Music
ART-Rock
Co-Founder | Composer | Producer | Bass Guitar
Dastaan LIVE, an art-rock collective that merges the realms of sound and visuals to offer a truly unique experience to its audiences. The inaugural show of the project, titled ‘Surviving Democracy,’ was conceptualized by Anirban Ghosh (Baan G), Nikhil Vasudevan and Sumant Balakrishnan in 2016. Since the beginning of 2018, Dastaan LIVE has established itself as a distinctive presence within the realm of alternative arts. Continuously pushing boundaries, the project strives to enhance audience immersion, fostering dialogues, interpretations, and, above all, inspiring critical thinking.
We live in the world’s largest democracy. Today India aspires to be a superpower on the world stage as a model of tolerance- a peaceful, benevolent, developing nation that cares only for its land and its people. However, there is a parallel narrative unfolding in the streets, the villages, the rivers and the forests of India. Values that we took for granted are being twisted, upended and diluted, a new set of values are swiftly taking their place. A country whose moral compass is, perhaps, broken, isn’t the country we grew up in. Increasingly so, we are feeling disenfranchised from our own national identity. How can we sit by silently and watch this happen? Don’t we have a role and responsibility in all of this?
Dastaan LIVE’s ‘SURVIVING DEMOCRACY’ is that response- by a group of concerned artists to the circumstances that surround them. They were drawn together by their love for music initially but ambition to collectively work towards something bigger-using their music, their lights and their visuals to tell the stories of India from their perspective, an urban, middle-class perspective.
Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein – A Rock Opera
(Presented by Dastaan LIVE)
Chief Composer | Creative Producer | Bass Guitar
Kabir’s message of love and unity is vitally important in the current discordant times and we feel it important to revive the music of M.K. Raina’s seminal play ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein’, not just as an archive but in a new vibrant format that can reach out to new audiences.
This show re-interprets the music of the play, retaining its core aesthetics and updating the arrangement and instrumentation for modern sensibilities, working with some of the best musicians and theatre practitioners in Delhi. ‘Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein – a Rock Opera’ premiered at the Mahinda Kabira Festival 2021 and was a resounding success.
Bands | Artists | Collaborations
Millet Song “Hum the, Hum Rahenge“
“Millet Song” encapsulates the essence of the Millet Year 2023 through a harmonious blend of soulful lyrics, melodious vocals, and a rich arrangement of musical elements. Composed by activists and musicians, Vinay Mahajan and Charul Bharwada, the song not only pays homage to the significance of millets but also serves as a poignant reflection of the cultural and agricultural narratives of the year.
The composition, driven by Vinay Mahajan, employs a diverse range of instruments skillfully orchestrated by Anirban Ghosh, including guitars by Amar Tirkey, dafli by Vinay Mahajan, bass guitar, and keyboards by Anirban Ghosh, and the ghunghroo by Charul Bharwada. The inclusion of a chorus, featuring Amit Sharma, Sumithra, Eternity Choir, and Tanmay Singh, adds a collective and resonant dimension to the song.
Recorded across studios pan-India (Eternity Studio in Udaipur, Lotustree Studios in Delhi, and Kintsugi Studio in Delhi) the audio production captures the authenticity and depth of the Millet Year narrative. K J Singh’s adept sound mixing at A6TG Studio in Mumbai further elevates the sonic experience, ensuring a seamless fusion of elements.
The accompanying music video, captured by Biju Toppo, Nihar Bemal, Anshika Raj, and Charul Bharwada, breathes life into the Millet Song. Edited by Charul Bharwada, Anshika Raj, and Nihar Bemal, and enhanced with vibrant coloring by Anshika Raj, the visual storytelling unfolds through footage from WASSAN and the Odisha Millet Mission, supplemented by stock footage.
The song is not only a creative masterpiece but also a collaborative effort that extends gratitude to the people of village Khartanga, Jharkhand, and acknowledges the invaluable contributions of various individuals and organizations. Jointly held by Vinay – Charul (Loknaad), RRA Network, and Sahaja Samrudha, the copyrights reflect the shared ownership of a musical creation that resonates with the spirit and stories of the Millet Year 2023.
Edjin duun – Song of Mother – Kalmuk folk song
Lyrics and tutorial of the song: https://youtu.be/oJJJvOkGTSo
Song mixing and mastering – Varun Gupta
Video editing – Baan G and Bujee
Durgesh – https://www.durgeshkanwal.com Youtube – durgesh_kanwal Instagram – durgesh_kanwal
Baan G – https://anirbanghosh.in
Maya – www.facebook.com/maya.mccourt Instagram – mayamccourt https://saltmoon.bandcamp.com
Nemekhee – https://youtu.be/97kvKP5QGVQ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-77…
Bujee – Youtube – paintwithmusic https://soundcloud.com/yesuntsatsal https://ubktrio.bandcamp.com
Susmit Sen Chronicles
Bass Guitar
Susmit Sen Chronicles was started in 2012 to explore new and varying types of music that didn’t fit the confines of previous endeavors. Chronicles has always been about breaking boundaries and norms, and, like all of Susmit’s music, is hard to categorize. In 2014, the band produced and released the 7 track album, Ocean to Ocean.
