Usha Uthup

8/10

Entry: Chubby and cheerful, Usha kick-starts her show only after a loud approval from the audience of her south Indian saree. After a quick shower of “Hello”, “Thank you” and “Don’t Worry Kolkata”, Usha will heat up any show.

Quality: She can temper her voice to a sweet Tamil or an Asha Bhonsle number as easily as she can switch to a Frank Sinatra or Ricky Martin. She can make you laugh or cry along with her.

Hook: From five to 80-year-olds, she can induce an adrenaline rush in the most serious and get them into clapping-tapping mode. No one can steal the show from the city’s musical “Didi”. From her days at Trincas, she has never had to try too hard. From Indira Gandhi to Nelson Mandela, she has charmed them all.

Innovation: She’s never out of place. Be it Hindi, English, Swahili, Russian, Arabic, Spanish or Kannada, she will belt out a song in 13 Indian and eight foreign languages. She will mimic politicians, cricketers and filmmakers.

Flair: Dressed in a rich kanjivaram sari, gold jewellery, gajra and her trademark “K” bindi, Usha continues to dazzle in her fifth decade as a stage performer.

Predictability: You see one show and you’ve seen them all. But her repertoire is vast and her nostalgia value immense.

 

Rupam Islam

8/10

Entry: Rupam, the frontman of Bangla hard rock band Fossils, will emerge from a smoky haze and manifest himself with a high-voltage number or a slow ballad to set the tone for the show.

Quality: His angst-ridden lyrics and romantic ballads set him apart. He was criticised for his Anglicised Bangla, but Rupam has steadily worked his way into the heart of young rock lovers.

Hook: His songs can whip his listeners into a frenzy as they continue to horn-hand in response to Rupam’s Satanic salute.

Innovation: Rupam’s performance is punctuated with moments of high and low intensity. He will lift the mike and swing it around for a Jimi Hendrix effect or simply head-bang to his rock anthems. He will suddenly stop and reflect in silence, which can lead to hysteria among his fans.

Flair: A rugged Rupam in all-black can rock any evening. A break from usual band performances.

Predictability: It’s the same flurry of light, sound and action at all his shows.

 

Bickram Ghosh

7.5/10

Entry: It is a delight to watch the curtains go up on Bickram seated comfortably amidst an ensemble of rhythm instruments ranging from the tabla, djembe, darbouka to Japanese electronic drums.

Quality: He has repackaged Indian classical music with his own rhythm variations, blazing through taals and ragas and breaking into diverse eastern and western strains. His jugalbandis, both rock and classical, make for good entertainment.

Hook: His eloquence on stage is his forte. Bickram believes in connecting with his audience. When playing a taal-vadya-kacheri he will simply call it a “drum jam”. He laughs a lot and jokes around — which helps (unless he overdoes it).

Innovation: He eases his audience into his classical compositions. It is sheer energy on stage as he tosses his curls, drums up classical rhythms on his cheeks and rattles off taals.

Flair: The combination of a goatee, a wristband and Gandhi glasses has helped him break the mould of a classical musician.

Predictability: The drama, the rhythm medleys and sound alterations offer something new in every show. But the cheeky drum beat can get a bit tedious if you’re subjected to it too often.

 

Anjan Dutt

7/10

Entry: He’ll make a quiet entry and carry the show forward in an engaging, non-fussy way.

Quality: His baritone and guitar-driven urban Bangla songs reflect the changing times.

Hook: Be it a smoke-filled Someplace Else or a loud and cheerful college fest, the city’s tambourine man has a steady crowd of followers.

Innovation: His leisurely pace makes for an intimate evening as he breaks into a brief chat or jokes with his audience. He travels back in time and carries his listeners along with him to his generation of legends like Dylan, Cohen or Simon & Garfunkel. Quaint old lanes and bylanes of the city come alive in some of his own songs while his rock riffs glow with a warm, old-fashioned feel. He will also call other musicians to a show and have them play along with him.

Flair: Sporting shades to avoid the bright glare of the spotlights, he will sit on a bar stool, bend over his guitar with son Neel for company and belt out urban folk fare or slip into some of his own rock-and-roll originals. He often gets the crowd to sing Purano shei diner katha for the finale. If he gets the men in the audience singing one verse, the women will be singing the next.

