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MUSIC COMPOSER ANTHONY PRABHU GONSALVES came to Bombay in 1943 from the coastal village of Majorda in south Goa. At 16, he was hired by the famous music director Naushad as a violinist in his group. Gonsalves was a major influence on Hindi film music of the 1950s and 1960s, lending a Goan touch to then Hindustani sounds of Bollywood. This mellifluous blend can be heard in compositions like ‘Hum aapki aankhon me’ for Pyasa, and ‘Ayega Aanewala’ for Mahal. Among his students were legends like RD Burman and Pyarelal. In 1977, Pyarelal paid tribute to his mentor with the Amar Akbar Anthony song, ‘My name is Anthony Gonsalves’.
In 1965, Gonsalves moved to the US and, though he later returned to India, he never again composed for Bollywood. He is seen here sitting at his piano in his house and classroom on Linking Road in Bombay. Gonsalves died on 19 January 2012 in Majorda.
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