‘King of Disco’ Bappi Lahiri discovered the genre with Stayin Alive: ‘I knew I had to bring it to India’

Bappi Lahiri composed a variety of songs during the 1970s but it was his dance numbers of the disco genre that gave him an edge in Hindi films. The disco wave that reached its peak in the 1980s with Disco Dancer started in the late 1970s as Bappi found inspiration for the same during one of his US trips.
In a chat with Salim Merchant and Vishal-Shekhar on the musical reality show Times of Music, Bappi Lahiri was asked about the title of ‘King of Pop’ that had been given to him Indian fans. Bappi recalled his initial introduction with disco in the chat.

“There is a story behind this. I had visited the US for the first time and was in a club in Chicago. There were no DJs at the time but there was a man who was playing records in the club. The song ‘Stayin Alive’ from Saturday Night Fever was playing,” Bappi Da recalled.

When Bappi asked him about it, the guy pointed at the record and called it a disc, and then pointed around and said, “This is disco. We call it disco.” This struck with Bappi Da. “That was the moment I knew I had to bring it to India,” he said.

The first disco number that Bappi Lahiri composed was for the 1979 film Surakksha called ‘Mausam Hai Gaane Ka.’ The song was picturised on Mithun Chakraborty and was a huge hit. This hit paved the way for the surge of disco in India.
Bappi Lahiri passed away at the age of 69 in Mumbai on Tuesday. His funeral will be held on Thursday.