Was introduced to music and singing very very early in life. I probably "began to sing before I could talk."
This blog puts music into every aspect of life - with a generous dose of nostalgia.
Check out my website at www.sunilpintoentertains.com
We Hail Thee, Saviour and Lord...
Thy Cross Ever Be Adored.
This morning at church, as we began the Way of the Cross with these familiar words, I couldn’t help but feel how deeply they anchor this day in the heart. It’s Good Friday—a day that stops us in our tracks, inviting us to remember the immense sacrifice of Jesus for all of us. As the prayers and reflections moved through the fourteen Stations, we found ourselves thinking about how these moments in Christ’s journey speak to us even now—in our own burdens, our own struggles, our own need for hope.
Later, I remembered one year during Lent long ago, our parish screened “Jesus of Nazareth” - and the vivid imagery made the Gospel feel so real. Also, I took some time to recall the hymns that truly represent the season of Lent.
“How Great Thou Art” is a hymn that feels timeless. Originally a Swedish poem by Carl Boberg, it was inspired by the contrast of a raging thunderstorm and the sudden peace that followed. It speaks of awe at God’s majesty… but the verse that always brings me to a pause is: “And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die…” It’s really humbling. And extremely powerful. And it's a reminder of God’s infinite love and mercy.
Another favorite “Give Them All to Jesus.” has journeyed with me since childhood. I remember hearing it on the same cassette as "One Day At A Time" with Cristy Lane soft and gentle voice. The song is an invitation to bring the “Shattered dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys…” to Him—the mess, the pain, the weariness. On Good Friday, this message feels incredibly close. Couldn't resist trying it out as a duet here.
A more recent favourite is “Above All.” I first heard it during Lent in 2008, and everytime we sing it feels new and just as powerful. “Like a rose trampled on the ground, You took the fall, and thought of me… above all.” This one line carries the weight of Good Friday so beautifully. It reminds us that Jesus didn’t just endure the cross—He chose it, with us on His heart.
And then there’s “The Old Rugged Cross.” that takes me right back. Our parish organist, who had once been my kindergarten music teacher, would often play it during quiet moments after Communion. There was something sacred about those still silences, filled with soft organ notes and deep reflection. That hymn will always be tied to the gentle reverence of Lent for me. Here's my effort to play it.
All these songs have stayed with me—not just in memory, but in heart. And today, I’ve tried to honour them in my own small way through these covers.
Good Friday is a solemn day, but it’s also a day of love—a love that gave everything. And while we sit in this moment of quiet, we do so with the hope of what’s to come.
Because Sunday is coming.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, hope-filled Easter.
Every time we played Bingo or Housie, the caller would shout, "Two Fat Ladies—88!" Back then, nobody thought twice about the phrase—but today, it might raise an eyebrow or two. Yet, beyond the bingo lingo, the number 88 holds a special charm.
Did you know? 29th March is the 88th day of the year (in non-leap years), and it’s also celebrated as Piano Day—a tribute to the majestic instrument with its 88 keys.
My Early Encounters with the Piano
My earliest memory of a piano takes me back to kindergarten. We’d sit on tiny chairs in a large hall, divided by blackboards, and in one corner stood a piano. Once or twice a week, a teacher would play, leading us in nursery rhymes. Those joyful half-hour sessions planted the first seeds of my love for music.
Fast forward a few years to seventh standard, and my mother came home with an interesting proposal. Since all of us siblings were musically oriented and good singers, her colleagues in the teachers’ staff room suggested that that she encourage us to play instruments? The primary music teacher, further sweetened the deal with a BOGO (buy one, get one) offer. So my sister and I were both signed up for piano lessons.
Twice a week, we’d walk to the teacher’s house, taking turns at the piano while the other flipped through comic books. With John Thompson’s piano books as our guide, we learned notes, timing, and finger placement—our teacher tapping a pencil on a notebook to keep rhythm. Occasionally, she’d join in, playing the accompaniment, making the music come alive.
Not having a piano at home turned out to be a bit of a hurdle. We occasionally practiced on one at my mother’s school, but it was often out of tune—and as a teenage boy in a girls' school, I sometimes felt too awkward to visit. A small keyboard at home just wasn’t the same.
The formal lessons eventually stopped, but the love for the piano and music never did. Every school performance featured piano accompaniment, and in college, I kept a close watch on my pianist friends’ fingers, eager to pick up a tune or two whenever I got the chance.
Back to 88 – The Radio Days
In April 1988, another musical door opened. I was invited to be a Casual Announcer at All India Radio, Mumbai—a fancy title for a part-time Radio Jockey. I got to spin records, introduce classical pieces, and host music shows like “Music on Parade” and the ever-popular “Saturday Date.”
One song that stood out? Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s "Ebony and Ivory"—a beautiful metaphor for harmony, much like the piano’s black and white keys
And then, there’s “Imagine”—John Lennon’s dream of a world without barriers, without religion or materialism—just people, living life in peace. Two ex-Beatles, two timeless songs, both with a vision of unity.
