In his last book, Bollywood Odyssey: The Singing Taxman’s Journey Into Film Music , Ajay Mankotia had talked about musical stalwarts of the Hindi cinema like Manna Dey, Mohammad Rafi, and Noor Jehan. It enchanted fans of that golden era. Shifting his focus from evergreen Hindi numbers, in his latest book, Mankotia, an alumnus of South Point School, Kolkata, pours his passion for Western music. In It’s Not Just Rock ’n’ Roll brings exclusive photographs and firsthand stories of legendary artists like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, and The Beatles. “I heard my first ‘international’ song at the age of five in Calcutta on our family’s khaki coloured Garrard record-changer, which my father, an Air Force pilot had bought on one of his numerous visits to England. The song was Ya Mustapha sung by Bob Azzam on a 45-rpm disc, released by Decca in India in 1960. It was a fascinating amalgam of French, Spanish and Arabic lyrics. The oriental music and the vocals were very catchy. The flip side had another wonderful song Tintarella di Luna by the same singer,” shared Mankotia who credits his father, an Air Force pilot, for exposing him to Western music and who informs that as a regular concert-goer he meet music legends like Ian Anderson & Jethro Tull, the Rolling Stones, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Brian May, Rick Wakeman, John Mayall, George Thorogood, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page/Robert Plant, and others.
A former taxman, Mantokia started writing about these bands a few years ago and wishes that the new generation would listen to them. “I have mostly covered those artists in my book who I have seen live, and also those that I have met. The albums that I have discussed are their important albums which have had an influence in the music world, such as say Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Thick as a Brick,” said Mankotia, whose favourite genre is rock, particularly the progressive rock genre. “The raw, authentic sound, the instrumental virtuosity, the long solos, the fantastical lyrics, all appeal to me. Pop offers catchy melodies, yes, but rock speaks to me on a different level.”
Ajay Mankotia (center) with members of Pink Floyd in 1988
His book features many legendary albums, such as Sgt. Pepper’s and The Dark Side of the Moon. Which is his favourite? “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is my favourite because that was the first album to really shake me up. I was in junior school when it was released in 1967. I was gobsmacked by the innovative album cover.” Talking more about the cover and its impact, he said: “The album had innovations in songwriting and music production. It effortlessly bridged the chasm between art and popular music. The boundaries of pop music were pushed like never before through an experimental approach. Remember, this was 1967, the ‘Summer of Love’. The album managed to serve as the musical representation of a whole generation. It was the first rock album to win four Grammys in 1968.”
The book emphasises music’s power to unite across borders and cultures. It also touches on the cultural and political messages in music.
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