Indulge chats with a new band in Kolkata, Urdhak
Kolkata gets its newest band, Urdhak, comprising six talented musicians from different genres. Founded by composer and percussionist Rohen Bose, the band members include Senjuti Latu on vocals, Hrito Chatterjee on lead guitar, Atreyo Mondal on bass guitar, Dhritiman Som on drums and Ritam Mukherjee on keyboard. Each musician brings together their individualistic specialisations to make this band a potpourri of instrumentals and vocals.
As they are all set to make their debut performance as a band, Indulge catches up with them for an exclusive chat on their genre of music as a band, original compositions in future, the importance of a band today, and how social media leverages any new initiative.
Excerpts from the chat:
How did the thought of coming together to form a band come to you?
Rohen: I have been working as a classical musician, composer, and a fusion artist for several years and collaborated with musicians of my generation and above. These ensembles were all created for a particular event or purpose. But I had this dream of creating my own band where I could experiment, work for a prolonged time, and perform. It would not only bring me closer to perfection but also help me build a long term relationship with my band members.
What kind of melodies would one get to hear from the band?
Rohen: Urdhak, is a band which would consist of nuances and elements of a vocal band and an instrumental setup. Here, on one hand, we play Bollywood covers, Rabindra Sangeet, and also instrumental Indie- Jazz numbers to the audience.
Would we hear original songs too?
Senjuti: Of course. Anyway, we are going to perform original instrument pieces at our first official show. Rohen already has original songs which are to be worked upon and performed very soon. Apart from them we are also constructing compositions and re-arranging music as covers. Being known widely for Rabindra Sangeet, I want to make a unique musical presentation of the songs of Tagore as well.
You are gearing up for your first public performance. Tell us about that.
Dhritiman: We are extremely nervous. Kolkata being the city that is mostly appreciative towards experimenting, it also is very critical about judging the experiment. I hope the audience likes our line of thought. The week before the show is going to be sleepless, I believe.
What kind of playlists can we expect during the performance?
Hrito: Our show will have instrumental fusion compositions, retro tribute towards legends, Rabindra Sangeet, Bangla Folk, and also a sufi medley. It is not a band where it just performs the songs and the rest of the players accompany. Our performance will showcase the individual skills of each and every member in their respective space and also showcase how we get together to create a unique presentation complimenting each other.
Does the band culture still exist in Kolkata?
Atreyo: Kolkata has always been a very happening and accepting city. It accepts anything that’s good and has an intention to make people smile. I do genuinely believe that if people enjoy our music, we will make a place in their playlist.
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How do you think the rise in the indie music culture will help the band?
Ritam: Anything you do that is in trends will help you get exposed to a certain audience primarily. But it is also to be kept in consideration, that a bad job will get you discarded immediately. People are more unforgiving these days. We need to be very careful of the time in this regard.
For a newly formed band, how important is social media to connect with your audience?
Senjuti: Social media is possibly the only place where we have the freedom to distribute our music and get to the audience directly. Concerts are good but content in social media has a longer lifetime. People, if they like the video, will keep coming back, and then minor mistakes will pop up in their eyes. So we need to make perfect content primarily and secondly, also try to create a community for ourselves which is comparatively easier with the help of social media.
Urdhak will be performing on August 18 at The Wisdom Tree.