THE MONK AND HIS MUSIC - SACHIN DEV BURMAN

Sachin Dev Burman (1906-1975) was a blue-blooded, real-life prince who renounced his regal adornments and way of life in Tripura to pursue his passion - music. He was fascinated by India’s folk music since childhood, and would grow up to be one of its greatest patron saints. As a young man, he would travel to the far corners of (the then undivided) Bengal and Eastern India to sample and imbibe the rich and varied folk music forms - walking alongside wandering minstrels, journeying with boatmen down rivers, and sharing frugal meals with rural folks. Later in life, he would travel to the heartlands of Bihar and United Provinces (now, Uttar Pradesh) soaking in the music of the soil firsthand from the locals, everywhere he went.