Jajabor

Meaning wanderer in Assamese, it is quite a fascinating word.  From my brushes with the language, I understood the similarities Assamese has with my mother tongue – Bengali. Then I came across Angaraag Mahanta, better known as Papon – now one of Bollywood’s leading vocalists.  I first heard him sing ‘Jiyein Kyun’ in the absolutely rubbish Bollywood flick – Dum Maaro Dum.  Wondering where he had been hiding all these years, I … Continue reading “Jajabor”

Songs Of The Soil

When Baba mentioned to me last week that a Bengali/North-East Indian folk music band was going to be in town to play and tickets were for free, I could see that this is something he wouldn’t like to miss. He knows a lot about Bengali folk, my father. Perhaps because he spent much time with my grand-father who was a theatre-artiste visiting the quaint Calcutta-based music festivals and experienced the … Continue reading “Songs Of The Soil”

Entrancing Highs

Although I have not been able to catch the seasons on television, I’ve heard that this season of Coke Studio India has been much more impressive and impactful compared to the debutante edition, which was quite the joke.   I continue to be mesmerised by our Pakistani cousins as, season on season they churn out the most beautiful, soulful music. I’ve been listening to Season 5 a lot at the new … Continue reading “Entrancing Highs”