My mother, India’s forgotten disco diva

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In 2014, Debayan Sen was cleaning the family attic in Kolkata when he made an unexpected discovery: a dusty, old vinyl record called Disco Jazz. What astonished him was that his mother Rupa was on the cover. Debayan had no idea his very traditional Indian mother had even had a music career. Not only would that album reveal Rupa’s secret disco past but also an underground fanbase of millions worldwide. (This interview was first broadcast in June 2021) Presenter: Emily Webb Producer: Maryam Maruf Sound design: Joel Cox Voiceover: Manoshi Barua (Photo: Rupa Biswas Sen holding a copy of her record Disco Jazz. Credit: Courtesy Rupa Biswas Sen) Get in touch: [email protected]