The noisy, crowded streets of Kolkata turn utterly rhythmic in the hands of percussionist Bickram Ghosh. The Spirit of Kolkata by the tabla maestro is a fitting, unusual tribute to the city.
The video (above) offers a rich audio-visual sensory experience, snapping up the city’s spirited vibe. It brings together everyday sights and sounds around the city – temple bells and the tinkle of the tram, the clanging of utensils, the horn of the iconic yellow taxis, a splash in the river, the whistle of the traffic policeman – all of it made musical thanks to Ghosh’s improvisations.
“The rickshaw-puller’s ghonta becomes an Indianised version of a shaker, almost like a mandira,” Ghosh told The Telegraph. “I have gone to Mullickbazar and played the car parts, and played little bols of tabla on it. We explored the city, and even went to graveyards. I have used the sound of the crow in a tehai, and it’s all woven into the idiom of tabla,” said Ghosh.
The Spirit of Kolkata is part of Ghosh’s experimental 2013 album, Tabla Untabla.
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