In quest of magic in a magic land

Ann Wilson, the lead vocalist of the American rock band "Heart" is back on stage singing again. Last year she was diagnosed with cancer which forced the group to cancel remaining concerts of their "Royal Flush" world tour.

- BASAB DASGUPTA

Ann Wilson, the lead vocalist of the American rock band "Heart" is back on stage singing again. Last year she was diagnosed with cancer which forced the group to cancel remaining concerts of their "Royal Flush" world tour. I am delighted that Ann's chemotherapy worked and cancer is gone. Heart will start a new version of the tour, dubbed "An Evening with Heart" in Atlantic City, New Jersey on May 31.

I vividly remember that cold night in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the fall of 1976. I had an evening class to teach and was returning home after class around 8 pm in my brand-new car, a Ford Granada. I had recently received my PhD degree and obtained the coveted green card as well. I knew that my destiny was tied to this magical land of the US. As I was driving on interstate 43 and passing along a long bridge over the canals in an industrial area near downtown, a song came on the radio that I had not heard before. It was "Magic Man" by the rock group "Heart". I listened closely to the lyrics; it was a story about a young girl falling in love with her "magic man". The verses were separated by long hypnotic guitar riffs.

I not only fell in love with the song, but also fell in love with "Heart" and with America. Music is in my blood. I grew up in my childhood listening to Bengali songs by Hemanta, Sachin Dev, Shyamal Mitra and others; then graduating to the Bollywood world during my teenage years. Classic rock in the USA was an acquired taste after coming here but I got addicted. Even though I cannot sing nor play any musical instrument, music moves me.