“Solid handmade music from Alpen-Pop to Rock Opera to almost Indian Classical. Skillful music that rocks, that carries the audience away. Refreshing, catchy, moving.”
The Chronicles sound is most often said to be Indian Fusion, but appeals to audiophiles the world over. With its jazz-laced guitar riffs, Indian inspired rhythms and folk beat patterns, unique vocal melodies and harmonies which weave in and out of the instrumental arcs, and Susmit Sen’s signature style of playing the guitar–you can be sure this is music like you’ve never heard before!
Ricky Kej
Sessions Bass Guitar
Grammy® Award Winner, US Billboard #1 artist, UNESCO- MGIEP Ambassador & UNICEF ‘Celebrity Supporter’ Ricky Kej is an internationally renowned Indian Music Composer, Environmentalist and Professor. Ricky has dedicated his life and Music to creating awareness on the Environment, and positive social impact. He has performed at prestigious venues in over 30 countries, including at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and Geneva.
Rabbi Shergill
Sessions Bass Guitar
Rabbi Shergill is an Indian musician well known for his debut album Rabbi and the chart-topper song of 2005, Bullah Ki Jaana (“I know not who I am!”). His music has been described variously as rock, Punjabi, with a bani style melody, and Sufi-style (sufiana), and “semi-Sufi semi-folksy kind of music with a lot of Western arrangements.” Shergill has been called “Punjabi music’s true urban balladeer”.
Harpreet TRIO
Bass Guitar
Harpreet is a Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist and a performer by heart. he got inspiration towards music from his father, and started singing at a very early age. Afterwards his keen interest in music, and support from his family and loved ones, took him to the next level, and he started writing, and composing.
Grey Area (Funk/Jazz Quintet)
Bass Guitar
Okay, so here’s our story – Once upon a time, in a land far far away from..Panipat, but not so long ago, there were these bunch of musicians waiting to get together and create some beautiful chaos. So began the endless jamming, chai & cakes at Abhinav’s.
Discussions about the sound of the band, philosophy, sushi, and studies in the observation of human behavior. One fine day, when there were clouds wandering in the sky, birds flying in different directions, an Audi R8 revving its engine as if it was about to jump onto the F1 track and Leo running helter-skelter looking for his stuff toy, we decided on exploring our music(which, bdw, came as the default option for the lack of mastery in any particular genre!!) as our tool of expression. We also decided to call ourselves “Grey Area”(for obvious reasons!!!).
So for those who are still wondering, ‘GREY AREA’ plays post modern retro-desi-funk with a whiff of loud jazz and lots of groove juice. Our musical aim is to please ourselves first , and then those 3 guys and 1 girl in the audience with some deadly honest music. The band’s driving ( and motorcycling ) philosophy is to “ Be yourself, because everything else is already taken” The band played Coke Studio recently ( June 2012 ) featuring Dhruv Sangari, and will be performing soon at semi decent venues near you. ..
Bass Guitar
Bass Guitar
Delhi based modern rockers Akshay Chowdhry and Sumant Balakrishnan (Bala) formed Barefaced Liar (BFL) in 2008 to take their original music to the stage.
BFL put out their first album in 2010 with the self-titled ‘Barefaced Liar’. With its layered vocal harmonies, driving riffs, solos and keen Indian sensibilities, the critically- acclaimed album set the band apart. Music Publications like Rolling Stone, Rock Street Journal (RSJ) and Indianrockmp3 listed the album among top 10 albums of the year. Since then, they went on to play at some of the biggest festivals in India at the time, including The Great Indian Rock Festival, Bacardi NH7 Weekender, Friends of Music, Harley Rock Riders, Escape Festival, Gig Week to name a few.
In 2012, the band leapt straight into writing their sophomore effort and from those initial sessions was born ‘Toe The Line’, a true signal of the evolution in the band’s sound. The song garnered airplay on MTV Indies and VH1, besides being the only Asian finalist in the 2013 edition of the UK Songwriters Competition.
Akshay and Bala recorded ‘Mind Over Matter’ in late 2013 with their producer Zorran Mendonsa. A more streamlined and concise direction ensued with a ‘don’t bore us – get to the chorus’ attitude, and as a result, all 9 songs have been written to stand on their own. ‘Mind Over Matter’ is the new sound of today’s rock n roll- fun, loud and experimental. With the release of the album in late 2015, the band is gearing up to promote their new material and hit stages in India and beyond.