Members of the armed forces are generally seen only through the lens of their duty, holding themselves to a higher standard of discipline and sacrifice. However, music has been a rich part of their ethos, especially the Indian Navy, which formed the Indian Naval Band back in 1945. Over the last 76 years, the band has garnered both national and international repute, having performed an array of diverse music around the world.
The Tollygunge Club got to witness the first-hand brilliance of the Eastern Naval Command Band on November 12, when they took over the Club’s Main Lawn to create a delightful evening for music lovers.
“The entire team has come in from the Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam, in the run-up to the Navy Day celebrations on December 4. This is an important event among many others that are taking place in West Bengal, and the primary aim is to make the people know what the Navy is, and to connect with the citizens of Kolkata,” said Commodore Rituraj Sahu, Naval Officer-In-Charge of West Bengal. Soumen Mitra, Police Commissioner of Kolkata, was the Chief Guest at the event. “I’ve been hearing this band for several years now, and each time I feel like I'm experiencing something new. Historically, this music was used for conveying signals, but the band has evolved over the years into an international orchestra,” he said.
KP Commissioner Image: Soumen Mitra, Commissioner of Kolkata Police, was the Chief Guest at the event.
Commander Satish K. Champion, the Command Musician Officer of the Eastern Naval Command Band, mesmerised everyone with his compositions. He particularly weaved magic with Swarnim Vijay Varsh, a piece written to commemorate 50 years of the Liberation of Bangladesh from December 16, 1971. “This is probably my sixth time performing at this club, and it’s always a pleasure to come back because of the wide range of audience here. The members really have a diverse appreciation of music across various genres, from yesteryear to pop to martial,” he smiled.
Commander Satish K. Champion, the Command Musician Officer of the Eastern Naval Command Band, presented several of his original pieces to the audience.
Master Chief Petty Officer S. Janakiraman, Master Chief in Charge of the Eastern Naval Command Band, won hearts with his rendition of Sholay’s popular theme and Sounds of the Yesteryear, a medley of popular Hindi numbers like Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh, Hawa Mein Udta Jaaye Mera Laal, Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Jeena Yahan, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke. “I have completed 35 years of service and have arranged many Hollywood and Bollywood tunes for the Military Band in this time. I particularly enjoyed playing the Raag Fusion, Window of the South at The Tolly Club,” he said.
Master Chief Petty Officer S. Janakiraman (extreme left), Master Chief in Charge of the Eastern Naval Command Band, conducting the soulful verses to Window of the South.
The musicians truly played tunes across boundaries and genres, whilst also regalling audiences with their expertise in rare instruments. “While learning the alphabet as children, most of us were taught ‘X’ with the example of a xylophone. However, today was one of the rare times when we actually got to hear it,” said Biplab Ganguli, the master of ceremony for the evening.
Apart from original compositions and retro Bollywood, the audience were also treated to the theme of the popular Marvel film, Captain America: The First Avenger. A duet performance of Heal the World by Kolkata-based singer Faizan Khurshid and Bishek Sundas, singer and bass guitarist of the Eastern Naval Command Band, had the crowd singing along, waving their hands in the air. “I look forward to performing with the band whenever they visit Kolkata. I was very excited to share the stage with them again for the first time since the pandemic,” said Khurshid.
The audience waved their hands in the air and sang along when the band played Heal The World.
Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, is a connoisseur of music, and had requested to include some of his favourite pieces a few hours before the band took stage.
Former Defence Secretary of India Sanjay Mitra was also in the audience.
The mood soon turned a bit more melancholic, as one of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite holy songs, Vaishnava Jana To, was played. This was followed in quick succession with Rabindranath Tagore’s songs about resilience, Ekla Cholo Re and Anandaloke Mangalaloke.
The penultimate number is a customary inclusion at all Martial Band concerts: The Tri-Service Medley, featuring the songs of the Army, Navy and Air Force, completed by Sare Jahan Se Achha.
Audiences were acquainted with exemplary presentations of several rare instruments like the Cornet (in picture) and the xylophone.
As the final notes of The Hymn of Joy by Henry van Dyke brought an end to the evening, the audience gave a standing ovation to the musicians. “Tolly Club has developed very strong and enduring ties with our defence forces and we consider it a privilege to showcase their talent to civil society,” said Anil Mukerji, CEO and Managing Member of Tollygunge Club.