Predictability: He doesn’t go beyond certain themes or artistes. And his adda often tends to drag.

 

Miss Jojo

6.5/10

Entry: She has been there for years and still they love her. She will walk in with a huge smile on her face and her vivacious, and slightly larger-than-average self, and infect her audience with her spirit.

Quality: Has been dubbed an Asha Bhonsle clone, but Jojo sings much more — from Rabindrasangeet and ghazals to RD Burman and item numbers. Her versatility is her forte.

Hook: Will urge the crowd to clap, cheer and sing and get them going.

Innovation: Despite her extra pounds, a confident Jojo will not shirk from thumkas to liven up a show.

Flair: Whether in a gaudy sari or a leopard-print gown, she makes quite an impact as she turns her head, tosses her hair and grooves to her songs. She can even carry off a purple shade of lipstick.

Predictability: The stage bubbles over with her energy. She is never boring.

 

Nachiketa

5.5/10

Entry: He will amble on to the stage and kick off with a brief chat on the present times.

Quality: A gifted singer and composer with a classically trained voice, he popularised a breed of jibon mukhi songs and soulful ballads.

Hook: Nachiketa raised a few eyebrows with his anti-establishment songs, still a rage among many.

Innovation: He will stop in the middle of a song and start a lively interaction with his audience. Using paraspeak, Nachiketa strikes a chord talking about the dreams and frustrations of the youth.

Flair: The power of words, without frills. His looks match — T-shirt and jeans with a jacket or a shirt tied around his waist.

Predictability: There’s not much variation in his shows but the attitude with which he mocks the system, attacks political leaders or scores a lounge version of a Rabindrasangeet has his audience hooked.But he’s far too flippant.

 

Shilajit

6/10

Entry: He begins his show by chatting up his audience and testing their mood.

Quality: Another proponent of jibon mukhi songs, Shilajit indulges in experimental numbers for the youth on everything from love to schizophrenia.

Hook: Can create quite a stir. He will fix his gaze on a member of the audience and make him/her feel special by involving him/her in the song.

Innovation: Restless and excited, he will pull the mike off the stand and hop, skip and jump. Gimmicky but fun, don’t be surprised at the sound of a sudden meow, howl or a whistle. The special effects might seem nonsensical but are actually a collage of sights and sounds he grew up with.

Flair: Dressed casually in kurta or tee, this singer-turned-actor knows how to connect with the crowd.

Predictability: His energy level ebbs and flows with the mood of the crowd.

 

Shayne Hyrapiet

6.5/10

Entry: He’ll dash on to the stage and begin his show on a high note.

Quality: A king of cover performances, Shayne serves his own brew of western and Indian remixes. One can delight in his soulful rendition of Amazing Grace or sway to a Rishi Rich number.

Hook: He will step down from the dais, walk through his audience and shake a leg with them. He’ll invite some of them on stage. It works always — at a Christmas party, Thanksgiving or a reunion ball, in Calcutta, Bangkok or Australia.

Innovation: There’s a good deal of glitter and gloss in his shows as Shayne tries to match steps with a vibrant troupe of dancers.

Flair: In glossy pants and shiny shirts, Shayne manages to work his chocolate boy charm on his audience and get them to their feet.

Predictability: You will not get bored if you are not bored with desi, Indi-pop or Western remixes.

 

Pratik Chowdhury

5.5/10

Entry: Steps in after his musicians have warmed the audience up by playing something.

Quality: He lives up to his self-given tag of being “a versatile singer and a complete entertainer” with his Hindi and Bengali medleys.

Hook: Don’t be surprised if you become the target of his conversation. He uses humour to his best advantage and doesn’t mind taking a dig or two at himself. Popular at para functions and open-air shows.

Innovation: Insists on having the lights focused on his audience so he can chat with the crowd.

Flair: His massive presence in his trademark bandanna and hand-painted kurtas. He makes a delightful picture with his five-year-old son Deepraj, who accompanies him on the bongo.

Predictability: Nothing very fresh to offer each time.