In 1956, as a prelude to the creation of the State of Kerala, there were celebrations and events everywhere. At an inter-school music competition in Fort Kochi a boy from Santa Cruz High School created a flutter by winning the event.
More significantly, he had got the better of a boy named K.J. Yesudas who had to be content with a special prize.
This was Azeez Bava’s moment of glory, for rarely did anyone challenge the singing skills of Yesudas those days.
For those who knew Azeez and his lineage this was not surprising. His parents Gul Mohammed and Sara Gul Mohammed were legends in their lifetime and early singers who had their songs recorded on gramophone records. And Azeez had imbibed much of this musical legacy.
“For the competition only Yesudas and I sang Malayalam songs. I chose a poem by K. N. Ezhuthachan that was set to tune by my mother. I still remember both of us singing our songs once again at a grand prize distribution function held at the Parade Ground before a massive audience,” says Azeez, who now stays at Mattancherry.
And when he sits down to brush off the dust from a storehouse of memories, out tumble tales of a life defined by opportunities and also of lost possibilities.
Everything seemed to be on track for Azeez from then on. He was an integral part of the St. Albert’s College group song team that won the first prize at the Kerala University Youth Festival and went on to present the winning song at the 8th Inter-University Youth Festival in New Delhi.
“We were a formidable team comprising excellent musicians like Emil Isaacs, T.K. Thomas, Chelappan, Baby and Ashok Kumar. In Delhi I was fortunate to be selected as part of a group to sing before an elite audience that comprised among other dignitaries Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. If I remember right the occasion was Pandit Nehru’s birthday, the Children’s Day celebrations. I was the only one from South India chosen for this memorable occasion. Perhaps my Hindi speaking skills helped. And on one of the days we performed the chief guest was the famous cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.”
Azeez was by then taking steps towards a singing career. He was part of various music groups and like many youngsters waiting for the doors of playback singing to open. “I was by then also composing music. I used to watch and listen to M.K. Arjunan Master when he was at work, often getting valuable tips from him. That was when the late Rani Chandra had set up her dance group. I was associated with the group and composed many items like the very popular ballet ‘Kavya Narthaki’ based on Changampuzha’s work. Till Rani Chandra shifted base to Madras I was with the group. In between, I also worked for Cochin Sisters, another dance group.”
In 1979, along with two other friends Azeez started Tarana, a music group that soon became very popular. “By now I was also composing for amateur plays directed by noted theatre personalities like C.P. Antony and Tip Top Aziz. All the while I was looking for that elusive film offer.”
There was a flash of hope when C.P. Antony was roped in to write the script for Karutha Pournami . Arjunan Master was making his film debut in this film. “Maybe I should not have hoped to get a chance to sing. But that hope was given to me by Antony and I even went to Madras for I was told I would be singing in the film. That never happened for various reasons. I was terribly disappointed.”
This was when he accompanied his step brother K.G. Satthar on a music tour of West Asia. Azeez made contacts and a favourable impression which led him to an accountant's job at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi. “I spent almost eight years here. And it changed by life. There were some magical moments like getting the chance to spend a few hours talking and singing with Lataji (Mangeshkar) when she had come to the hotel for a show and starting Do Re Me, a music school. I was not fortunate to see the school go full steam as both my partner Murali and I had to return.”
Back home Azeez struggled to make up for the lost years. “I realised that if at all there was some space for me it was in composing and I decided to pick up whatever was left of my career.”
It was not easy but Azeez persevered. Today, he is a popular composer, whose tunes have enlivened over 25 television serials, including the trendsetting ‘Sthree’, ‘Snehanjali’, ‘Kayamkulam Kochunni’, ‘Minnukettu’, and numerous albums. “Almost all the leading singers from Yesudas, S.P. Balasubramaniam, K.S. Chitra to Madhu Balakrishnan and Afsal have sung for me. I have been fortunate to set to music the lyrics of great poets like ONV Kurup and some of my songs in the album ‘Sthree’ and ‘Vasanthageethangal’ are still popular. And my work in the serial ‘Sreeraman Sreedevi’ also won an award for me.”
Azeez continues to chase that elusive cinema dream. “I know I may not be able to sing in a film but if things work out well I’ll be composing the music for a Tamil film soon. It’s too early to part with the details but the initial discussions have been very positive. Also in the pipeline is another television serial, which I have not committed as it takes the toll out of me, at this age.”
Knowing Azeez, he will not give up so easily.