A Grand Piano and a Jazz Medley
All India Radio had a massive recording studio on the fourth floor—with a Steinway grand piano. A beauty of an instrument.
I got to record a few songs there—once with my college band, once with my siblings, and another time with my choir group for Christmas carols. I’ll never forget sitting at that piano, unable to resist playing a few jazz standards—like a medley of "L-O-V-E" (Nat King Cole) and "All of Me" (Louis Armstrong and a string of others).
What Songs Come to Your Mind?
Thinking about it, it’s been exactly three months since I last shared a post featuring music with my wife. That one included another jazz favorite we sang together—“I Wonder Why.”
So, what about you? What songs come to your mind when you see a piano?
Drop your favorites in the comments! And if you enjoy our music, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel - that’s where you’ll find our latest recordings.
A popular Valentine's gift in the 1980s and 90s was the mixtape. People put together a collection of their favorite song (mostly love songs) and recorded it on a cassette and gifted it to the one that they loved. As tapes moved to CDs, collections of favorite love songs of the couple became popular giveaways at weddings. And for special anniversaries, the CD included songs from the years when the couple got married.
Kristel and I celebrate our 25th Valentine's Day today. And I thought I'd create my own mixtape right here on this blog for us to cherish - and hopefully entertain you all a bit as well.
I learnt the piano for a couple of years in school, and continued practicing and trying to pick up new songs on it even after stopping the regular lessons. Just a month into college, I indicated my interest in participating in singing at the upcoming Malhar - the very popular intercollegiate festival hosted at St. Xavier's college and was inducted into the performing group with Mylene, Priya, Jonathan (the pianist) and Noel (the guitarist). The song we sang was 'P.S. I Love You' by the Beatles. At Christmas time that year, all of us joined together with some other singers from college with the choir from Our Lady of Dolours Church, Wadala to sing Christmas Carols at The Oberoi. Working along with all these friendly musicians made me realise that being able to play an instrument was a real blessing - and how much better it would be to be able to accompany myself.
So a few days before my seventeenth birthday in mid-April, Dad and I walked into the Haribhau Vishwanath Musicals (shop) right outside Dadar Station (West) and walked out with a guitar. We had a couple of chord books at home, and yes Dad was also around if I needed help. And so the journey started, to learn the few simple chords. One of the first songs that I tried was "Annie's Song" by John Denver.
Didn't quite know why the song was called that, but nevertheless enjoyed the lilting melody and the soothing voice that John Denver sang it with. This is possibly an anthem for every guitarist (another one being Hotel California). A lot of musicians play it by plucking the strings, while I still prefer the sound and the rhythm of the strum.
A few days later, the annual Summer Camp at our parish began. And as always, the entire family shone on the day of the music talent competition. The song I chose to sing was "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" and I had worked out the chords of the song. However, with just a week or so of touch on the guitar, I wasn't confident of pulling it off, so got someone else to accompany me. Unfortunately, my accompanist kind of blanked out while I was on stage, and I found myself turning around back to prompt the chords to her. The experience made my resolve even stronger to master the instrument.
It was about the same time that my Dad had given his old 1967 guitar for a little repair and Wilburn - Chembur's best came to drop it back after his elder brother Alan had done his bit on it. My brother convinced Wilburn to sign me up as his first student. And that was another important step in the learning process. I dropped by a couple of times a week for the next year or so, and practices the most intricate Latin rhythms while Wilburn demonstrated his own expertise around songs like Tico Tico, Maria Elena, Besame Moucho and more. Wilburn is still very active in the Mumbai music circles. A few days ago my Facebook feed was showing clips from the movie "Fashion". There was this one scene of a wedding and there was this band playing there. As the camera panned through the band, there he was with his characteristic long hair doing what he does best - playing the guitar.
Being the only musician among my siblings at the time , I had the opportunity to work out on a wide genre of songs that all sang. The next year at the summer camp, I was the most sought after accompanist and played 12 out of the 16 songs performed that night. Working out music was different those days with the limited resources available. There were no chordbooks with the latest songs (Pop Hits had only oldies) and no internet like there is now. As time passed by I made new friends in the music circles - my stints on radio, compering weddings, singing in bands, etc. got me an exposure to the technology of music. Came across the term 'minus-one' and reached out to the DJ (Ian Concessio) whom we had booked to play at my sister's wedding to create one for us to sing the first dance at her wedding. My brother and I sang this song, that I chose to record on her anniversary earlier this month - "Paint My Love" by Michael Learns To Rock.
At my own wedding, I sprung a surprise on Kristel when we were in the centre of the dance floor ready to take our first steps today to our bridal special. The song that played - my own rendition of Lonestar's 'Amazed'.
