Chris Perry

Chris Perry (born Xavier Pereira; 25 November 1928 − 25 January 2002) was an Indian musician, composer, songwriter, and film producer who combined jazz with Konkani music. He is known in India as the "King of Cha Cha Cha" and the "Man with the Golden Trumpet", and was the composer of the signature song of All India Radio.

Early life and career Perry was born as Xavier Pereira in the neighborhood of Modsai in Margão, Goa, which was part of Portuguese India during the Portuguese Empire, to Agostinho Pereira, a local musician, and Maria Conceição Fernandes, a homemaker, in a Goan Catholic family. He grew up with seven siblings.

Perry's family was musical and, at a young age, he entered the Tiatr (musical theater) scene, under the name 'Bab Pinto'. He began staging his own tiatrs; he is remembered locally for the plays Noxibantlo Nhovro, Padricho Lob, and Vid Mog Kornaranchem. He became a proficient musician, particularly on the trumpet and saxophone, known for having perfect pitch (Absolute pitch), and for his ability to switch from trumpet to saxophone mid-song. He was also a prolific songwriter, writing many of the hits of his time. Perry took the traditional Goan style of music and blended it with jazz.

Through the late '50s, Perry moved back and forth between Bombay and Calcutta (now Kolkata), and had his own band, the Chris Perry Band. Even after becoming well-established, Perry had to take part in the accepted practice of finding gigs. Every morning, Goan musicians gathered at the Calcutta restaurant Alfred's. The major bandleaders—Perry, Tony Cyril, Dennis Vaz, Johnny Rodriges, Johnny Baptista, Mike Machado, had their own tables. Anyone who was having an event that evening would come in and "order" musicians, e.g. 'one trumpet and one piano'. Each musician was paid 15 rupees; 18 if they wore white jackets with black trousers. Perry also occasionally played in a two-trumpet act at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel with the jazz star of the day, Chic Chocolate.

By 1960, Perry and his band had a regular gig at Venice, the sophisticated nightclub in Bombay's Astoria Hotel. The Astoria is on Churchgate Street, the city's music and entertainment hub, and Venice was known as the 'jazz man's jazz club', a rendezvous for musicians from around India. Dave Brubeck played there in 1958, Duke Ellington in 1963.

Perry was known as a genius, a perfectionist, and an obsessive. (According to his son, he slept with his trumpet and, every morning, before doing anything else, had a cigarette and blew the trumpet. His drummer, Diogo DeSouza, said: "Whoever joined his band ended up refining his craft. He could tell from a distance even if one small note went wrong on any instrument. He would meticulously write down the notes for each musician and he expected them to play it just the way he wanted." According to De Souza, Perry once gave a band member a black eye for playing a note incorrectly. It was a show night. He brought the musician an ice pack, and gave all band members dark glasses. It became their look for the evening. Perry was also a gambler, known for losing the band's wages at the racetrack. and family. However, he forced Cordeiro to sign a contract agreeing to not perform with anyone else for twenty years. Perry enforced this contract, often with violence. Despite the fact that she was a mega-star throughout India, and was known as the 'Nightingale of Goa', Cordeiro had to leave the music world completely.

On 25 January 2002, Perry died of Parkinson's disease at Holy Spirit Nursing Home in Margao, Goa. Two of his sons, Glenn and Miles Perry, who recorded the hit song "Moje Maim" when they were children, are successful musicians. In 2019, a road in Margao was re-named 'Chris Perry Street'.

In 2015, Goan director Bardroy Barretto released the award-winning film Nachom-ia Kumpasar (Let's Dance to the Rhythm). It is a musical drama, in Konkani, which tells the story of the romance between Perry and Lorna, who are played by Vijay Maurya and Palomi Ghosh. The story is told through 17 popular Konkani songs from the 1960s and 1970s that were re-recorded for this film. Most of the songs were written by Perry, and the list includes those that were originally recorded by Perry and Lorna. These include "Abghat Kelo", "Aik Re Khobrankara", "Tuzo Mog", and the song that launched Lorna's career, "Nachoiea Kumpasar".

Awards Best Composer, Sound of Surprise, Bombay Musicians' Association (Cine Musicians Association) 1964 Maze Le Lo (1976, with Mahesh Kumar, Naresh Kumar, Shakila Bano Bhopali), His Master's Voice Frank Fernand And Chris Perry Vol 2 (1976) Hit Music From Goa (1977), EMI Concanim Hits: Chris Perry And A Host Of Stars (1979) Chris Perry's Golden Hits (1979, Lorna Cordeiro, Usha Mangeshkar, Ambar Kumar, Miles Perry, Giles Perry, H. Britton, Bab Peter, Tony Carr, M. Boyer, Antonet, Adolf. Re-released 2006) Lorna-Unforgettable Hits (2007, Lorna Cordeiro, as writer and arranger), Sinaris

EPs Bebdo (1969, Lorna), His Master's Voice Chris Perry's Hit Songs (1970, Mohammed Rafi & Lorna Cordeiro), His Master's Voice Chris Perry's Hit Songs (Concanim) (1973, Mohammed Rafi & Lorna Cordeiro), His Master's Voice From Usha With Love (1976), EMI Super Pops III (1979), Philips Records

Singles "Figaro Adlam" / "Tabdem Caoado" (1958), Columbia Records "Maim Sun" / "Chockri Chor" (1958), Columbia "Bombay Baion" / "Valentina's Escape" (1966), His Master's Voice "Piso" (1969) Lorna Cordeiro "Bebdo" (1969) Lorna Cordeiro "Saudichem Gantar" (1969) Lorna Cordeiro "Sopon" (1969) Lorna Cordeiro "Caliz Boong Bang Zata" (1969), Tony Carr & Delphine "Noxibac Roddtam" (1970), Lorna Cordeiro and Mohammed Rafi "Maria" (1970), Lorna Cordeiro and Mohammed Rafi "Bom Jesuchea Conventan" (1970), Lorna Cordeiro and Mohammed Rafi "Combea Sadari" (1970), Lorna Cordeiro and Mohammed Rafi "Tuzo Mog" (1971), Lorna Cordeiro "Nachoea La-Bam-Ba" (1971), Lorna Cordeiro "Abghat Kelo"(1971), Lorna Cordeiro "Aik Re Khobrankara" (1971), Lorna Cordeiro "Amerikak Pauxi" "Lisboa" "Sorga Rajeant" "Fottkiro Mog" "Red Rose" Lorna Cordeiro "I'll Always Love You" "Moje Put" (1969), M. Boyer "Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu" (1973), Tony Carr "Mog Boom Boom Boom" (1973), Bab Peter "Moje Maim" (1973), Giles Perry, Miles Perry "Beautiful" (1974), Usha Uthup "Marialina" (1976), H. Britton "Bus Conductor" (1976), H. Britton "Kazarachem Utor" (1976), H. Britton "Nokre" (1976), Adolf Fernandes "Aik Re Khobrankara" "Nachoiea Kumpasar" "Piti Piti Mog", Antonet

Film credits (music) Kabhi Kabhie (1976) Trishul (1978, uncredited-music department) Nachom-ia Kumpasar (2015)