Sundar Popo (born Sunilal Popo Bahora, 4 November 1943, Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Trinidad & Tobago, died 2 May 2000) was a Chutney musician from Trinidad and Tobago. He popularized Chutney music, beginning with his 1970 hit "Nana and Nani".
Popo grew up in a musical family. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassa drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at church and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Read Full BioSundar Popo (born Sunilal Popo Bahora, 4 November 1943, Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Trinidad & Tobago, died 2 May 2000) was a Chutney musician from Trinidad and Tobago. He popularized Chutney music, beginning with his 1970 hit "Nana and Nani".
Popo grew up in a musical family. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassa drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at church and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Bahora worked as a watchman at a Barrackpore factory, and trained under Ustad James Ransawak. In 1969, at a mattikoor in Princes Town, he met Moean Mohammed, a radio host and promoter. After listening to "Nani and Nana", a song with lyrics in both Hindi and English, describing the affairs of an Indian grandmother and grandfather, Mohammed got maestro Harry Mahabir to record the song at Television House, accompanied by the BWIA National Indian Orchestra. The song revolutionized East Indian music in Trinidad & Tobago. After the success of Nani and Nana, Bahora devoted more of his time to his singing career. He followed "Nani and Nana" with an album combining Trinidadian folk songs with traditional Hindu material. In total, he recorded more than fifteen albums. He is best known for his song Scorpion Gyul which spoke about love, death, and happiness. His other hits include "Oh My Lover", "Don't Fall in Love", and "Saas More Lage (also known as I Wish I Was A Virgin)". His songs were covered several times by the Indian duo Babla & Kanchan, who had a major success with a version of his "Pholourie Bina Chutney", bringing him to a wider international audience, and leading to tours of Europe and the United States.
It was through the production and promotion of Mohan Jaikaran and his JMC music empire and later with Masala radio that Sundar Popo became recognized as the pioneer and founder of Chutney music. There wasn't a chutney show in Trinidad or New York City promoted by Jaikaran that Sundar Popo wasn't a part of. Jaikaran's Mother's Day concerts were always headlined by Sundar Popo.
Popo won many awards during his career, and in 1995, Black Stalin won the Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Monarch title with his "Tribute to Sundar Popo".
In addition to his solo albums, Popo has also released collaborations with Trinidadian performer Anand Yankaran, and JMC Triveni.
While Popo had recorded and performed prolifically since the early 1970s, failing health and eyesight forced him to slow down. At the 2000 Chutney Monarch competition, his performance had to be cut short after one song, and he played his final concert on 1 April 2000, in Connecticut. On 2 May 2000, he died at the home he had built in Barrackpore, from heart and kidney ailments relating to diabetes. His funeral was attended by Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.
Popo grew up in a musical family. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassa drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at church and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Read Full BioSundar Popo (born Sunilal Popo Bahora, 4 November 1943, Monkey Town, Barrackpore, Trinidad & Tobago, died 2 May 2000) was a Chutney musician from Trinidad and Tobago. He popularized Chutney music, beginning with his 1970 hit "Nana and Nani".
Popo grew up in a musical family. Both his parents were musicians; his mother was a singer and his father was an accomplished tassa drummer. At the age of 15, he began singing at bhajans at church and weddings in his hometown of Monkey Town. Bahora worked as a watchman at a Barrackpore factory, and trained under Ustad James Ransawak. In 1969, at a mattikoor in Princes Town, he met Moean Mohammed, a radio host and promoter. After listening to "Nani and Nana", a song with lyrics in both Hindi and English, describing the affairs of an Indian grandmother and grandfather, Mohammed got maestro Harry Mahabir to record the song at Television House, accompanied by the BWIA National Indian Orchestra. The song revolutionized East Indian music in Trinidad & Tobago. After the success of Nani and Nana, Bahora devoted more of his time to his singing career. He followed "Nani and Nana" with an album combining Trinidadian folk songs with traditional Hindu material. In total, he recorded more than fifteen albums. He is best known for his song Scorpion Gyul which spoke about love, death, and happiness. His other hits include "Oh My Lover", "Don't Fall in Love", and "Saas More Lage (also known as I Wish I Was A Virgin)". His songs were covered several times by the Indian duo Babla & Kanchan, who had a major success with a version of his "Pholourie Bina Chutney", bringing him to a wider international audience, and leading to tours of Europe and the United States.
