The Las Vegas Music Lovers Group, now in its third year since inception, has been carrying out a monthly music programs remeniscing yesteryears singers from Bollywood.

Last week, the first Friday in February, the group dedicated the evening in memory of the legendary music director and composer O.P. Nayyar.  The group met at a spacious Urban Turban – Bombay Kitchen & Tapas Bar. 

The evening began with a social hour where attendees enjoyed delectable Indian appetizers and drinks from a Urban Turba’s fully stocked bar. That was priming enough for the gathering, to put them in to a mood of enjoying some of the best music numbers composed by OP Nayyar starting with the early fifties, reaching its epitome during the sixties and then tapering off with lone but unforgettable compositions in the seventies and nineties.

Local music aficionado and the organizer of the group, Pankaj Mandalia, started with a few anecdotes from the early childhood accomplishments of Omkar Prasad Nayyar who came from a family of siblings being doctors or lawyers.  Omkar, in short Om was the blacksheep of the family who at the age of 6 performed on the music of RC Boral and Pankaj Mullick – two very famous names of the 1930s. By the time he was 17, Om had composed the music of Kabir-vani a collection of message bearing couplets (Dohe), to the point where the then HMV company published and released it under the Regal Records brand name. 

One of the initial numbers that the audience were tapping their feet on, was the famous song “Deewaana Hua Baadal” from film Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), presented by Jasmine Arolker and Pankaj Mandalia. (Jasmine along with her husband Bhushan, owns the Urban Turban). That beautifully presented number from rhythm, notes and throw perspectives by the duo, fetched a huge round of applause multiple times as the audience got into the mood of OP’s music.

Dr. Sharlin Ahmed presented one of the very popular numbers of OP from film Mere Sanam (1965) “Jaaeeye Aap Kahaan Jaayenge” and the audience was in ecstasy reliving the Manohari Singh saxophone pieces along with Sharlin’s carefully and eloquently presented lovely singing.

Subbu (Subramaniam) presented a Mahendra Kapoor lilting melody “Mera Pyaar Wo Hai” from Ye Raat Phir Naa Ayegi (1966) that put the evening into a completely different mood.

This was followed by Reshma Shah presenting “Aayeeye Meherbaan, Baithiye Jaane Jaan” and once again the audience was transported into the late 1950s on this lovely and well-presented number.  Pankaj gave a very strong rendition of “Hai Duniya Useeki, Zamaanaa Useeka” – a Rafi melody from Kashmir Ki Kali (1964) that left the audience spellbound. This rendition by Pankaj not only fetched multiple rounds of applause but also calls for an encore performance.

Extremely popular and difficult numbers like “Dekho Kasam Se” – Tumsa Nahee Dekha (1957) and “Tum Jo Huve Mere Hamsafar” – 12 O’clock (1958) and “Ishaaro Ishaaro Mein Dil Lenewale” – again Kashmir Ki Kali (1964), that were ripe with syncopation, varying degrees of throws and “murkees”, in a very close resemblance of voice of Geeta Dutt by Jasmine, and Rafi by Pankaj, took the audience and the evening to a point of no return.

Next in performance were the last two numbers of the evening – both duets presented by Jasmine and Pankaj: “Ude Jab Jab Zulfein Teri” – Nayaa Daur (1957) that put the audience in a Punjabi dancing mood, followed by the last duet of the evening, an extremely popular and close rendition of “Sar Par Topi Laal Haath Mein Resham Ka Rumaal” – Tumsa Nahee Dekha (1957).

Evening ended on high note with an exemplary and melodious effort of Pankaj by keeping the memories and events of a great Bollywood music composer – OP Nayyar. Pankaj thanked the loyal audience that continues to encourage and support him in these efforts.  In return, attendees were greatfull to Pankaj for organizing another successful musical program. “LVMG will continue to strive in its efforts to bring more music to the Las Vegas Indian sub-continent community by holding such events on a monthly basis,” said Pankaj.