Sebastian D'Souza (1906-1998) was a successful
Goan
music arranger
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestra ...
in the
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
music industry, considered to be the master of fusing Indian music with European classical music concepts of harmony, cadence and obbligato. He is largely responsible for changing the entire harmonic structure of the Hindi film song to create an extremely listenable full body of sound behind the voice of the singer.
Sebastian was very competent in creating
counter-melody
In music, a counter-melody (often countermelody) is a sequence of notes, perceived as a melody, written to be played simultaneously with a more prominent lead melody. In other words, it is a secondary melody played in counterpoint with the prim ...
which became popular from 1950 onwards and Sebastian became a well-known and the most wanted Music Arranger of many music directors of Hindi Film industry. Since 1951 till 1975, he was a permanent Assistant to
Shankar–Jaikishan
Shankar–Jaikishan (also known as S-J), were an Indian composer duo of the Hindi film industry, working together from 1949 to 1971. They are widely considered to be one of the greatest ever music composers of the Hindi film industry. After Jaiki ...
along with Datta Ram.
Bollywood career
He started his career as a Music Arranger in 1948–49 with O. P. Nayyar. Sebastian's role got noticed during the making of Raj Kapoor's
Aawara (1951).
Providing violin obbligato at the background, preparing counter melodies for the bass cello, use of choir techniques in employing voices in Indian chorus singing, sparing but significant use of sonorous church organ, refining cordial harmonies suitable for Indian composers could be noted as features of Sebastian's contribution to the Hindi film music
Arrangement discography
References
External links
*
* http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/salon-mera-naam-chin-chin-choo-1043062
* https://qz.com/407489/a-story-of-love-longing-and-jazz-in-1960s-bombay/
* http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2621/stories/20091023262107200.htm
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Souza, Sebastian
1906 births
1996 deaths
Indian music arrangers
Musicians from Goa
20th-century Indian musicians