Marconi and his wireless set

It was in 1940 that as a boy of 6-something I first saw a radio receiver. Soon after bringing the set home, my father switched it ON. And a booming voice emanating from the radio so threatened my elder sister aged about 8 years and me that we scampered out of the house in fright and later went in search of the stranger whose voice was disturbing us!

Our father assured us that there was no real person talking from the radio to us and that we need not be afraid of the voice. Well, father told us so and that was the most reassuring voice we wanted! Soon, we got busy playing around the house, with the sound from the radio as the background music!

We developed a liking for Radio Ceylon’s Binaca Geetmala and loved the songs of K L Sehgal that played just before 8 pm - I still love those songs. I am, by the way 85+ years old now.

Later, in 1956 while as a student at BITS Pilani, many of us went to Lajpatnagar located near the old Delhi Railway Station to buy the components for assembling a five-valve wireless set, with or without the chassis. I still remember that I had completed the assembly of a 5-valve 3-band set in about 8 hours straight, one full night of work!

On the first day of the New Year, on January 1, 1957, the new wireless radio set was functional in my hostel room! By the way, inside the wireless set you will find miles and miles of thin and thick copper wire -- and it is still called a wireless set! This wireless/radio was with me till I purchased a Philips transistor a decade or so later, sometime in 1970! I remembered having seen on Marine Drive in Mumbai a transistor set being carried by a boy for a super rich family. The transistor was hanging on the back of the boy as the owners walked behind listening to the bhajan and music. It was a weird sight! Well, it is Mumbai, Meri Jaan!

Meanwhile, I found out that my love for music was growing. Roughly from my sixtieth year, I started listening to music in different languages and loved them all equally. Today when I am past 85 years of age I am still on the lookout for GOOD music to soothe my mind and my body.

My journey in search of good music, which started a long way back with my Marconi days, is still ON as I discover the joys of music!