One can’t find good-quality photographs of how Trincas at Park Street in Kolkata looked in its days of glory — the 1960s and 70s. Park Street was then known as the Beirut of the East and Trincas, the Mecca for music lovers. There were fashion shows and high tea for the ladies on Tuesdays, jam sessions by bands on Sunday afternoons — when the line of those waiting to get in would stretch beyond the corner —and floor shows for New Year’s and Christmas, complete with a story line, play acting, music and cabarets. “Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai were dry during those days. So you can imagine how popular our city was,” smiles owner Deepak Puri.
But the black and white pictures from those days are discoloured and hazy. The Trincas of today doesn’t reflect the past either. Gone are the arches and the high ceiling; the ceiling has been lowered to cut cooling costs. Plush carpets have been replaced by white tiles for easy maintenance. Instead of crockery from Japan, there’s functional white china. The Cona Coffee apparatus on every table has been replaced by an instant brew. “Coffee, beer and coke cost the same back then: Rs 3,” says Puri. The sole coffee maker from the past rests in their office as a souvenir.
What hasn’t changed, however, is the small area for live music. Since its inception , Trincas has always played live music, though contemporaries such as Mocambo, Moulin Rouge, El Morocco (now Shenaz), Blue Fox (now closed) have resorted to DJs and music systems. “It’s like the owners have a pact with themselves, to never let music die,” says Nondon Bagchi, drummer with city band Hip Pocket. He gives all credit to past owners Om Puri and Ellis Joshua for the music revolution on Park Street. It all started with a tearoom, though. Swissmen Trinca and Flury started one in Park Street in 1926. They parted ways after a decade and Flury set up his own tearoom across the street. An opportunity to purchase Trincas came in 1959, and friends Ellis Joshua and Om Puri, who had been working at the Oberoi Grand, grabbed it. It was converted into a night club in 1961.
“Joshua would always look out for new musical talent,” says Deepak. “He’s the one who saw Usha Uthup perform in Mysore and convinced her to come to Kolkata.” So there she was, clad in Kanjeevaram saris and braided hair, belting out seductive songs such as Fever. Biddu Appaiah, known for the smash hit Aap jaisa koi in Qurbani as well as producing Carl Douglas’ Kung-Fu Fighting, was one of the and his band Trojans were a reigning favourite.
Incidentally, Bagchi twirled drum sticks for the first time in Trincas. His band Chequered Tricycle introduced rock music to Park Street right here. “We’d come on stage for about half hour and belt our covers from Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan and The Doors,” reminisces Bagchi.
And when Jenny from the swinging sixties belted out the song Cabaret at Trincas last month, memories came rushing in for many — old patrons, the owners, the staff that has stayed with the restaurant for decades, and Jenny herself. “I can never forget my first performance here in 1973. I sang in Benny Rozario’s band and was all of 18 and came dressed in socks, shoes and a pleated skirt!” This time, however, she was more appropriately dressed in skirts, conservative tops and flimsy jackets.
But somewhere between the pleated skirt and conservative tops lie days when she wore gowns that were cut up to the thigh, showed a hint of cleavage and suggested the swing of hips. And it was around those days when the state government levied a 30 per cent entertainment tax. Political unrest made it dangerous for people to venture out. Nothing was the same again. Restaurants went through a slump and live music in Kolkata became a thing of the past. But Bagchi feels the reason for live music dying in Kolkata was due to something else. “The Anglo-Indian community which was responsible for most of the music in the city, left the Indian shores for better opportunities in countries such as the US, Australia and Canada,” he says.
The restaurant owners try publicity exercises such as food festivals and special menus. But it’s the nostalgia nights they organise that has the crowds asking for more. “We only have nostalgia and talking about heydays to liven things up a bit,” says Shashi Puri. Well, as long as we have the memories.
[Prerna Raturi is Kolkata-based freelance writer]
