THE MUSIC MAP: KOLKATA'S PAST AND FUTURE COLLIDE THROUGH SOUND

THERE ARE OPTIMISTS AND REALISTS IN THE CITY'S MUSIC SPACE, ALL EQUALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT DOING THEIR PART

- By ANURAG TAGAT

Right from the 1960s, India's music culture grew out of a handful of cities, one of them being the erstwhile Calcutta. The City of Joy gave us Indian music's finest legends including S.D. Burman, and later his son R.D. Burman, while also setting the stage for India's jazz and rock bands, which were born in its clubs and auditoriums.

Names like The Cavaliers, The Great Bear, High, and, of course, Moheener Ghoraguli, gained steady prominence, as did jazz voices like Pam Crain and Usha Uthup, among others.

Old bands morphed into new ones, and old movements blended into new experiments, much like they did in the rest of the world. This eventually led to the rise of Bangla rock bands like Krosswindz, Fossils, Cactus, Lakkhichhara, as well as more English-focused independent rock acts like Skinny Alley. A few years into the new millennium, Kolkata’s imprint on the Indian indie scene grew even louder. Bands like Underground Authority, Chronic Xorn, the Supersonics, the Ganesh Talkies, What Escapes Me, The Bodhisattwa Trio, Parekh & Singh set the tone for the era, while more recent names like Pelican Shuffles and Easy Riders have followed suit. Private clubs, some still running since colonial times, have also long been hubs for live music, though often behind closed doors, reserved for members and the comfort of cover bands.

With that brief history for context, we fast-forward several decades to the present. It’s safe to say that what is now Kolkata continues to be alive with music, though its audience doesn’t always keep pace. For our new series, The Music Map, which traces the pulse of a city through its sound, we spoke to a few promoters, artists, and others to understand their vision for music in Kolkata.

JAZZ FOREVER AT SKINNY MO'S