Celebrating fresh notes of classical music in Millennial Raga

On a late August evening, the stage of Uttam Mancha came alive as Mitra Manch hosted the Kolkata edition of Millennial Raga, its series of classical music concerts. Excitement filled the hall as performers from afar turned the stage into a canvas of cultural fusion. Behind the performers, vibrant paintings created a backdrop that beautifully complemented the soulful music filling the auditorium.

When the world came to a standstill during Covid-19, music found its way into homes as a powerful healer. Though the pandemic challenged us in many ways and closed many doors, it also revealed new ones for others. Many unknown yet gifted musicians found their voices heard through social media. It was in this period that Mitra Manch was born. Talking to The Statesman, Bulbul Sur, Trustee of Mitra Manch, recalled, “During Covid, we were confined, but I am extremely indebted to social media. We discovered so many extremely talented musicians who were unknown outside their local circles. Their talent inspired me to start this journey. That’s how our journey began three years ago.”

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The evening commenced with a traditional lamp lighting ritual. Special guests, including Vidushi Reena Srivastava, renowned sitar player, and vocalist Rima Bhattacharjee, were felicitated. The program then unfolded with the enchanting voice of Kolkata’s own Sohini Chakraborty. She opened with a Raag Multani and then seamlessly transitioned to a lighter, more romantic mood with thumri. She ended with a devotional Meera bhajan, setting up the standard for the upcoming performances. This was followed by the presentation of Aniruddh Aithal, a vocalist from Karnataka. His voice brought a fresh style to the evening, breaking the regional biases of classical music. “I think Bengali music connoisseurs loved his performance. He brought a unique style which was phenomenal,” Sur claimed.

While most classical music concerts feature seasoned stalwarts, this institute emphasises young emerging voices. Speaking about the institute’s broader aim, Sur said, “We already had four concerts in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Bangalore, and hope to organise more and more concerts. Mitra Mancha has been loved by the whole music community, but our objective remains the same: we want to promote young musicians who are extremely talented, and take them out to different cities. Another reason is that there should be an exchange of styles of different regions and gharanas. I think music needs that freshness to evolve more.”

She further pointed out, “Any musician, young or senior, needs the platform to perform; the more they nurture, the more interest develops. And we don’t have any biases toward any particular style or seniority. Anyone who has got real talent is welcome in this institute. We also promote those who try to experiment across gharanas.”

The program continued to captivate the audience with Samanway Sarkar on sitar. The event concluded with the vocals of Koel Dasgupta Naha.

But the evening wasn’t only about music. The colourful artwork that framed the stage for the performers was created by Sagnik Mitra. Sagnik is a young boy with autism who expresses himself with colours rather than words. The felicitated artists were also presented with one of Sagnik’s drawings. Sur noted, “Being family friends, I have seen Sagnik and his parents going through a lot. It was really difficult, but hats off to her mother’s effort. However, this was also during Covid that Sagnik suddenly started expressing himself through artwork. Today, he is a totally different person. His artwork converse and illuminates the musicians.” She further shared an insightful message for all the parents, “My message to all the parents is, they should encourage their children to pursue creative art forms, it gives a quality of life. Also in these current times of digital disruptions and job fear, creative art forms would stay for a longer period.”

At the end of the event, Saradindu Dutta, Executive Director of ITC Sangeet Research Academy, praised the event. “Mitra Manch is doing a great job in propagating classical music across the country. The most satisfying part is their patronage of young and upcoming talents. This is very much required in the classical scene today. Until and unless young talents are supported, young people won’t come to listen. Our Hindustani classical music is a priceless heritage, and we need to preserve it.” Echoing similar sentiments, Tripti Chakraborty of Boithoki Kolkata concluded, “It’s a wonderful initiative. Through this, young talents would know that they, too, have a platform. They will see a future in classical music, and this in turn will encourage them to continue this journey.”

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