‘We’re still the loudest house in the neighbourhood’
It was Frank Sinatra’s velvety strains that first drew him in. Ricky Bahar’s own vocal strength spans across a variety of genres although, admittedly, slants towards the classics he grew up with.
Most of these tunes came from his father, singing sensation Ishan Bahar’s playlists. “Ours was the loudest house in the neighbourhood,” he recalls, some song or other was always fluttering out of the windows.
One tends to unknowingly develop an appreciation for Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Junior being exposed to their work from infancy, but it was Frank Sinatra’s repertoire that made an impression.
“He had an aura” says Ricky, confessing that he still finds him fascinating. Diana Carr and Jamie Cullum are some of today’s musicians whose work resonates well with Ricky’s style, but his favourite is the smooth opulence of Michael Buble’s voice.
Backed by his band The Legends at most of his local appearances, Ricky’s Hendala residence is where the six-piece crew meets to polish up their act. “We’re still the loudest house in the neighbourhood,” he laughs.
Breezily pulling-off vocally challenging numbers with effortless elegance is a skill picked up from the brief tutelage of another local legend Lylie Godridge.
“He trained our school’s choir” and after the choir practice at St. Joseph’s College came to an end Ricky’s vocal lesson would commence. “I learned everything, even how to stand onstage” during a sparse 45 minutes spared by the veteran choirmaster, Ricky remembers.
All the training was put to good use when during his later days in school The Steelers came to life. In fact Timal Jayamanne of his current band, The Legends, recalls being a fan of The Steelers and catching a few of the band’s practice sessions.
Timal and other schoolboys were soon joined by more fans when the band gathered a following from playing at “the Little Hut” at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel.
The Steelers made his a recognizable face in the music scene, but Ricky’s debut is relatively lesser known. “I sang ‘Let Me Be There’” at the Kandy Lake Club,” he recalls.
Appearing alongside his father who was a celebrated member of the Jetliners he says, “I was around seven at the time.” Being onstage left him thinking “It’s a nice place to be” but he says “there was never any pressure to take-up music as a career.”
Soon The Steelers started drawing crowds at My Kind Of Place at the Taj. Scouted-out to perform for European audiences, they got a chance to go to Germany in the early 1990’s.
Ricky however didn’t go with the band, the arrival of The Legends’ female vocalist having influenced this decision. A contract which was for “six months” overseas seemed dauntingly long “since my daughter was just born.”
Almost three decades later he feels much has changed in the music scene. Representing Western Music in the island Ricky’s performances promoting tourism still take him around the globe but he notes that local musicians have a tendency to undersell themselves.
“We practise more than we perform” Timal shares, but appreciation of the hours put-in sadly, isn’t a norm in the country. Also peculiar to Sri Lanka Ricky says is a stiff audience. Stages at home are his favourite, but the audiences “are always tough.”
It isn’t until the very end of any performance that they show any sign of loosening-up. “When people are moved enough to want to speak to you after the show, this amounts to success because you’ve made a connection.”
“I’m very fortunate that my kind of music from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s has stayed relevant,” he adds. This year the band is gearing-up to host Galle Face Hotel’s 31st night gala.
“Where ever I perform there is always someone who remembers my father’s performances at the Coconut Grove of the Galle Face Hotel.” Known for legendary NYE parties the Coconut Grove was in fact where Ishan Bahar’s band, the Jetliners was discovered.
Humbled to be filling his father’s shoes at the “ultimate coming of age event” for the 150-year-old hotel following renovations, he says the vibe is “very black-tie.” Smooth jazz and a nice suit is reminiscent for Ricky of his childhood inspiration, Sinatra himself and the band is working on a snazzy line-up to usher in the new year.
Tickets priced at Rs. 25,000 are now available at the Galle Face Hotel.