‘Bombay Meri Hai’: How a party song from Bandra spread around the globe in the 1960s

Sung by Uma Pocha, who died on April 4, the tune travelled to Sri Lanka and beyond, serving as a reminder that it’s impossible to predict how sounds travel.

Naresh Fernandes

· Apr 12, 2018 · 11:30 am

Editor’s note: Pay for Scroll.in and help support the free press

Why we’d like you to help support our newsroom.

Naresh Fernandes

· Mar 15, 2018 · 08:15 am

Song for the New Year: A Pakistani spin on jazz classic ‘Take Five’ is a picture of possibilities

Scroll staffers pick their favourite tunes.

Naresh Fernandes

· Jan 01, 2018 · 11:30 am

Iraq and roll: The Jewish sounds of Bollywood

In the 1930s, Mumbai actually supported a Hebrew record label.

Naresh Fernandes

· Jul 05, 2017 · 11:30 am

Raj Thackeray is wrong about Mumbai's British-era glory – and these street crosses show why

The plague at the end of the 19th century proved how terrible life was for the working classes.

Naresh Fernandes

· Feb 20, 2017 · 07:30 pm

When Bandra’s Kolis danced in the Republic Day parade (and what that has to do with a Bollywood hit)

Over the decades, one traditional Mumbai fishermen’s song has left its mark on Nehru, Aamir Khan’s ‘Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin’ and Scroll.in.

Naresh Fernandes

· Jan 26, 2017 · 11:30 am

From Hindi film music to raga-based symphonies, the remarkable journey of Anthony Gonsalves

The renowned musician, whose fifth death anniversary is on January 18, merged the Western classical music of his Goan heritage with Hindustani melodies.

Naresh Fernandes

· Jan 18, 2017 · 01:30 pm

Jamalpur jazz: The forgotten story of a Filipino swing musician in 1930s Bihar

As World Jazz Day is celebrated on Thursday, a reminder that the musical form has a long, complex history in the subcontinent.

Naresh Fernandes

· Apr 30, 2015 · 09:00 am

Bridget Moe, the last link in a sublime musical loop between Hawaii and India, passes away

From the 1920s, a pioneering group of South Sea musicians introduced the subcontinent to a sweet sound that would later find its way into Bollywood music,

Naresh Fernandes

· Feb 12, 2015 · 11:56 am

Morning you play different, evening you play different

A story of love, longing and jazz in 1960s Bombay.

Naresh Fernandes

· Jan 03, 2015 · 07:30 am

Searching for Fidel: In Cuba, chasing dreams of salsa socialism

A trip to the exuberant Caribbean island in 2000.

Naresh Fernandes

· Dec 20, 2014 · 06:30 am

Pakistan’s immature players hand Hockey India officials a glorious reprieve

Sports bureaucrats are appealing to 'Indian culture' to deflect attention from their own bunglings.

Naresh Fernandes

· Dec 14, 2014 · 05:11 pm