The inauguration of the two-month-long weekly initiative took place last Saturday in presence of band music stars Sidhu and Pota of Cactus, Debaditya of Lakkhichhara and Kaushik of Prithibi.
"We want this area to be for the people and by the people. There is already City Square next to the Clock Tower ground and a pedestrian plaza right next to it with food trucks. This is a free zone for the community which we hope will come alive with music, conversation and food. We are happy that a structured platform is being provided for new talent. This place will acquire a character of its own," said Debashis Sen, managing director of Hidco.
The musicians were upbeat about the initiative. "There have been open mics at pub events. But this might be the first regular platform at an outdoor venue anywhere in the city. With time, it will become popular. Why only local talent, let people come from outside the city also. They will get an audience," said Sidhu, the frontman of Cactus.
But he urged for a screening. "Only true talent should be handed the mic, not just anybody."
Debaditya, the drummer of Lakkchichhara, recalled seeing musicians busking in cities abroad. "In our country, the space under flyovers is occupied by ragpickers, or heaped with garbage. We are ready to perform free for the first few weeks, may be not with a full set-up but enough to pull some footfall," he offered. Agreed Pota: "No one gave us such a platform when we were trying to find our way. This is such a nice atmosphere - people are on their way to the mall next door to shop, children are playing in the play zone... People might not come to listen initially if unknown names play. So we should come and support this initiative."
Kaushik of Prithibi lauded the authorities for creating a space where not just musicians, but painters can paint live or amateur actors can stage a play or stand-up comics can put up a set.
New Town girl Debjani Acharya on song. Sudeshna Banerjee
The brightly painted community zone under the Axis Mall flyover is coming alive every Saturday with the strum of guitar, the melody of music and the rhythm of poetry.
While this is precisely the purpose for which the space under the road overbridge was set up — to offer a free space for community activities — now an organised platform is being provided to budding talent.
A ready set-up will be provided every Saturday from 5.30pm at least for the next seven weeks, courtesy BandEdge Talent Agency. While a small stage is permanently built there, the talent promotion agency will provide sound system and an announcer. A guitar and cajon will also be available for those who can play.
The first act of the launch evening, Ankit Talukdar, was invited by the organisers as was Debjani Acharya, a Sa Re Ga Ma Pa 2012 top 10 contestant. A New Town BE Block resident, she is now being managed by BandEdge. "It felt nice to overhear a couple in the audience plan to sing here," said the girl after belting out Tomar ghore bosot kore koyjona for which her husband played the guitar with her.
BandEdge, the organizers of the busking platform, is accepting pre-registrations for slots on the stage. "We are already booked for the next two Saturdays," said Kinjal Bhattacharya, the founder of E365, the group which runs BandEdge. "We produced major shows in Calcutta like Poets of the Fall in 2012 and Michael Learns To Rock in 2015.
BandEdge, formed in 2009, was conceived by Bhattacharya after he and his band members were chased off by the police while busking in front of MusicWorld in Park Street. "We were trying to raise money to record our first song," recalls the South Point alumnus who was inspired by seniors in school who formed Lakkhichhara and batchmates who formed Insomnia.
The first artist management agency born out of Calcutta, BandEdge has collaborated with almost all successful artistes, including Anupam Roy and Somlata Acharya Chowdhury. "We organised 1068 live shows in 2019-20. The lockdown made us change track. We are now focused on supporting upcoming talent rather than managing topline artistes," said Kausturi Bhattacharya Chaudhuri, Kinjal's sister who now manages BandEdge.