“Trincas is like home to me. It is my mandir, it is my masjid, it is my girija. It is my hallowed ground, really. I still feel a lump in my throat when I enter it. Trincas is my everything,” says legendary singer and Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee Usha Uthup, with a reservoir of gratitude in her heart.On July 19, some of this rich history will be brought back to life. As part of The Hindu Lit for Life Unplugged, legendary singer and author Usha Uthup and historian Anand Puri, third-generation custodian of Trincas, will come together at the iconic Park Street institution for When Park Street Sings: A Conversation on Music, Memory & Kolkata. Moderated by The Hindu‘s Associate Editor Shonali Muthalaly, the evening will trace Usha Uthup’s musical journey while revisiting the story of Trincas, Park Street, and a city that once made music every night of the week.
Usha Uthup with her first band, The Conquerors
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A city remembersFor nearly a century, generations have walked through Trincas carrying vastly different ambitions. Some came looking for music. A few arrived before they became famous. Many left having witnessed history without quite realising it.The Park Street CircuitIn the 1960s, Park Street functioned as India’s live music capital.Almost every major restaurant employed resident bands, creating what musicians called the Park Street circuit. Audiences could move from venue to venue in a single evening, discovering different orchestras, singers and dance bands.Trincas became the circuit’s marquee address, known for its expansive dance floor, discerning talent scouting and jam sessions that drew the city’s young Anglo-Indian musicians.Industrialists shared tables with actors. Maharajas crossed paths with musicians. Indian and West Indian cricket legends unwound here after matches. A young Amitabh Bachchan walked through its doors before superstardom. So did Sharmila Tagore, Saira Banu, and Randhir Kapoor. One evening in the 1980s, members of the British rock band The Who wandered in and found a live band playing their songs, unaware that the original band members were among the audience.
