A lifelong affair with tabla
Veteran tabla artiste Debu Chowdhury is admired by musicians and eminent singers of the country. His passion for the instrument was evident at an early age and his career as a musician spans over two decades. Throughout his vibrant career, Debu has worked under several renowned music directors and performed with legends such as Hemanta Mukherjee, Manna Dey, Satinath Mukhopadhyay and many more.
For a while, he was abroad and continued performing in countries including India, UAE, USA, Canada and some European countries. The artiste also appeared in Tareque Masud's celebrated film Muktir Gaan, as he was a part of the troupe "Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangstha," that performed at camps during the Liberation War.
Recently, the artiste performed in an episode of the musical programme, Sa 2 Sa. This innovative show pairs up a seasoned instrumentalist with popular rock musician Ayub Bachchu and the duo create a fusion of traditional instruments with the guitar.
"In our country, instrumentalists are often neglected and it is likely that people do not even remember the names of these artistes who have devoted their lives to music. Sa 2 Sa is an exceptional and laudable initiative to highlight these talents. It's a surprise that no one had come up with an idea like this before. Ayub Bachhu, one of the leading contemporary musicians, tries to present a blend of oriental and western music. I really liked the idea," Debu said.
On the show, Debu Chowdhury performed in two different segments. The first one was classical-based, a 16-beat piece with several variations and deviations of the rhythm. "It cannot be denied that classical music has a very limited audience, especially when it is instrumental. There are shortcomings in the practice and promotion of classical music as well. But we must not forget that classical is the base of all music, one can't go far without it," he noted.
The second part of Debu's performance in Sa 2 Sa was a Pahari Dhun. Ayub Bachhu accompanied him along with other members of the band LRB. "It was truly an exhilarating experience! At present, several deshi instruments like esraj, sarod, setar and tabla are losing popularity -- compared to the western musical instruments. This initiative to create a bond between the western and eastern instruments is what we need now. As for our performance, it was in a perfect harmony with each other -- making it palatable to even the average listener. I appreciate the efforts of Ayub Bachchu and channel i for creating this opportunity for me and other instrumentalists in the country," said the seasoned tabla artiste.
Comments