Krishna Chandra Dey

Krishna Chandra Dey was Dada's Master and Mentor. As Dada came to Calcutta he joined Keshto Babu ( What Dada call him with respect ) to learn music. Before this Dada used to listen his songs and a great admirer of Keshto Babu. Keshto Babu was too strict to him, and dada followed his instructions. with the time Dada's abilities grown up and Dada become favorite student of Keshto Babu.

Simultaneously dada was Passionately involved with tennis, After playing he used to too tired that started reflecting in his voice. Keshto Babu noticed (As he was not blessed with the Eyes to see) these changes, as he came to know Dada's inclination towards tennis, he has put alternatives in front of Dada, either Music or Tennis? For dada there was no option for tennis. 

Then Dada joined Keshto Babu as an assistant till he got his first film as a composer Shikari (1946), Before this Dada has composed songs for some of Bangla films as an independent Composer. Later Krishna Chandra Dey's Nephew Manna Dey has joined Dada as an Assistant.

Bhatiyali folk songs

These songs also known as  Maanjhi Songs. Bhatiali derived from the word bhati, which means the river-coast as these songsbelongs to the Rivers and the river-coast areas. Bhatiali songs reflects the sorrow, pain, joy and longing of the people of bhati regions. It narrates the customs of the fishermen, boatmen and farmers.

This type of song is generally sung in a high pitch. As the boat plies along with the current, the vast endless rivers inspire a sense of wonder - longing to see his destination and the boatmen start singing in full-throated ease, giving expression to his feelings. His voice rises and falls in keeping with the movement with the heaving of water. Bhatiali is sung solo.

Most of the lyrics of Bhatiali characterised by a feeling of longing of the soul for eternal. The dominant theme is love and pains. Bhatiali may express simple joy too.

Dada did lots of experiment with these tunes and applied them in popular modern songs.

Saari folk songs

Saari Gaan is a vital example of the inspiration of labour along with a rhythmic touch of folk music. Saari songs are the songs of boatmen. The major and distinct characteristic in Saari songs is that it is a type of working song, sung in a group in a particular rhythm, this is mainly sung by males.

This type of folk song still exists as it is deeply related to work or labour. The main theme of Saari songs are folk culture, love and knowledge about God.

Saari is a community song. The oarsmen and boatmen sit in a line, The boatmen starts singing and oarsmen sitting in line plying their oars. 

Saari songs also include dance. In this dance of boatmen, the rhythm of the waves and the flow of the rivers are beautifully captured by a series of evocative movements. The boatmen's life story as told by the lilting song is presently by a sequence of finely charted expressions.