Bappi Aparesh Lahiri (born Alokesh Aparesh Lahiri; 27 November 1952 – 15 February 2022), also known as Bappi Da, was an Indian singer, composer and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

. He popularised the use of synthesised

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

music in Indian music industry and sang some of his own compositions. He was popular in the 1980s and 1990s with

filmi Filmi () music soundtracks are music produced for India's mainstream motion picture industry and written and performed for Cinema of India, Indian cinema. In cinema, List of Indian film music directors, music directors make up the main body of c ...

soundtracks. He delivered major box office successes primarily in

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

, Telugu, and Bengali films. His music was well received into the 21st century. In 1986, he was recognised by

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, list ...

for recording more than 180 songs in one year.

Early life

Alokesh Aparesh Lahiri was born on 27 November 1952 in

Siliguri Siliguri (, ; ), also known as Shiliguri, is a major Tier ii cities in india, tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms the twin cities, Twin Cities with the neighbouring city of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeel ...

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

. His parents, Aparesh and Bansuri Lahiri, both were Bengali singers and musicians in classical music and Shyama Sangeet. He belonged to the Bengali Brahmin Lahiri-Mohan family of Mohanpur, Sirajganj (in present-day

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

). The family migrated to West Bengal after the Partition of Bengal in 1947. His parents, were both singers who met while performing for

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

. He was their only child. His relatives include singer

Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; ; 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of modern India ...

, his maternal uncle. Bappi Lahiri began to play tabla at the age of 3. Initially, he was trained by his parents. Bappi showed talent as a child playing the

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

and studied with Samta Prasad on the advice of

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...

. Since childhood, he idolised American musician

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

, and was inspired by him to wear multiple gold chains and gold jewellery. He thought of creating his own signature appearance when he becomes successful, and later upon becoming successful, he created his signature "golden jewellery" look inspired by that of Presley. He considered gold to be "lucky" for him.

Career

Lahiri came to Mumbai when he was 19. He received his first opportunity in a Bengali film, ''Daadu'' (1974), where

sang his composition. The first Hindi film for which he composed music was '' Nanha Shikari'' (1973) and his first Hindi composition was Tu Hi Mera Chanda sung by Mukesh. The turning point of his career was Tahir Husain's Hindi film, Zakhmee (1975), for which he composed music and doubled as a playback singer. He composed a duet with Kishore Kumar and Mohammed Rafi named "Nothing Is Impossible", for the same film. His compositions Jalta Hai Jiya Mera (Kishore Asha duet) and Lata Mangeshkar solos like Abhi Abhi Thi Dushmani and Aao Tumhe Chand from the same film became popular and gave him recognition. The duet "Phir Janam Lenge Hum" sung by Kishore Lata became famous from the film '' Phir Janam Lenge Hum''/'' Janam Janam Na Saathi''. All songs from the film Chalte Chalte (1976), became hits, thus bringing him recognition as a music director at the national level. He sang duet with Sulakshana Pandit named Jana Kahan Hai which gave him recognition as singer. Songs from the films like Aap Ki Khatir, Dil Se Mile Dil, Patita, Lahu Ke Do Rang, Hatya and Ravikant Nagaichs ''Surakksha'' 1979 had soft music. He also composed music for some ghazals, namely "Kisi Nazar Ko Tera Intezaar Aaj Bhi Hai" and "Aawaz Di Hai" for the 1985 film ''Aitbaar''. He also composed melodious songs sung by

either as duets with

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...

in the films starring

Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...

in the 80's in hit films like Naya Kadam, Masterji, Aaj Ka M.L.A. Ram Avtar, Bewafai, Maqsad, Suraag, Insaaf Main Karoonga and Adhikar. After success of the film Himmatwala, Bappi regularly composed duets sung by Kishore Kumar for films starring

Jeetendra Jeetendra (born Ravi Kapoor ; 7 April 1942) is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Hindi cinema. He is noted for his acting, style and dance. He has worked in more than Je ...

like in Justice Chowdhry, Jaani Dost, Mawali, Haisiyat, Tohfa, Balidaan, Qaidi, Hoshiyaar, Sinhasan, Suhaagan, Majaal, Tamasha, Sone Pe Suhaga and Dharm Adhikari.Bappi Lahiri made a record by composing for 12 super-hit silver jubilee movies starring Jetendra as the lead hero in the period 1983–1985. He entered the Guinness Book of World Records for recording over 180 songs for 33 films in 1986. Bappi Lahiri at the recording

Apart from his popular disco-electronic music, Bappi Lahiri was also known for his signature look of his sartorial style that consisted gold chains, golden embellishments, velvety cardigans and sunglasses. Portions of Lahiri's song "Thoda Resham Lagta Hai" were included in the 2002 song "Addictive" by American R&B singer Truth Hurts. Copyright holders Saregama India, Ltd. sued

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

and its parent company,

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

for more than $500 million. A Los Angeles federal judge subsequently barred further sales of the CD unless and until Lahiri was listed on the song's credits. In 2012, his album ''World Peace, Love & Harmony'' was among the top five albums being considered for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

nomination but lost. But, he was selected to be a jury member in the

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

In late 2016, Lahiri voiced the character of Tamatoa in the

-dubbed version of Disney's animated fantasy adventure film '' Moana''; he also composed and sang "Shona" (Gold), the Hindi version of "Shiny". This was his first time dubbing for an animated character, and he also appeared in Ramratan song "Yeh Hai Dance Bar". He won

Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. List of honourees † - Indicates ...

at 63rd Filmfare Awards. In 2021, he appeared as a guest judge in musical TV shows such as

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa ''Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'' is an Indian Hindi-language reality singing television show. It started airing on Zee TV in 1995 as ''Sa Re Ga Ma''. It is the oldest running game show in India as well as the oldest show on private television in India. The ...

