Bipin Parekh and Swati Gupta sit in the tiny studio, infusing it with the sweet sounds of Indian music.
Bhajans, Bollywood tracks, ghazals, the songs are all picked out painstakingly by the two hosts making WUML's ‘Gunjan’, a non- commercial program a Saturday morning must for many area residents. The show is pleasant; the blend of songs, trivia contests, conversations and community announcements succeeds mainly because of its innocent, unhurried pace. The breezy and relaxed atmosphere has translated into increased listenership and more requests for songs.
Both Bipin and Swati are modest when I remark on their popularity among listeners both young and old.
“ We’ve tried to keep up with the tastes of our listeners,” said Bipin, we play a variety of music that will take you back to the 60's, 70's, 80’s and 90’s to the latest releases. “We have something for every taste!”
Swati echoes the sentiments, “ To keep the program engaging we play all genres of music and that is what we suspect appeals to our listeners.”
In between announcements, the two hosts and I chat informally about all things musical. Excited listeners calling in with correct answers to the musical quiz put together by the hosts interrupt our conversation.
Bipin and Swati maintain that their show is all about the community; they dedicate a major portion of the two hours of radio talk time on community announcements and ticket giveaways. There are free music Cd’s, Theater and concert passes and special event tickets to give away to winners of the trivia and music contests. Bipin has extensive knowledge of all types of music, and a great head for music trivia.

Swati’s sweet trilling laughter can be heard over Bipin’s gentle banter as they try and guess the names of the films the songs played are from. They never let on, even for a moment that they know every answer!
Each broadcast captures a microcosm of the Indian experience in America: the divergent cultural tastes of parents and children, the isolation of the sprawling suburbs and of the musical memories left behind. Most popular segments in this show are the request and dedications presented in a friendly and casual style, wishing folks on their Birthdays, anniversaries and so forth.

Gunjan offers a new dimension in musical appreciation for the Indian fan including contemporary and traditional classics, devotional and Bollywood music. Hindi is the predominant language used in most songs, while the hosts provide narrative in both English & Hindi.
The other hosts of 'Gunjan' are Ravi Singh, Rohan Lathia, Narendra Popat.


Lokvani -  What do you think is the secret behind the popularity of 'Gunjan'?

Bipin - We continually get feedback from our listeners and they like a unique mix of a variety of music Gunjan offers including Bhajans, classical
instrumental, Hindi film songs (from all era), Ghazals, Hindi pop, and
re-make/remixes.  Such diverse music that appeals to all members of a
family young and old alike, is presented without commercial interruptions and less talk.  Also, community service and public service announcements useful to our listeners, is important.  The fact that such an entertaining musical show is presented by volunteers who have absolutely no financial interest is appealing.
Listeners also like the music 'presentation' which is unpredictable but
eagerly awaited as we also play "bhoole bisare songs".  Our music trivia quiz segment is very popular as it stimulates and challenges listeners’ knowledge about the Hindi songs.  Of course, a free prize to the winner is a side benefit, courtesy of some of our benefactors.

Also, a synergy between the hosts is important as we bring a balanced
flavor of music.  The show is always live and seldom off the air.

We take live requests for songs from our listeners and most of the time we and play the requested songs during the show as we have a good collection of music of all genre.

Lokvani -  Do you see yourself hosting this show five years from now?

Bipin - Yes.  Because we love the community service and we have super listeners who appreciate good music.  We have been on the air continuously since March 1983.  Also, it is a pleasure working with my co-hosts.

Swati - Yes, definitely. Gunjan has been a fun and learning experience as much as it has been a community service. We enjoy hosting the show very much. The continuous feedback from our listeners about the show is very encouraging and keeps us going forward.

Lokvani -  What changes have you seen in the tastes of your listeners over the
years?

Bipin - Over the years the demography has changed and we have fine-tuned our
format.  We used to have more requests for classical based 10-15 years ago. Now it is more balanced.  One of the biggest changes is the involvement of youngsters, especially during the last 5-10 years as there is more awareness about Bollywood and kids are exposed to Hindi music at very early age (for example, we get requests from kids as young as 2 years old).
Several years ago we saw more professional, younger audience (H1 and other immigrants) added to our listening population (we reach about 2 Million population density)

Lokvani -  If there was something you could change about 'Gunjan' what would it
be?

Bipin - We would like to add more community segments with more invited guests to talk about topics of interests to our listeners.  Also, more live music presentations by artists would be wonderful.

Lokvani -  What is your personal and professional background?

Bipin - I am a Chemical Engineer by profession working in the R & D in the area of purification of fluids used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices (computer chips).  I have been serving the "Gurjar Association" for the past 25 years.  My wife Meera and I are proud of our daughter Sonali (Physician) and son-in-law Milind (Actuarial profession).
We appreciate our listeners' compliments, good wishes and blessings and we
would like them to spread the word about Gunjan as we are a non-commercial community service radio program.  You can hear us live on www.WUML.org. We would also like to acknowledge WUML, Lowell, 91.5 FM for Gunjan.
Swati -I work at Fidelity Investments as a Computer Programmer. I have been involved with IDRF for the past two years.


Lokvani - Thank you for talking to lokvani!

Bipin and Swati - Thank you.

'Gunjan' can be heard on Saturdays 9 am to Noon on WJUL, 91.5

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