Moulin Rouge in Calcutta

The dark coldly air conditioned restaurant was the best place to walk into from a hot summer lou breezed shimmer heat. To escape the fierce summertime afternoons of Calcutta. As you stepped in: the sound of the deep saxophone, the muted tone of the unusually tall bass guitar, the drums in a a single soft beat, cymbals of the drummers chiming and the soft skillfully played beautiful piano sounds would envelope your ears. It would be totally silent after that… a couple of seconds later the soft sound of the Maraca, or Rumba Shaker or Chac-Chac would be heard. It was as if thousands of little pebbles were getting gently shaken up inside a cocktail shaker filled with liquid and tiny ice particles.

There she was Delightful Delilah. Dressed to kill! Wearing a summer body shift short dress. Long legged. Absolutely larger than life beautiful copy of Marilyn Monroe. Blonde hair swept up tied up in a ponytail.

 

Holding the Maracas shaking them gently and deftly. The Rhumba Shakers were a matted shimmer red round blobs. With long wooden handles. From Paris. It was an enchanting afternoon sight and sound That has imprinted in my mind forever.

 

Her voice came out in a husky croon of “Quizas Quizas Quizas” in Italian switching to the English version swiftly “Perhaps perhaps perhaps”, And the Maraca going “Chaca Chaca”.

 

Musings:

Calcutta had the coolest nightlife in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Though the nightlife of Calcutta started way before during my mother’s and father’s young life. For me the coolest time was on a hot summer’s day to troop into Moulin Rouge courtesy Andree our friend she was Delilah’s or Lilian (her real name) daughter.

 

To get served white/vanilla, pink/Strawberry, burnished brown/chocolate squares of ice cream plates. The spoons were rectangular in shape. Sometimes you could have all three in long stripes. Or even Tutti Frutti. Heavenly!

Andree’s step grandfather Sridam Bhur owned the plush rich decor nightclub. And her mother sang there and did the Can Can sometimes.

 

On Sunday afternoons I’d walk into the coldest chic decorated Moulin Rouge. The wallpaper adorning the walls of soft subtle shaded murals were from Paris. In fact all the furniture and soft furnishings were from Paris. The carpet was a deep red. The gilded chairs and settees and beautiful tables covered in pristine white starched crisp damask tablecloth with matching napkins of the same. It had a somewhat charming chic mini miniature look of the real Moulin Rouge in Paris.

 

The most astonishing aspect was the toilet. The entire walls were mirrored in beveled squares of mirrors from floor to ceiling. Including the ceiling. The floor was white makrana marble. Andree and her gang of girls got thrilled seeing many of us staring right back at us. Because of the complexity of the squares, one's reflections would split to many of the same reflections.

 

What a fabulous life it was definitely a moment of: “It was fascination I know”. Delightful Delilah and the Maracas stole the show.

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