Who knew that empty paint tins, scrap metals and wood could sound so beautiful? Sanjay Mandal and Group made that possible by creating melody out of junk. Back in 2005, Sanjay, a resident of Tangra, set about to give the children of the adjoining slums access to education, health and dignified lives. 18 years down the line, he is now guiding the third set of kids. “I wanted them to live differently and come out of the notorious existence that the area is infamous for,” says Sanjay.
Sanjay, who leads the group, always had a knack for playing leather-based instruments. Much later, he learnt to play sree khol and won a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture. As of now, 16-17 kids perform with him and there are more than 40 students picking up musical skills at Aasman, the space he runs. His group even made it to the grand finalé of the popular reality show India’s Got Talent, besides being featured in a few films including Aami Joy Chatterjee, the Netflix film Extraction starring Chris
Hemsworth and Tangra Blues starring Parambrata Chatterjee and Madhumita Sarcar that traces the
journey of the band.
Besides this, the band has performed as guest artistes in many reality shows and concerts, such as the recent Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa among others. Talking about their performances, Sanjay says, “Apart from our signature style of playing music with waste materials, we have incorporated small pieces of longlost Bengali chhora (rhymes) by Sukumar Roy or Rabindranath Tagore in between the performances to create an interesting soundscape.” His band — now also known as the Kolkata Creative Waste Art Centre — is not just a way to earn money but rather, is about making a difference in the lives of the slum children. To that end, he also started an art and culture school called Aasman in Dhapa, near EM Bypass, where the children are given education, art and music training and taught to play musical instruments like the flute and violin. Some are also taught to sing. “The current set of kids was inspired by their seniors and got enrolled in our waste art centre. I feel they need a platform like this to escape from the debilitating environment they grow up in. My aim is not just to do a few shows and earn money; it’s also about creating a better future. Music always helps people grow culturally and the way they are being trained, they will be able to perform solo or be a part of a musical group,” adds Sanjay.