It was through the production and promotion of Mohan Jaikaran and his JMC music empire and later with Masala radio that Sundar Popo became recognized as the pioneer and founder of Chutney music. There wasn't a chutney show in Trinidad or New York City promoted by Jaikaran that Sundar Popo wasn't a part of. Jaikaran's Mother's Day concerts were always headlined by Sundar Popo.
Popo won many awards during his career, and in 1995, Black Stalin won the Trinidad & Tobago Calypso Monarch title with his "Tribute to Sundar Popo".
In addition to his solo albums, Popo has also released collaborations with Trinidadian performer Anand Yankaran, and JMC Triveni.
While Popo had recorded and performed prolifically since the early 1970s, failing health and eyesight forced him to slow down. At the 2000 Chutney Monarch competition, his performance had to be cut short after one song, and he played his final concert on 1 April 2000, in Connecticut. On 2 May 2000, he died at the home he had built in Barrackpore, from heart and kidney ailments relating to diabetes. His funeral was attended by Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Basdeo Panday.
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Nana And Nani
Sundar Popo Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Sundar Popo:
Don't Fall In Love Yuh fallin from a plane gyal, yuh from above, Listen…
The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below or by filtering for lyric videos.
demeraracoolie
Aga aga nana chale nani going behind
Nana drinking white rum
and nani drinking wine
Aga aga nana chale nani going behind
Nana drinking white rum
and nani drinking wine
Nana riding bicycle and
Nani ringing bell
Nani lock the handle
they fall inside ah well
Nana riding bicycle and
Nani ringing bell
Nani lock the handle
they fall inside ah well
Nana so dam careless
He dont care nani down
He jump in the bike boy
He hold on to white rum
Aga aga nana chale nani going behind
Nana drinking white rum
and nani drinking wine
Nana smoking tobacco and
nani cigrette
The rain started falling
the both of them get wet
Nana smoking tobacco and
nani cigrette
The rain started falling
the both of them get wet
Meh nani tell meh nana
Man ah feeling cold
Give meh some white rum
to warm up meh sole
Aga aga nana chale nani going behind
Nana drinking white rum
and nani drinking wine
Nana and meh Nani the
went to tie ah goat
Meh nana make ah mistake
and cut meh nani throat
Nana and meh Nani the
went to tie ah goat
Meh nana make ah mistake
and cut meh nani throat
The police hold meh nana
He couldn't get no bail
The police hold old man
and put him in the jail
Aga aga nana chale nani going behind
Nana drinking white rum
and nani drinking wine
When I get the message
I fall down in a drain
For I know I had no nani again
When I get the message
I fall down in a drain
For I know I had no nani again
Nani dead and gone
Meh nana gone to hang
So I had to take one
For my companion
Nani dead and gone
Meh nana gone to hang
So I had to take one
For my companion
So I had to take one
For my companion
So I had to take one
For my companion
(Taken from https://islandlyrics.com/lyrics-sundar_popo-nana_and_nani_1970.htm)
Mr Ladnek
I am from Trinidad but I would like to dedicate this song to all my brothers & sisters who were taken from Bihar & Uttar Pradesh in the 1800’s by the British to work on the plantations in Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Mauritius, Fiji & South Africa
Khriscell
It has done our Generation good because look how our population has grown in those mentioned countries! Thanks from Guyana
DJ Melly K
Thanks from Fiji!
Golo Mahadeo
@Ramesh Nankoe j
Mina Rajmalla Spencer Jaddoo
This song can easily be from Mauritius, won't be Wonderful if we can have an association as a platform for us to exchange ideas and share our views and cultures from the different parts of the world that we have made our home
Rick Soulfire
I can't help but laugh everytime this song starts remembering when I was 7 years old
naiem zamdin
yea thats funny
suresh ketwaroe
It was a great pleasure playing the guitar for the great Mr. Sundar Popo Ji in New York .Can some one please tell me the name of the drummer who played in this recording? I love his playing.
Versiongurl
I’m a African American woman born to Afro Guyanese parents... man how I love chutney and Indian music. Ever since I was small, I always loved the Indian culture in Guyana.
trini2dbone1234
I admire you. I’m Trini, dougla. So I had the best off both worlds.