RadioandMusic
| 15 Nov 2024
Historic music store Rhythm House to shut shop in 2016

MUMBAI: Right in the middle of Mumbai’s art district, the one stop shop for music, Kala Ghoda’s iconic Rhythm House has fallen victim to the digital revolution as it prepares to close down before February, a report from Mid-day said.

Started in 1947, the music pilgrimage was frequently visited by several big names in the music industry including AR Rahman, Rahul Sharma and Zakir Hussain; Shammi Kapoor and Pt Ravi Shankar were regulars. Even international singer -Peter Andre once paid a visit to the store, which has survived the newer entrants over the decades. Many foreign tourists who stay at the Taj and Oberoi visit the store, as do many musicians.

Rhythm House was renowned for its AC music booths, where customers tested tunes before they could to the one of the shelves to make a purchase.

Founded by a close friend of the Curmallys, Sulaiman Nensy, Rhythm House was established in the early 1940s. Mehmood Curmally’s father, who would visit it as a college student, gradually took over the business. He started out selling jukeboxes and LP players in beginning, all imported initially. His passion for Western Classic and his brother’s knowledge of Indian Classical did the trick.

A knowledgeable and helpful staff built the pillars of Rhythm House, a store that was home to a collection wider and better curated than any other store in the city, making it a forerunner.

However, Rhythm House’s online store, which is loved across the globe, and is known for taking in requests by music lovers, will in most probability continue, considering the progress and encouragement it has received since launching in 2010.