Over a decade ago, actress and entrepreneur Chitrangada Satarupa found herself captivated by Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner aka Sting’s eclectic music. And by her own admission, she has been hopelessly in love with the English musician ever since. Chitrangada recently attended Lollapalooza India 2024 in Mumbai to catch Sting’s live performance on January 29. My Kolkata caught up with her in a freewheeling chat to learn about her experience…
Chitrangada looks concert-ready in a heart-motif bralette and black pants @chitrangadasatarupa/Instagram
“Hey Mumbai, kai zala?” — that’s how Sting greeted Mumbai.
It was surreal. I was really excited to watch and hear Sting live on stage. I have been a huge Sting fan since I heard him back in college. But I did not expect that the moment he’d come on stage, I’d start crying! You don’t anticipate certain reactions, right? You could be overwhelmed, screaming in excitement and enjoying the music, but shedding tears during a fun song like Message in a Bottle was the last thing I expected. It was the first song of the concert.
A large section of people love Sting’s music. Also, he is one musician, who is admired not only by his fans but also by fellow artistes who appreciate his musicality — his songwriting skills, the harmony, the tune, composition and the rhythm. And, the beautiful voice that he has... I kept texting my husband, ‘I am listening to the voice of God!’ It just felt like that. Sadly, he couldn’t be there with me. The event was fulfilling in every way — musically and nostalgia-wise — and also in terms of witnessing something that had an element of spectacle. Also, Sting’s inclusion of a young band that was backing vocals — giving them the spotlight to sing and shine — it was great.
It’s been a while since I have been listening to Sting. My initial introduction to his melodies dates back to high school. However, it was during my college years that I truly fell in love with his music. I even had the opportunity to perform his Desert Rose in college. But, I guess, I actually started admiring Sting when Sambit (Chatterjee, Chitrangada’s husband) made me hear the entire Live in Berlin concert. It was more than a decade ago when I fell into this Sting loop.
Englishman in New York was the second or third song that he performed at the concert. It’s one of my favourites. He also sang Fields of Gold and Walking on the Moon and I love those too.
When I first delved into Sting’s music, it was either through sharing with friends or streaming on my phone. I don’t have a collection of CDs, cassettes or vinyl tapes of Sting, but I do aspire to build one someday.
In Lollapalooza, he played a lot of old and popular songs and people were vibing throughout. He ended his set with Roxanne and also played Every Breath You Take. It was a one-and-a-half hour set, but he was also jamming, improvising a lot with his members. The overall crowd was very good. I was there last year too. It was a listening crowd, who were grooving and singing with him.
The way he started Shape of My Heart was a little unexpected. He said, ‘You know the next song is about this gambler, who eventually becomes a philosopher. That’s what every gambler does. After a point he becomes a philosopher’. We thought he was going to sing a fun song, but instead, he sang Shape of My Heart. And everyone went ‘Oh my God’!
Every time I eagerly await a performance from an artiste I deeply admire, there’s a moment of intense anticipation, where I find myself holding my heart and breath. Despite the artiste connecting with thousands in the audience, that singular, one-on-one connection is what I live for.
(As told to Pooja Mitra)
