The first edition of the Kolkata International Drum Festival (KIDF), held on December 3 at Calcutta International Club was a grand celebration of beats and rhythms. Curated by father-son duo Subhen Chatterjee, tabla virtuoso, and, Sambit Chatterjee, drummer, the one-of-a-kind music festival brought together some of the best contemporary percussionists of the country, who enthralled and entertained with their diverse and distinctive sounds. Besides Subhen Chatterjee and Sambit, the lineup featured celebrated composer and music director Ranjit Barot, versatile drummer Darshan Doshi, jazz and fusion drummer Gino Banks, mridangam exponent and composer Viveick Rajagopalan and city-based drummer Gaurab 'Gaboo' Chatterjee who was there with his GC and the Giants. Calcutta’s 'first fusion band' Karma brought their unique flair to the festival and made it the perfect platform to celebrate the best of drumming traditions.
A large, enthusiastic crowd made up of music lovers and serious drummers thronged the festival, cheering lustily as their favourite performers took the stage, revelling in the ecstasy of the performances that provided a magical, immersive experience. t2 was there.
One of the biggest names in both mainstream popular Indian and world music and jazz fusion, drummer and composer Ranjit Barot cast a spell on the audience with his effortless, synchronous rhythms. Infusing his Western-influenced chops with his Indian soul, his energetic yet emotional sounds held the audience in raptures and also made them groove to his beats.
"Playing in front of your home crowd is always great. Plus, I debuted a completely new band (GC and the Giants) for this festival, so it was great to see the audience reacting to my compositions most of which were brand new and being performed for the first time. Big up to my band mates and to all the performers and everyone who came down. This was a great initiative. Lots of love to Subhenda and Sambit for making this happen. All the performances were special. There was a lot of passion among the performers and the audience. I loved being a part of this festival. This needs to happen every year," said Gaurab 'Gaboo' Chatterjee, the lead drummer of GC and the Giants.
Born of the confluence of cultures, Viveick Rajagopalan's edgy and international sounds on the mridangam, combined with his pulsating rhythms and energetic beats, offered a unique and impactful acoustic experience.
"It was heartening to see the audience listen to us so patiently and with so much love. The unique part of KIDF was that it featured one of the most ancient instruments of our country, the mridangam. Other than that, I think the drumming community coming together and showing their love is what is beautiful about the drum events across India," said the dynamic mridangam player.