Keith Kanga ..Atomic Forest My Childhood Friend Obituary
Originally uploaded by flickr photographerno1
Keith Kanga was rich far too rich..and they dont make Keith Kangas any more.
And the Jehovahs Witness destroyed him.
His grandmother was fundamentallist Jheovahs Witness and an obssesive one I do not wish to denigerate her Memorry.. but she killed her only grandson..feeding him with hate for all religion all Gods but Jheovah..
And I was the softest target as I loved Keith Kanga far too much, and that was a problem, as Keiths parents Gwendolyn Kanga died very soon after the Death of her husband Dossabhai Kanga a Parsi affluent industrialest who owned racing horses and the New Era Printing Press..and he left big time money.. and his death was too much drinking, social drinking, and I remember after his death Keki Uncle Rusi Uncle and all Keiths Parsi relations patronising his mother.. his mother like a screen goddess..far too beautiful in human words.. she tried to bring some order to her life she sent Keith to a boarding school. in Darjeeling. and I was far too young and that night she requested my mother to let me sleep in her huge bedroom.. and she was another Mother gorgeous, American looking..and I never got over that night when she wept and told me how she missed Baba that was Keiths pet name..and a few weeks and she got him back and enrolled him at John Canon Cathedral School..Mr Gunnary was the principal than..and the other friend was Vimal Patacharige staying on the third floor of Khatau Mansions his family was from SriLlanka and his father was a goldsmith at a workshop behind Taj Mahal Hotel belonging to Gazdar Jewellers also situated in the lobby of the Old Taj opposite Burlingtons of Mumbai..where I was too work for seven years..later..much later ..
Keiths mom found her happiness cut short as she went through an unhappy affair with a Parsi Gentleman from Hampton Court who jilted her.. and this did her in, she hit the bottle and like her husband succumed to premature death Chirrosis of the Liver.
There was much at stake untold fortunes and Keith the only Heir and Granny Keiths maternal grandmother fought a severe court battle and got the custody of Keith Kanga..as he would inherit all this at the age of 18 and she became his legal guardian and she began selling all the heirlooms, statues of Gandhi as the Jheovahs Witness dont need these in their Paradise..
And Keith was hung up on Music and being Richie Rich and immense wealth Granny allowed him musical moments.. and he had the latest equipment bought down from abroad , and Keiths house was an haven for all up and coming musicians Phillip and Erwin Vaz, Neil Chattopadhya,Nandu Bhende..
Granny started letting out the rooms and this flat was huge..servants quarters, hall , dining, huge kitchen, palatial bedrooms, and so Granny gave it out to Hanif Bhai who ran the Brothel near Radio Club called Paradise..and the parties early 60s ..I remeber dancing in one with a ladies wig..
And the downward decline.Keith got onto Drugs, and he also played at the Three Coins at Puna.. The Band came to be known as Atomic Forest name given by Granny..
After I moved out of Khatau Mansions and shited to 3 Mohini Mansions Strand Cinema I kept in touch with Keith and Granny .. and Keith was moving around with Karen Lunell the Liril girl.
Vimal had shifted to Sri lanka, Rayomand Framroze my other friend in the Trinity had moved to Framroze Court Marine Drive..
Than one day my kingdom came crashing down I think it was 69 or 1970 I was to sit for my board Exam and Dad went berserk and sent my mom and the other kids to Lucknow , he had suffered a major loss and gave out the entire flat at Strand on rent.. and I did not want to go to Lucknow so Dad threw me out and I sought shelte rwith Keith Kanga and Granny and a fucked bitch of a dog called Fu Fu , my job was to take FuFu to shit and learn the Bible .. I had no options.. Shakil my kid brother stayed with Dad in a rented place at Mere weather road ,.. and gave up studies to learn tailoring..
I was one fine day to be baptised so I was taken on a wet and windy day to Cuffe Parade for the day of my new life .. and fat Granny pushed me into the waters.. and as they began the reading from the Bible it began to rain heavily and this is the Truth.. and they aborted the Spiritual Enterprise.. .. for the following day.. and I had my board Exams and Keith was finacing me for my studies..and I thought I would become Jheovahs Witness and revert after my Exams..and I was Agnostic those days..and had not become a Shia Thug..
My Dad got wind of my Baptism that had failed and he came the next morning and asked me to forgive him, he had made mistakes and I came back home that my dad had got back.. he gave me money to bring back the rest of my Family from Lucknow..and I parted from Kieth , Granny and the bitch Fu Fu.. my other job at Keiths wast o see that no Dog fucked Fu fu who was always onheat and ready for any dog cock that came her way..
I went away to Muscat.. years rolled on, I married, but kept in touch with Keith, Granny had gone to Paradise and Jheovah..FufU too was there in Paradise with her..drinking honey and milk from the streams, and a garden of Eden..where dogs are allowed but rest of the Human Race not allowed specially Roman Catholics..
And one day I saw in an eveninger hidden away that the pioneer of Rock Music in Bombay
Keith Kanga had passed away unsung ..and on unmusical note and his palatial house usurped by the conniving crook of a Keralite Landlord Mr Matthews ,. and the place where Keith lives is now called Jony Castle.. and Keith Kangas Atomic Forest that played at Slip Disc at Arthur Bunder Road had the Led Zeppelin jamming with them..and my fuck luck I was not musically inclined at all..
And every time I pass by Jony Castle I can see Memories trying to unlock themselves and I can hear a bark.. I know its FuFu having the last laugh on me.. and whoever loved Keith remembers him drop me a line..as theY have stopped making Keith Kangas.. completely..Firoze Shakir too belongs to a race that is going extinct.
firoze shakir
6 may 2006.
picture of Keith Kanga.. as a baby who was called Baba he celebrated his birtday with Jesus Christ .
April 7th, 2007
