Sundar Popo
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| Sundar Popo | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sunilal Popo Bahora |
| Born | November 4, 1943 |
| Origin | Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Trinidad & Tobago |
| Died | May 2, 2000 (aged 56) |
| Genre(s) | Chutney |
| Years active | 1970–2000 |
Sundar Popo (born Sunilal Popo Bahora[1], 4 November 1943, Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Trinidad & Tobago, died 2 May 2000)[2] was a Chutney musician from Trinidad and Tobago. He popularised Chutney music, beginning with his 1970 hit Nana and Nani.
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[edit] Biography
Popo grew up in a musical family. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassa drummer.[2] At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at temples and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Bahora worked as a watchman at a Barrackpore factory, and trained under Ustad James Ransawak.[2] In 1969, at a mattikoor in Princes Town, he met Moean Mohammed, a radio host and promoter.[2] After listening to "Nani and Nana", a song with lyrics in both Hindi and English, describing the affairs of an Indian grandmother and grandfather, Mohammed got maestro Harry Mahabir to record the song at Television House, accompanied by the BWIA National Indian Orchestra.[2] The song revolutionized East Indian music in Trinidad & Tobago.[2] After the success of Nani and Nana, Bahora devoted more of his time to his singing career. He followed "Nani and Nana" with an album combining Trinidadian folk songs with traditional Hindu material.[2] In total, he recorded more than fifteen albums. He is best known for his song Scorpion Gyul which spoke about love, death, and happiness. His other hits include "Oh My Lover", "Don't Fall in Love", and "Oh Lover You Leave Me and Gone".[2] His songs were covered several times by the Indian duo Babla & Kanchan, who had a major success with a version of his "Phulowarie Bin Chitney", bringing him to a wider international audience, and leading to tours of Europe and the United States.[2]
Popo won many awards during his career, and in 1995, Black Stalin won the Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Monarch title with his "Tribute to Sundar Popo".[2]
In addition to his solo albums, Popo has also released collaborations with Guyanan performer Anand Yankharan, and JMC Triveni.[2]
While Popo had recorded and performed prolifically since the early 1970s, failing health and eyesight forced him to slow down. At the 2000 Chutney Monarch competition, his performance had to be cut short after one song, and he played his final concert on 1 April 2000, in Connecticut.[2] On 2 May 2000, he died at the home he had built in Barrackpore, from heart and kidney ailments relating to diabetes.[2] His funeral was attended by Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.[2]
[edit] Awards
- St. Kitts Carnival Road March winner (1971)[2]
- Four-time winner of the Indian Cultural Pageant[2]
- National Award for Excellence
- Local Song category Indian Cultural Pageant (1976)
- Top Indian vocalist (1988)
- Sunshine Award for first place in Indian Soca (1993)[2]
- King of Chutney in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (1993)
- Humming Bird Medal (silver) (1993)[2]
- Caribbean Music Award (1994)[2]
- "Caribbean Bachanal" trophy (1996)
[edit] References
- "SUNDAR POPO - PIONEER IN ETHNIC CROSSOVER MUSIC". Trinidad Guardian. January 1, 2000. http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/bio_SundarPopo2.htm. Retrieved on 2006-03-23.
- Bowman, Wayne (May 4, 2000). "SUNDAR POPO". Trinidad Guardian. http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/bio_SundarPopo_latesinger.htm. Retrieved on 2006-03-23.
- Sookram, Caldeo. "Sundar Popo". http://www.pantrinbago.com/Sundarpopo.html. Retrieved on 2006-03-23.
- "SUNDAR POPO 1943-2000". http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography/bioSundarPopo_Legacy.htm. Retrieved on 2006-03-23.
