For 11 years now Sourendro Mullick and Soumyojit Das have been celebrating World Music Day. This year, the celebration is being done differently as they want to extend support to the entire music community during these trying times. The duo are set to stream their concert — Amra Korbo Joy — on YouTube on June 27 to raise funds and run a vaccine drive for musicians. The two took two months to put this together and have managed to vaccinate 940-odd musicians. A The Telegraph chat with the two who were recently campaigning in Santiniketan, trying to help baul musicians and their family members.

Why have a concert a week after World Music Day?

Soumyojit: Yes, World Music Day was on the 21st and we shot the concert on that very day but we are airing it on June 27. This is because we wanted to do the camp and vaccination of artistes on World Music Day. Some video footage and photographs from this camp will feature in the concert.

Sourendro: Our motive was to raise funds and so that we can gather more vaccines for fellow musicians.

Can you share some highlights of the show?

Soumyojit: Since we named the concert Amra Korbo Joy #ConcertForHope, we want to spread a message of hope and optimism. A digital concert should not mean an extension of a Facebook live session; it should be a production that can be celebrated.

Sourendro: We wanted to put up a set which is adaptable to a digital condition.

Sharmila Tagore has shot a video of herself reciting a poem that talks of hope. The video will be shown during the concert.

How is the stage set-up?

Soumyojit: There’s a beautiful set we have put up and we get to see three huge cages, which symbolise the lockdown. But now the cages have light. The backdrop is of an early morning sky... like a new dawn. Apart from the music, we have “invited” four animals from the Sunderbans to host the show, looking at humans with an eye full of compassion. Here we have employed ventriloquism on a tiger from the Sunderbans, a cat from America, a monkey and a parrot. The idea is to be closer to nature.

This effort was executed by symphony players, a chorus, live musicians and do remember these are people who have not performed in a very long time — Sourendro Mullick

There’s a beautiful set we have put up and we get to see three huge cages, which symbolise the lockdown. But now the cages have light. The backdrop is of an early morning sky... like a new dawn — Soumyojit Das

Where else will we see the “magic” used in this digital concert?

Soumyojit: There are also a few acts where we are paying tribute to yesteryear singers, like Talat Mahmood, Geeta Dutt, Akhil Bandhu Ghosh and others. With digital media, it looks like we have invited them from heaven to come and sing with us. So you will see them on your screen.

Sourendro: Moreover, it is a big take on nostalgia. We have also made a mash-up of interesting jingles. They are also important pieces of music which we continue to recall. This effort was executed by symphony players, a chorus, live musicians and do remember these are people who have not performed in a very long time. From costume to make-up, apparels... all are crafted by a team of fashion designers to set a benchmark.

To watch the concert, donate on www.ketto.org/fundraiser/amra-korbo-joy and get a private link