This is the same recording from back then that I had recorded with a line-out from my fancy keyboard in 2001 - Yamaha PSR 745 into the Creative sound card on my desktop in my little studio apartment in Dubai. The one year I lived in that apartment had me working out a lot of music - any time of day sometimes until late trying to perfect the parts using Cakewalk software- what is now referred to as DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).
While on the topic of Bridal specials, this next song also in the country-folk style was the special at the wedding of a colleague who grew to be a very good friend over our last few years there - "Faithful" by Lobo. Interesting to note that Roland Kent LaVoie is still making music at the age of 81. He lives in Florida with his wife Susie and their dog named Boo (just kidding!)
This couple loved to party and really enjoyed music. And we were an integral part of their parties organising the music - live or DJ at most of them over the four year span that we worked together before they moved to Canada. We attended a Carnival party with them at Umm Al Quwain, some gatherings at their house at Dubai Silicon Oasis and the most memorable were the ones at a Farmhouse they managed to find between Sharjah and Fujairah. I remember partying at the farmhouse on several ocassions starting in Thursday night as the emcee and DJ and continuing the music the next day with live singing sessions that went on all day. This next song was his ringtone for quite a while - a deep and reflective song in the uncertainty of love and life. "If Tomorrow Never Comes" - by Ronan Keating.
I had this blog in mind last Sunday when I sat down and recorded this song. Was quite coincidental that while I posted it on social media late on Sunday night, a few hours earlier, my country star nephew in New Zealand posted his own version of the Garth Brooks on his insta story.
That's all for now.... Hope you enjoyed reading my tales and listening to this music. Do share your feedback and suggestions. Plan to keep this blog active and also my YouTube Channel. Would love for you to follow my social handles and subscribe to the YouTube Channel.
Earlier this month, I saw a poster announcing the Alumni Geet Bahar at Podar College, and it felt like stepping into a time machine. Memories of my own college days came rushing back, and with them, the excitement and joy that Geet Bahar used to bring. It wasn’t just another cultural event—it was the event, where everyone came together to celebrate music and talent. I can still picture my fellow-students, backed by a professional orchestra, putting their hearts into performances that left the audience awestruck. I’ll never forget the hauntingly beautiful rendition of Pankaj Udhas’ “Chitti Aayi Hai” or the evergreen hits from the 70s that filled the hall with so much nostalgia.
Geet Bahar was a stage where raw talent blossomed into brilliance. Many of those performers went on to make big waves in the music world. Mahalakshmi Iyer - a year my senior - is among these. Every time she walked on stage, the audience erupted into a standing ovation even before she sang a note. And when she did sing, it was magic. Watching her now on TV with Shankar Mahadevan and his troupe or catching her performances on social media is such a joy.
Another name that stands out is Ram Sampath. I never saw him on the Geet Bahar stage since he joined college after I graduated, but I was already exposed to his talent from when he was just 7. He lived just a short walk from my place, and he was always experimenting with something different - whether it was a music competition or even a fancy dress event! His creativity and passion were evident even then, so it’s no surprise he’s now a powerhouse in the Indian music industry.
And then there’s Sarosh Izedyar, one of the best lead guitarists I’ve ever known. Met him on my very first day in college, we actually sat on the same bench. Later I discovered that he was this guitarist I encountered a couple of years earlier at an inter-school competition. The school has come to participate in the competition with these two guitarists playing electric, without quite having checked the rules. Today, Sarosh shares the stage with the likes of Shaan and Farhan Akhtar. Had the privilege to hear him play Dire Straits covers with some other good friends.
I actively participated in English music competitions during college, but I never took the stage for Geet Bahar. My hesitation stemmed from the fact that my accent when speaking and singing Hindi was quite atrocious. But life has a way of teaching you, and over the years, I’ve learned to embrace versatility. I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone, and performing Hindi songs has become something I truly enjoy.
This post is from the NMIMS Alumni gathering in 2019. The Rock ‘n’ Roll vibe of “Papa Kehte Hain” gets me really grooving. Here is a full recording of the song.
Fast forward to this year’s alumni meet on 11th January. The event featured some interesting performances, including “Senorita". My wife and I recorded our own version the very next day, and the love we received on Facebook was overwhelming (over 3000 views and more than 200 likes).
Speaking of love for music, my journey with the keyboard began in a rather unconventional way. I learned by ear—and eyes! I’d watch keyboardists like Roney Gomes, who led the band I was part of in the 90s, and try to replicate their finger movements when I got home. Roney taught me so much without even realizing it. And my NMIMS batchmate, Apoorva Deshingkar, was another inspiration. His finesse with melodies and interludes, especially on songs like “Pehla Nasha,” was unmatched. I still remember a particular twirl he played across certain notes that sounded so perfect—it left you wondering where that came from. Apoorva, if you’re reading this, it’s been way too long—let’s catch up for a jam session soon!
Here’s to more music, more memories, and keeping the magic of those college days alive. Stay tuned for more tunes and tales!
