Glimpses from the World Music Day 2022 concert

The evening began with a performance by none other than Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. The sarod maestro performed Raga Ganesh Kalyan, Kon khela je khelbo kokhon and Ekla cholo re. Backing up his mesmerising performance was Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and his son Anubrata Chatterjee on the tabla. The three gave one another space for solos and had a lot of musical exchanges going on. “We all called Lataji ‘Didi’. We are very fortunate that we could spend time with her,” said Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

On the evening of June 21, celebrated as World Music Day, the city faced some early monsoon showers but the queue of cars to the Science City Auditorium entry gate was never-ending. Sourendro Mullick and Soumyojit Das celebrated the auspicious day with some of the stalwarts of the music scene. Titled ‘World Music Day 2022 Concert’, the duo brought together Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Rashid Khan, Shubha Mudgal, Hariharan, Usha Uthup, Subhamita, Papon and Anwesshaa for a memorable evening, celebrating the musical memories of the late Lata Mangeshkar. Here are snippets from the evening.

After a magnificent intro, it was time for host Sourendro-Soumyojit to take the stage. The duo appeared after felicitating Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and went on to thank their guests and they spoke about the motive behind hosting such a grand show. With their orchestra, they performed their first song Naam gum jayega. Towards the end of the show, they performed Jiya jale, accompanied by a children’s choir. “It is unbelievable to see you again. Two years of being at home, digital concerts and staying inside with Zoom on laptops... appearing live on stage makes us extremely happy,” said Sourendro. “World Music Day has always been for all of us. I am sure there are at least 500 of you present who have been with us from the beginning,” said Soumyojit.

Next up was Anwesshaa, who presented her rendition of Lata Mangeshkar’s Megha chhaye aadhi raat. Her sweet voice hit the highs and lows effortlessly and listening to her version was a refreshing experience for the audience. “I thank Sourendro-Soumyojit from the bottom of my heart for including me in this grand initiative of celebrating World Music Day. Today, what makes it special is that it is dedicated to Lata Mangeshkarji,” she said.

Padma Shri awardee, Hindustani musician and author Shubha Mudgal took the stage to perform Yeh neer kahan se barse hai by Lata Mangeshkar on a C scale. It was a steady yet impactful rendition. “I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to be in this city where music and arts are deeply loved; where there are so many artistes and so many music lovers. After two devastating years to be back in this wonderful city amongst amazing artistes and music lovers is a big blessing,” she said.

After felicitating Shubha Mudgal, Subhamita (Banerjee) from Malda took the stage. She did her version of Duyo duyo ari, which was an upbeat and energetic performance. Her playfulness on stage added to the fun. “Today is special and I am feeling honoured and privileged to be a part of this evening,” she said.

After Subhamita was done with her peppy number, Ustad Rashid Khan appeared and was joined by Anubrata Chatterjee on the tabla as well as Sourendro-Soumyojit. The Padma Shri winner performed his version of Mere naina sawan bhadon. “Today is a good day for us artistes. Soumyojit and Sourendro always teach us something, so I am going to sing a Lataji and Kishoreji song,” he said.

Hariharan is always fun on stage. After felicitating Ustad Rashid Khan, the musician performed Lata Mangeshkar’s O sajna barkha bahar aayee. He brought the song to life with his expressive reactions and the way he can hold on to each note was breathtaking. To add some fun element, he even sang a few lines from his song Tu hi re. “This programme is going quite well. I was listening from the backstage. Today is a happy day; music is a medicine for the world. You listen to good music and you’ll be able to sleep, be happy,” he said.

Usha Uthup is hands down the definition of a diva. In line with the chirpy attitude she is known for, she took the stage to perform Bindiya chamkegi, which she had also performed on Lata Mangeshkar’s 75th birthday. As usual, she kept the energy alive and had the audience smiling ear to ear. “Every day for all musicians it is music day but World Music Day is special because of Sourendro and Soumyojit,” she said.

One of the most awaited performances of the night was that of Papon. The singer performed Lag jaa gale, which, of course, was an audience favourite. The love and harmony that had gone into the performance was felt massively.

The event wrapped up with a special performance. All those on the line-up gathered together to sing Rahe na rahe hum. As if it wasn’t an emotional moment already, the final line of the song was the audio of Lata Mangeshkar’s voice.

They were there...