Sad Demise of Rhythm (House) and Blue (Frog)
If you ask me what music lovers in Mumbai lost in 2016, two iconic places which have become Mecca and Medina for them : Rhythm House at Kala Ghada and Blue Frog at Mathura Das Mills Compound Parel.
Rhythm House started some 68 years back on corner of Kala Ghoda in Fort area. It had huge catalogue of music. Not surprising that music lovers from suburbs also flock there. Even the film industry also patronised this store. Kalyanji Anandji, Shammi Kapoor were regular visitors. International music celebrities to name a few like Jethro Tull, Police, Peter Andre also visited the store. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Zakir Hussain and AR Rahman were also regular.
Rhythm House had dynamic owner and managing director, Mehmood Curmally. It was a close friend of the Curmallys, Sulaiman Nensy who founded the store in the early 1940s. Mehmood Curmally’s father, who’d visit it as a college student, gradually took over the business. Mammo, as he was fondly called, started out selling jukeboxes and LP players, all “imported” initially. His interest in Western Classical and Jazz coupled with his brother’s knowledge of Indian Classical made them a winning team.
The store saw many ups and down of the music business, starting its transition from vinyl records to cassettes but could not withstand the digitisation, the way now music lovers love to consume the music of in the way saw the way was often celebrated for holding up to the digital revolution.
Another revolution started in the city in the year 2007 when five friends - composer-musicians Ashutosh Phatak and Dhruv Ghanekar, film director Mahesh Mathai, film producer Srila Chatterjee and fund manager Simran Mulchandani started Blue Frog at a unsual ambience old Mathuradas Mills in Lower parel area. In the nine years it provided a regular platform for upcoming artists as well as renowned performers such as Zakir Hussain, Indian Ocean, and American rockers Mutemath. But the signs of struggle have been visible for a couple of years now. Blue Frog also tried to reach newer audiences via non-music events.
Reinvention seems the way ahead. Since a club model relies on food and beverage sales for its revenue, it becomes imperative to attract a high-spending, and, often, by extension, older crowd. so no choice even Hard Rock Cafe opened its doors to kiddy parties in 2012. Parents were able to book an afternoon at the Worli (on Sundays) or Andheri outlets (on Saturdays). The agenda? Curated games such as pass the parcel, musical chairs, and magic shows. Hardly what you’d imagine happening at a Hard Rock !
Rhythm House started some 68 years back on corner of Kala Ghoda in Fort area. It had huge catalogue of music. Not surprising that music lovers from suburbs also flock there. Even the film industry also patronised this store. Kalyanji Anandji, Shammi Kapoor were regular visitors. International music celebrities to name a few like Jethro Tull, Police, Peter Andre also visited the store. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Zakir Hussain and AR Rahman were also regular.
Rhythm House had dynamic owner and managing director, Mehmood Curmally. It was a close friend of the Curmallys, Sulaiman Nensy who founded the store in the early 1940s. Mehmood Curmally’s father, who’d visit it as a college student, gradually took over the business. Mammo, as he was fondly called, started out selling jukeboxes and LP players, all “imported” initially. His interest in Western Classical and Jazz coupled with his brother’s knowledge of Indian Classical made them a winning team.
The store saw many ups and down of the music business, starting its transition from vinyl records to cassettes but could not withstand the digitisation, the way now music lovers love to consume the music of in the way saw the way was often celebrated for holding up to the digital revolution.
Another revolution started in the city in the year 2007 when five friends - composer-musicians Ashutosh Phatak and Dhruv Ghanekar, film director Mahesh Mathai, film producer Srila Chatterjee and fund manager Simran Mulchandani started Blue Frog at a unsual ambience old Mathuradas Mills in Lower parel area. In the nine years it provided a regular platform for upcoming artists as well as renowned performers such as Zakir Hussain, Indian Ocean, and American rockers Mutemath. But the signs of struggle have been visible for a couple of years now. Blue Frog also tried to reach newer audiences via non-music events.
Reinvention seems the way ahead. Since a club model relies on food and beverage sales for its revenue, it becomes imperative to attract a high-spending, and, often, by extension, older crowd. so no choice even Hard Rock Cafe opened its doors to kiddy parties in 2012. Parents were able to book an afternoon at the Worli (on Sundays) or Andheri outlets (on Saturdays). The agenda? Curated games such as pass the parcel, musical chairs, and magic shows. Hardly what you’d imagine happening at a Hard Rock !
But before you scoff at it, consider the city’s complicated relationship with live music venues. Be it Juhu Hotel’s Razzberry Rhinoceros (a favourite among rock fans) or Not Just Jazz By The Bay (now Pizza By The Bay), neither were able to sustain the pure-music business model. Mumbai’s real estate prices are far from kind.
Rentals and infrastructure of Mathuradas Mill Compound had taken toll of iconic place Blue Frog.
Rentals and infrastructure of Mathuradas Mill Compound had taken toll of iconic place Blue Frog.
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