A Noteworthy Act

Slated to perform at the Bandish Festival this month,Indian classical vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty talks about her work with thumri and her experiments as an independent artiste

She may be a young classical musician,but Kaushiki Chakrabarty has carved a niche for herself. So,while representing the complex and intricate style of the Patiala gharana at the Bandish Festival to be held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) on July 14 will not be easy,Chakrabarty asserts that she doesnt feel the pressure. That said,she considers presenting thumris popularised by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Barkat Ali Khan nothing short of an honour.

Currently in its fourth year,the Bandish Festival is a tribute to legendary Indian music composers and Chakrabarty believes that the festival has helped in establishing the importance of composition within the realm of classical music. Bandish gives us an opportunity to present a variety of compositions within the same gharana,thus portraying the versatility of the composer, she says.

Daughter of renowned classical singer Ajoy Chakrabarty,Kaushikis biggest moment in life is her gandha bandhan ceremony where Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh tied a thread around her wrist in accordance with the guru-shishya parampara,at the age of nine. The Kolkata-based vocalists recent body of work hints at her love for experimentation. The musician is working on rediscovering thumri,though it will be some time before she can present it on stage. The evolution of thumri is closely connected to the changes in our society. For the last few decades,the records of its evolution process have been missing or are being found in fragments,so it will be a while before we join the dots. Then again,it is a passion,one that has also taken on the form of an addiction, says the 33-year-old former student of Kolkatas prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy.

Not surprisingly,her love for Indian classical music stems from her musical roots. Chakrabarty clearly remembers sitting in on her fathers all night riyaaz sessions,where he played the swaramandal and a disciple played the tanpura. As someone who reveres the genre,she feels that Indian classical music is now being neglected.

Yet,she hasnt let her traditional music conditioning restrict her taste in music; rather she has,over time,opened up to other genres as well. I identify more with the spontaneity and the innocence of Indian folk music but since the past couple of years,I have taken a keen interest in world music. Apart from khyaal and thumri,I listen to ghazals,Sufi music and even Yaani,Michael Jackson and Yo Yo Ma, she says.

In fact,Chakrabarty has stepped out of her turf to establish herself as an independent artiste. After having lent her voice to films and performing at Coke Studio with Shantanu Moitra,she is now singing a playback number for an upcoming film,Gulab Gang. When you are singing a song for a film,you try to get into the mood of the song and emote through it,whereas during riyaaz,it is about getting into a space to allow music to happen through you, she says.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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