He manages to watch cricket, grows chillies at his Los Angeles home and makes sure he stays in touch with his friends. But there is one thing that renowned conductor Zubin Mehta misses and that is the Hapus mango. (Also read: Music is music; I don’t know what to think of the label, says Zubin Mehta)
There are few things in the world – apart from musical notes, of course – that make Zubin raise his eyebrows in delight and wiggle in his chair like a kid on his birthday. And the Hapus mango tops the list.
‘I miss the Hapus mango’
“I miss mangoes. Hapus, Alphonso. They are not allowed to be shipped so easily. Sometimes my friends try. But the customs keeps them till they are fully ripened. I miss it, I watch cricket. I miss the friends I am in touch with,” the 88-year-old told PTI.
Zubin, who has retained his Indian passport, moved from Mumbai at the age of 18 and has since travelled around the world. He is an honorary citizen of Florence and Tel Aviv and is the lifelong music director of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he has conducted many orchestras, including those in Montreal, Los Angeles, Vienna and Berlin.
He came to India last week to conduct the Indian Symphony Orchestra (SOI) at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai.
‘I watch cricket all the time’
Talking about his seven-decade-long career in music – in which he has refined Western classical music written by greats such as Beethoven, Bach and Brahms – Zubin also discussed the hobbies he makes time for.
“I always watch cricket. Though I don’t have a favourite match, I have always supported India whenever I could,” he said. Zubin is able to watch live and past matches thanks to Willow, a 24-hour cricket channel in Los Angeles.
He said, “They telecast live and past matches. And I watch whenever I can. You know I am very busy, so I can’t just sit and watch. But sometimes I watch at midnight because of the time difference, which upsets my wife a lot.” Zubin married former American actor Nancy Kovac in 1969.
‘I can’t live without chillies’
And his love for spicy food continued to such an extent that now Zubin has created a kitchen garden of his own, where he grows his favourite ingredient – ​​chillies.
“I can’t live without it. I grew up with it, it’s my food. There’s no such thing as living without it. I eat spicy food wherever I want. I grow chillies myself at home. But today I can find chillies anywhere.”
In the foreword to Zubin’s 2008 biography The Score of My Life, sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar wrote about the conductor’s love for spicy food, so much so that he would carry a box of chillies with him during his travels.
Their friendship extended to several musical collaborations.
‘Pandit Ravi Shankar treated me very friendly’
The two great maestros of Indian classical music, one of Indian classical music and the other of Western classical music, first met in Montreal in the 1960s. Shankar had gone there to perform and Zubin was the principal conductor of the Montreal Symphony.
Zubin recalled, “Right from the beginning I was in the company of the greatest musician of India. And he was very friendly with me and he taught me his language and I performed with him with the New York Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic and the Paris Orchestra.”
The friendship between the two great names of Indian and Western classical music has continued into the next generation, with Zubin and Shankar’s daughter Anoushka working together.
Zubin said, “We had a great friendship and after his demise, I have also made music with his daughter. They are a wonderful family.”
‘I recently visited my childhood home’
The celebrated conductor has also ensured that he stays in touch with his friends in Mumbai. Born in 1936 in a Parsi family in Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade area, Zubin completed his schooling from St Mary’s and then studied medicine from St Xavier’s College. He left college after the second year to pursue music studies in Vienna.
He said, “I keep meeting some of my old friends quite often. Not many of the people I grew up with are left now but I am in touch with them.” During his recent visit, Zubin managed to return to his childhood home in Cuffe Parade and was warmly welcomed by the current residents.
Zubin said, “I went to my house yesterday, where I was born. The entire house is still there and the person living there invited me. I went with my son and grandson and showed them the house where I was born.”
Zubin’s music career took off and flourished all over the world. He acknowledged the support he received from India. He said, “It has always supported me, respected me. I have accepted their respect humbly and I don’t expect anything more from India in this matter.”
Zubin was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. In 2013, he also received the Tagore Award for his contribution to cultural harmony.
