Christmas 2024: How these Mumbai regional language-choirs showcase diversity with music

The choir of St Paul’s Tamil Church rehearse at Christ Church in Byculla ahead of a performance

Mumbai is a cacophony of languages. A five-minute stroll through any railway station will introduce you to a thousand different words in diverse languages. It is no surprise then that the season of joy in Mumbai is coloured with the harmony of different languages.

Songs of migrants

At St Paul's Tamil Church on Clare Road in Byculla, the language is part of its origins, and the city's. Founded in 1861, the church began as a simple prayer house for Tamil, Hindustani and Konkani migrants coming to the port city of Bombay. The arrival of Madras-based missionaries in the late 1920s gave it the name of St Paul's Tamil Church.

Current choir master Asher Stephen began his journey with the congregation in 1974 as an organist. Slowly progressing to bass singer, he took over the choir last year. "The worship and the service is also in Tamil, as are the songs for the Nativity and Christmas celebrations," he tells us. The music is a mix of traditional and Indian sounds. "We do not alter the compositions in any way, but you will find the influences in the humming and vocals," he points out.

Yet like many regional choirs, Stephen faces a new need to adapt. "Many of the new generation cannot read Tamil. I do not blame them. In Mumbai, you hardly have the time. In such cases, we tend to use transliterations of the song to sing it phonetically. As long as they are being sung, the songs will live on," he says.

Members of the St Francis Xavier Church choir in a rehearsal

From the gaothans

For Raymond Creado, it was language that drew him to the choir. The choir master was among the founding members of the 50-year-old Marathi choir at St Francis Xavier Church in Vile Parle West. Having begun in 1974, the choir continues its tradition of singing Marathi missals (book of prayers)
every Christmas.

"I was 16-years-old when the choir was set up. Before that, the songs were often sung in English and a little Latin. Many of the older members from the gaothans would attend, but would hardly understand anything," shares Creado who traces his roots to the Pond gaothan in Vile Parle.

This changed with the initiative. With songs written by Fr Hillary Fernandes, the choir started out in 1974. Sung simply like bhajans, these songs were written in pure Marathi - different from the ‘boli bhasha' that had an influence of East Indian and Koli dialects, says Creado. The music also has elements of taal similar to Hindustani folk music traditions.

Raymond Creado; a Marathi hymnal choir book

Things are changing though. With the next generation educated in English medium schools, and moving abroad, Creado admits the songs need protecting. "We still have a strong choir that performs and has won multiple awards. But we are training and helping the children learn these songs. After all, they are a part of our legacy and heritage," he says.

The coastal influence

Across the neighbourhood at the CNI Ambroli Church, Vile Parle, Cecil Phillips shares a similar story. "I have been a part of the choir since my childhood. I grew up in Mahim and later, Vile Parle. I learnt the songs from my father, and he learnt them from his," shares Phillips, now a resident of Chennai. Describing the choir's traditional roots, the 55-year-old adds, "We have a song book of 500 hymns [called bhajans] that are almost 150 years old. In Gujarati, the hymnal book is called the bhajan sangraha."

Cecil Phillips

This compilation has been enriched by works of Indians and foreigners as well. "In the 18th century, JVS Taylor was one of the influential scholars who translated songs from English to Gujarati. Others like Jaywantiben Chavan have since added to it."

"We have translated versions of the English carols like Joy To The World and Silent Night. The composition and scales remain the same. Then, there are Gujarati songs that are traditional Garba-type songs written for Christmas. One other song is ‘Alaame aaj ugyo soneri suraj' praising the birth of Christ. This song is in Indian classical form," he reveals.

The Ambroli choir in rehearsal

With a new generation on the move, is there a worry for the tradition? Not at all, says Philips. "The tradition is 120 years old, and the Gujarat Diocese and Tract and Book Society of India publish these hymnals. Now, there are a lot of audio cassettes as well, so the tradition will carry on."

From the gullies of Grant Road

One rare institution for the Gujarati Christian community in the city is the Centenary Hindustani Methodist Church in Grant Road. "The community is spread across Mumbai, and this church has been a key part of the Gujarat Diocese for several generations," remarks Phillips.