100 years of Mehboob: A legacy that lives on
Opposite Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi stands the office of the Mehboob Memorial Orchestra — a sanctuary of memories dedicated to H Mehboob, Kerala’s beloved
Opposite Aspinwall House in Fort Kochi stands the office of the Mehboob Memorial Orchestra — a sanctuary of memories dedicated to H Mehboob, Kerala’s beloved singer who never failed to delight his audiences, on the stage and off it. Mehboob’s legacy remains intact here — old photographs hang on the walls and the stage in the central hall showcases paintings of him and singer Mohammed Rafi (Mehboob idolised the legendary singer). Members of the “club”, as they call it, get together here every Friday and offer their modest stage to aspiring musicians. “This is how we keep the spirit of his music alive,” says K A Hussain, secretary and one of Mehboob Memorial Orchestra’s (MMO) earliest members. The building itself is over 130 years old, adds Hussain. Seated in a chair beside the window overlooking the street and the ancient raintree, Hussain talks about Mehboob, curating his words with care. “Bhai was one of a kind — a true maverick. No one could guess what he had up his sleeve and that was part of his appeal.” Founded as an informal collective called Raag a year before Mehboob’s death in 1981, the MMO was formally launched in 1985, to celebrate his life and music. Among the founding members was the late ghazal singer Umbayee, who shared a close bond with Mehboob and has performed alongside him on several stages. Mehboob, an emotion Over four decades, the MMO has continued to spread the joy of music, much like Mehboob himself, whose story was among the most dramatic and significant in Kerala’s music history. For everyone who grew up in the Fort Kochi-Mattancherry region during his heyday, Mehboob was an emotion, says Hussain. “He was ‘Bhai’ to everyone.
He had a rare knack to connect with people. There was a time when his stage shows would draw more crowds than even KJ Yesudas’s,” says Hussain, stopping often to recite a couplet or two from Mehboob’s famous songs. A tribute to Rafi Apart from the mehfils every Friday, Mehboob Memorial Orchestra’s Rafi Nites are a hugely popular event in the cultural calendar of the city. “We have been organising this tribute to Mohammed Rafi since 1981 — for 43 consecutive years, we stopped during the Covid-19 years, and restarted when normal life resumed,” says Hussain. A tribute to Mohammed Rafi, the event celebrates the singer’s evergreen melodies. “His style was unique — there was a touch of humour, soul and spontaneity in everything he sang. Even his sartorial choices were rather unique. He wore loose shirts, which added to his persona,” recalls Hussain. Born in 1926, Mattancherry, Mehboob grew up in an impoverished family; he practically spent his childhood in the military barracks at Pattalam, Fort Kochi. His intrinsic talent endeared him to the people, and he was singing everywhere — at weddings, mehfils, or just with a bunch of friends under Fort Kochi’s benevolent canopies. Along with lyricists Nelson Fernandez and Meppally Balan, Mehboob created a number of original songs, some of which were later used in mainstream Malayalam films (such as Annayum Rasoolum (Kayalinarike…). Films and fame It didn’t take long before his talent was noticed by the film world. Actor TS Muthaiah recommended his name to composer V Dakshinamoorthy, who gave him three songs in the film Jeevithanouka. However, it was K Raghavan’s composition ‘Maanennum vilikkilla’ from Neelakkuyil (1954) that catapulted him to filmy fame. Soon, he was singing for all the top Malayalam film music composers.
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