ADVERTISEMENT

In pictures: The Melody — the decades-old heritage music shop on Rashbehari Avenue

The store, with past patrons like Lata, Kishore and Manna, has withstood the onslaught by music streaming services

Barnini Maitra Chakraborty Published 02.04.22, 06:36 PM
The Melody, the beloved music store on Rashbehari crossing, was established in 1938 by Sushil Kumar Chakraborty. The Melody houses two shops. While one sells LP records, CDs and cassettes, the other shop offers a collection of musical instruments
1 7

The Melody, the beloved music store on Rashbehari crossing, was established in 1938 by Sushil Kumar Chakraborty. The Melody houses two shops. While one sells LP records, CDs and cassettes, the other shop offers a collection of musical instruments

Photos by Amit Datta
ADVERTISEMENT
The Melody sells instruments like the guitar, electronic tanpura, electronic tabla, keyboards. But it is the harmonium that has earned the shop a name in the music industry
2 7

The Melody sells instruments like the guitar, electronic tanpura, electronic tabla, keyboards. But it is the harmonium that has earned the shop a name in the music industry

A worker crafts a harmonium. Debanjan Chakraborty, the third generation owner of The Melody, says that the shop has been a manufacturer of harmoniums since its inception and is its main source of income
3 7

A worker crafts a harmonium. Debanjan Chakraborty, the third generation owner of The Melody, says that the shop has been a manufacturer of harmoniums since its inception and is its main source of income

The Melody had customers from all over the country. Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Manna Dey, among others, have all been their patrons
4 7

The Melody had customers from all over the country. Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Manna Dey, among others, have all been their patrons

Their LPs are among the reasons why The Melody has survived in the age of Spotify and YouTube
5 7

Their LPs are among the reasons why The Melody has survived in the age of Spotify and YouTube

Shelves filled with hard-to-find cassettes and CDs
6 7

Shelves filled with hard-to-find cassettes and CDs

Chakraborty said the demand for LP records and vinyls went up after the pandemic as more listeners sought the intimate listening experience of the bygone era, which is difficult to find in the digital age
7 7

Chakraborty said the demand for LP records and vinyls went up after the pandemic as more listeners sought the intimate listening experience of the bygone era, which is difficult to find in the digital age

RELATED TOPICS

Music Store The Melody Music Shop Rashbehari Avenue Kolkata Music Streaming
Follow us on:
ADVERTISEMENT

MORE IN PICTURES

Share this article

CLOSE