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| Gyan Singh in a guest appearance in Dutta Vs Dutta, which releases on November 23 |
“Quiet and polite but full of mischievous humour”, is how those who knew him will always fondly remember him. Gyan Singh, the grand old man of bass who played with city-based English rock bands Skinny Alley and Pinknoise, passed away on Wednesday after a long and silent fight with cancer. Some friends and musicians share with t2 fond memories of one of their favourite music mates. Many others were too emotional to pay a tribute so soon
Nondon Bagchi,drummer with Hip Pocket and Gyan’s school friend
What I had with Gyani was very, very personal apart from our musical association. It is difficult for me to explain how close we were and what a fine human being he was. He lived around the corner and if you ever needed anyone at the slightest distress, he was by your side. Both Gyan and Jayashree are like that. The friendship is so damn deep that people like me and Lew (Hilt) feel shattered right now. We were in school together at La Martiniere. He was a year or two senior to me but we would play rugby and I would often visit his house to play badminton. As a musician, being a bass player was one of the last of his avatars. That apart he had a beautiful finger-picking style. We were in a band together called Air Wave and then Pop Secret and never lost sight of having fun together when playing with a band. You can’t get people more gracious than Gyan. The real bhadrolok.
Nitin Mani ,bassist of The Supersonics
Mr Gyan Singh was one of the most innovative bass players to watch and listen to. I remember watching him from the days he was a guitarist in Pop Secret. Unassuming but with a great sense of humour, groovy to the core and that’s how I will always remember him. Many a bass player like me have taken free lessons from him just watching him play.
Anjan Dutt,musician, actor, film-maker
I feel very sad. He was an extremely good musician, a fantastic bass player and most importantly a very good soul. It brings about the realisation that there’s a generation that is growing old and that’s a generation to which I belong.... He is there even in a concert sequence for my last film Dutta Vs Dutta.... So much of compassion and love I’ve shared with him over the years. Be it doing music with Neel for my films or coming in as an actor if I needed him to appear in a film, he was there like a member of my own family.
Neel Dutt,musician and composer
Gyanda will be missed big time. Be it in my recordings or my time spent with him. I got to know him through Amytda (Datta) and it’s been a long association of around 15 years. From Bong Connection, my first film, to Ami Ar Godot, my album with Baba, to our last film Dutta Vs Dutta, he was a part of my journey as a music director. In fact, all the bass parts of songs like Taniya, Shomoy or Somewhere, the English number in Dutta Vs Dutta in which he also makes an appearance, were composed by Gyanda.... He could tell a West Coast musician from an East Coast one. He was a very silent person but when he spoke he would make his point, loud and clear. Someone I could talk to about not just music but films, books, food, life and attitude. Very few people know what a phenomenal voice he had when he used to sing a lot of Dylan in the ’70s. That’s the reason I had wanted to feature him in one of our singer-songwriter shows that we often organise.
Jeffrey Menezes,keyboardist with Skinny Alley
He was a wonderful human being. I never heard him raise his voice with anyone. He was always ready to help...a thorough musician. When I first met him as a part of the band Pop Secret, more than 20 years ago, he used to play the rhythm guitar and I can vouch that he was by far the best in the country. So when he decided to pick up the bass in 1996, I was like ‘why?’. But he felt passionate about the bass and went ahead with it. And after he practised and started playing the bass, he turned out to be easily among the best in that sphere too. His percussion style of playing bass was beautiful. The patterns and grooves he selected for our original music gave the songs that bounce.... They say good guys go first and that comes through with Gyan. May his soul rest in peace.
Ehsaan Noorani,ues guitarist and composer
I met Gyan in 1979 when he was in Delhi. His band then was probably called Sugarfoot and I performed once with Skinny Alley at SPE. Gyan was a lovely human being and I do believe that good human beings make good musicians. Hisknowledge of music was vast and for me he was one of the finest funk guitarists I have heard.
Arunima Banerjee,singer with The Saturday Night Blues Band
I’ve had the privilege of performing with Gyan just a few times. He was one of the sweetest, gentlest persons I’ve ever known, always smiling and always ready with a hug and a helping hand. I can't believe he’s gone. It feels unreal that I will never see him again.
