“When I asked how many musicians were there, I was told five. And now I know why “said Sujata Sen, the Director of The Calcutta School of Music after an amazing performance delivered by the five musicians indeed- Varun Kishore, Alex Malseed,Davide Marini, Tanaji Dasgupta and Subhagata Singha. An adaptation of ‘A History of Clouds’ written by well-known German poet Hans Magnus Enzensberger and published by Seagull Books was beautifully encapsulated into a one and half hour performance by the group- mesmerizing the audience with a new form of experimental music conceptualized by Varun Kishore, Alex Malseed and Davide Marini.
Tanaji Dasgupta modulated the verses of the poems beautifully with his enchanting voice. His recitation of the poems broke the monotony of the action of ‘reciting a poem’ that I have been brought up hearing all along. In fact, you could have just closed your eyes and felt the enigma in his voice delivered with every word; every sentence creating the desired impact on the minds of the audience. His recitation was no less than music in its own terms.
I have often seen musicians practicing years and years trying to master the art of playing one instrument. But Subhagata Singha (Rivu) was an exception. Both his guitar and keyboard playing skills were unparalleled.
Very few drummers have left an impact on me, making me want to sway to the beats; and Davide Marini was one of them. In fact, as soon as he scaled the tempo of the music to soaring heights, I could see the audience keeping up with the beats by tapping their foot.
Alex Malseed, the only lady in the group, glowed beautifully in the spotlight with her blue bass guitar. I have not seen many ladies play the bass guitar, but she was exceptional and in sync with the entire group.
Last, but not the least,Varun Kishore. His guitar skills are much talked about. Having mesmerized audiences numerous times with his exceptional abilities, it was a pleasure to see him perform.
To conclude, I would only say that even though each one of them possess amazing music and oratory skills, one could not have done it without the other for this very special performance. Each complemented the other and contributed towards creating a hypnotic evening of verse and music for the audience in the Sandre Hall, The Calcutta School of Music. Personally, I had longed to see them perform on stage for a long time and it was a dream come true for me. I wish them all the luck and many more performances in Kolkata, in India and internationally in future.
by Subhadrika Sen 