“Play Centre’s 70th”

In "Play Centre’s 70th” (Events and Personalities, Parsiana, December 21, 2015) it is stated that "members of Nowroz Baug Play Centre exhibited their virtuosity on the mouthorgan.”
What is a mouthorgan? To my understanding the word is slang or sarcasm for somebody who speaks for and on behalf of someone else or is fronting for someone else. To put it in Parsi Gujarati: a chamcha or khandhia.
I presume that the musical instrument being referred to is the harmonica. What an insult to M. Hohner and Company who manufacture this melodious instrument, and also to Larry Adler whose gramophone records were in most Parsi homes. When Adler visited Bombay, Parsis dressed in their best would flock to the Cawasji Jehangir Hall at Museum to listen to him playing not the mouthorgan but the harmonica.

Phiroze Damri played and taught the harmonica

I am certain that Phiroze Damri, who taught this instrument in various schools, including his own, would have agreed with me.

BEHRAM AGA
behram_r_aga@yahoo.co.in
The editors reply:
Mouth organ is two words and the Webster’s Dictionary defines the term as a "harmonica.” Parsiana regrets the error in spelling.