys' jazz picks

>> Mera naam chin chin chu by Geeta Dutt
>> Nature boy by Stan Getz
>> Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan
>> That's life by Frank Sinatra
>> Quegdevelim Sunset II by Bombay Brass

On April 4; 7 pm and 9 pm
At Prithvi Theatre, Juhu Church Road, Juhu.
Log on to prithvitheatre.org
Cost Rs 500 onwards