Bickram Ghosh and Tejendra Narayan Majumdar are two names that are respected not just in Bengal, but across India’s classical music scene. The duo have been performing together since 1985, although their association beyond the stage goes back to the ’70s. May 21 marked a new milestone in their association, as they collaborated in a fusion avatar for the first time at Bangla Utsob, organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I) at the AC Shamiana of Tollygunge Club, in association with My Kolkata.
(L-R) The inaugural lamp was lit by BCC&I vice president, Arnab Basu, Tollygunge Club president Joydeep Datta Gupta and Arindam Sil, chairperson, Films, Music and Entertainment Committee, BCC&I
The event, titled Raga Fusion, saw them give new life to traditional ragas and create magic on stage, with the help of Nirmalya Roy on vocals, Pulak Sarkar on keyboards and Satyajit Mukherjee on drums.
The event was also attended by Shukla Sil, Jaya Seal Ghosh, Trissha Chatterjee, Subhrajit Mitra and Supratim Roy, among others
Arindam Sil, chairperson, Films, Music and Entertainment Committee, BCC&I, gave the opening address, “We started the first edition of Bangla Utsob two years ago as a tribute to our sanskriti, culture, music and arts. Tajendra da is one of the finest sarod players not just in Bengal, but in India. Bickram has made a huge contribution to music, and has brought the tabla to the centrestage. He has broken the rules, and created his own rules. It is a pleasure to bring back the Bangla Utsob after a hiatus with their performance.”
The duo were accompanied by Nirmalya Roy on vocals, Pulak Sarkar on keyboards and Satyajit Mukherjee on drums
Before beginning the performance, Ghosh reminisced about his long association with Majumdar. “We have played hundreds of classical concerts together, but not a single fusion one. Today is the day when we change that,” he smiled, before the duo opened with Little Krishna, to Raga Kalavati. “For today’s Raga Fusion, we have chosen some beautiful ragas for you. The music will be driven by classical music, but the format will be fusion.”
‘Everybody's heard of drum and bass, but have you heard of drum and face?’ joked Bickram, before using his cheeks as a percussion
Majumdar greeted the audience with a gentle smile and namaskar. “Whatever I would like to say will be coming out through our music. Some of the raags and taals are a bit odd, but this is the magic of fusion. It’s a great pleasure to play with my friend. Sometimes, during soundchecks, we found that we both had come up with the exact same pattern. That’s the chemistry we share,” he said.
The duo also treated audiences to the scintillating monsoon raag, Miyan Ki Malhar, an apt choice given the thunderous weather right before their performance. “This raag conveys both the pitter-patter of the rain, as well as its regal nature,” said Ghosh. This was followed by the popular Rajasthani folk raag, Maand in Deep Chandi, which is a 14-beat taal.
‘Most of this concert will be impromptu, which is a speciality of classical music. Improvisation is what leads to excitement. It takes a deep understanding of the craft to play fusion, keeping the raag, taal and aesthetic intact,’ said Bickram
The duo changed the mood with raag Kirwani, played on an 11-beat cycle called Char Taal ki Sawari. One of the highlights of the evening was an impromptu drum jam between Ghosh and Satyajit, where the former didn’t just use his tabla, but also his cheeks and chest for sound, amidst loud cheers. Pandit Majumdar also joined in with taps on his sarod!
The finale was the melodious raag, Sindhu Bhairavi. “This is one of the most beautiful raags ever created. While it is traditionally played in the morning, I feel it fits beautifully with the mood today,” signed off Bickram.
Pandit Majumdar’s sarod mesmerised the audience, with the sounds emanating from his heart as much as from the strings
Arindam Sil congratulated the duo after they finished to rapturous applause and remarked, “Bickram and Tejendra da are truly supermen of music. They have proved that music unites, ignites and transcends.” He added that the BCC&I were hopeful of organising Bangla Utsob as a two-day event in 2023.