, and Indian Idol.

Political ambitions

Bappi Lahiri joined the

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

on 31 January 2014 in the presence of

Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician and lecturer who is serving the Defence Minister of India since 20 May 2019. He was also the Deputy Leader of the House, Lok Sabha since 2014. He also served the Home Minister in th ...

, the then-national President of

, to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha election. He was made a BJP candidate from Srerampur (Lok Sabha constituency) in 2014, but lost to Kalyan Banerjee.

Other work

Acting

Dubbing

Death

Bappi Lahiri died of

obstructive sleep apnea Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder and is characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction, obstruction of the respiratory tract#Upper respiratory tract, upper airway lea ...

and post COVID-19 complications in

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

, on 15 February 2022 at the age of 69.

Discography

Bappi Lahiri became popular in the late 1970s-80s and early 1990s for the film soundtracks composed by him such as '' Naya Kadam'', '' Aangan Ki Kali'', ''Wardat'', ''Disco Dancer'', '' Haathkadi'', ''Namak Halaal'', ''Masterji'', ''Dance Dance'', '' Himmatwala'', '' Justice Chaudhury'', '' Tohfa'', '' Maqsad'', ''Commando'', '' Naukar Biwi Ka'', '' Adhikar'' and ''Sharaabi''. He was known for disco-style songs where he brought orchestration and fusion of Indian music with international sounds and youthful upbeat rhythms. Although most of his songs were written for discotheques and dance numbers, there are several melodious songs as well from a list of movies like '' Chalte Chalte'', '' Zakhmee'', ''Aangan Ki Kali'', ''Patita'', ''Adhikar'', ''Aaj Ka M.L.A Ram Avatar'', ''Laalchi'', ''Aitbaar'', ''Naya Kadam''.

Hindi and Bengali

Telugu

Tamil

*'' Apoorva Sahodarigal'' (1983) *'' Paadum Vaanampadi'' (1985) *'' Kizhakku Africavil Sheela'' (1987) * '' Rocky: The Revenge'' (2019)

Kannada

*'' Africadalli Sheela'' (1986) *'' Krishna Nee Begane Baro'' (1986) *''Guru'' (1989) *'' Police Matthu Dada'' (1991) *'' Love in Mandya'' (2014) – singer, "Current Hodha Timealli"

Other languages

*'' Phir Janam Lenge Hum''/'' Janam Janam Na Saathi'' (1977) –

- Gujarati * ''Michha Maya Sansara'' (1989)-- Odia *''Dokyala Taap Nahi'' (1990) – Marathi *'' The Good Boys'' (1997) –

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...

*'' Luckee'' (2019) – Marathi, singer

Awards

Honours

* 2017 – Banga Bhushan Civilian Honour by

Government of West Bengal The Government of West Bengal, also known as the West Bengal Government, is the Administrative division, principal administrative authority of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of West Bengal, created by the Constitution ...

Legacy

Composer Bappi Lahiri's discarded disco track '' Zindagi Meri Dance Dance'' was left out of the Babbar Subhash film '' Dance Dance'' although it featured on the vinyl album release at the time. It was re-discovered and had a second lease of life in director Ashim Ahluwalia's 2017 gangster film '' Daddy'' starring

Arjun Rampal Arjun Rampal (born 26 November 1972) is an Indian actor and model who mainly works in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's romance film ''Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat'' (2001) and has since gone on to Arjun Rampal filmography, act in ...

. The re-release of the song was a huge success, becoming one of the top tracks of the year. Ahluwalia wanted an authentic 80s Bappi Lahiri sound and not an overproduced remix. Norwegian producer Olefonken reworked the song to be more dynamic for contemporary sound systems but kept many of the original elements including the original vocals of

Alisha Chinai Alisha Chinai (born 18 March 1965) is an Indian pop singer known for her Indi-pop albums as well as playback singing in Hindi cinema. She began her singing career with the album ''Jadoo'' in 1985, and by the 1990s she had become known as the ' ...

and Vijay Benedict as well as the original synth and drum machines. The choreographer of Ahluwalia's first film '' Miss Lovely'', was the same Kamal Nath who had also worked on B. Subhash's disco film '' Dance Dance'' and ''

Commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

'' starring

Mithun Chakraborty Mithun Chakraborty (born Gouranga Chakraborty; 16 June 1950) is an Indian actor, film producer, screenwriter, entrepreneur and politician who predominantly works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Cinema of West Bengal, Bengali cinema. In a career spa ...

, both of which feature Bappi Lahiri soundtracks.

References

Cited sources

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lahiri, Bappi 1952 births 2022 deaths Filmfare Awards winners Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award winners Bengali musicians National Democratic Alliance candidates in the 2014 Indian general election Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from West Bengal 20th-century Indian composers Bengali film score composers Telugu film score composers Kannada film score composers 21st-century Indian composers Hindi film score composers Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in India Indian people of Bangladeshi descent