Kalpana Patowary premieres Folk Ecstasy at Mumbai, blending folk with modernity

Kalpana Patowary, a vocalist recognised both for her rigorous folk scholarship and her high-energy Bollywood playback career, is set to introduce a new performance format titled Folk Ecstasy. Debuting at Mumbai’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) on January 24, the ninety-minute production seeks to reposition Indian folk traditions as a living, contemporary artistic language rather than a static historical exhibit.

Kalpana Patowary reimagines rural narratives through her new show

The project is the result of years of fieldwork and lived experience within rural communities. Kalpana describes the concept as an emotional peak where music transcends performance to become a personal reality. “Folk Ecstasy comes from the moment when folk music stops behaving solely like heritage and starts behaving like my truth,” she explains.

Unlike traditional folk recitals, this format functions as a structured narrative arc, integrating the raw vocal methods of seven Indian dialects with contemporary jazz arrangements. The performance focuses on living sonic archives, specifically highlighting tribal songs from Assam and Bhojpuri women’s traditions, including work songs and ritual forms shaped by migration and labour. By pairing these ancient vocalisms with modern instrumentation, Kalpana aims to maintain historical specificity while speaking a modern sonic tongue. As she notes, “These are songs carried through memory, not notation.”

The programme also serves as a tribute to cultural architects such as Bhupen Hazarika and Bhikhari Thakur, foregrounding rural narratives that are often relegated to the background of popular culture. Kalpana suggests the audience should expect a deliberate change of pace: “This concert asks the audience to slow down and stay present. Expect immersion. Expect languages you do not speak, but emotions you recognise.”

Following its Mumbai premiere, Folk Ecstasy is scheduled to travel to Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh.

For those who are unfamiliar with her voice, Kalpana has also lent her voice to several popular Bollywood songs, including Gandi Baat from R... Rajkumar, Ore Kaharo from Begum Jaan, Ek Uncha Lamba Kad from Welcome, and Aila Re Aila from Khatta Meetha.

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