Heard of a marine flute, or a cajonito? These men can play ’em!

So you thought they loved the comfort zone provided by their familiar instruments like the guitar, drums, keyboards and more such? But there’s more to our musicians’ cupboards than meets the eye. Like their counterparts all over the world, these artistes are also musicologists in their own right, collecting instruments over the years. Take a look at this group.While one bought an instrument from a corner shop in Vienna, another has it as a gift from a strange busker. Yet another asked an NRI friend to ferry it from the US. Hear these five stories and get transported by the romance of their music to celebrate World Music Day!
Arindam Chatterjee, Upright bass
While the acoustic version of the instrument can be found, an electric upright bass is not at all common in the city, feels Arindam Chatterjee, the bassist of Kaya. “Besides being expensive, there is no place to learn the instrument at an advanced level in Kolkata. But I bought it anyway so that music lovers in the city can get to hear this fascinating instrument,” says Arindam, whose friend ferried it for him from the US in January. “It is a new thing for me and I have been using it well,” he jokes, adding, “Since there is practically no place to train for it, I am self-learning it. It is a symphony instrument and used in ’50s blues, jazz, rockabilly, bluegrass and other types music. Hence it is sounding perfect in the live shows,” Arindam says.

Prabuddha Banerjee, Sicilian Jew’s harp and a five-string banjo
The Sicilian Jew’s harp has put musician Prabuddha Banerjee in a fix. It is the only instrument in his possession that he can’t play. The musician tells us the fascinating story behind it. “Back in 1999, I was on my way to Florence for some office work. I got off at a station for a quick smoke. A group of buskers were humming a catchy tune and I started to hum with them. They were touched. We tried to interact but didn’t understand each other’s language. As I was getting back to the train, one of them handed me that Jew’s harp with a smile. I was awestruck. But sadly, I can’t play that damn thing!” says the musician. But that can’t pull his spirit down, as Prabuddha is known to play many instruments. “Since I’m a fan of bluegrass music, I really wanted to get a five-string banjo. While a four-string banjo is pretty common, a five-string version can hardly be found in the city. I finally got one when my friend and dear fellow musician Upal (Sengupta) gave it to me to use. It has been with me for a while and I’m making some good music with the lovely instrument,” Prabuddha adds.

Ananjan Chakraborty, Vibraphone
Ananjan Chakraborty imported this humongous percussion instrument for his father Pt Ajoy Chakraborty from London. “Dad records a lot of slokas in Sanskrit and he is not a big fan of computer-generated sounds. He prefers acoustic instruments more than virtual instruments. For him, we needed something special. So, in 2010, we imported this from London. This gives a pure tone and we can adjust the speed of the vibrator,” he tells us. A vibraphone is mostly used in orchestra music and also in gospel and church music. It is pretty big in size and needs a big room to house it. “We kept it in our studio on Golf Club Road. More than the size, this instrument needs special care. Like a grand piano, it also needs manual tuning. I don’t know if anyone in Kolkata owns this instrument,” Ananjan adds.

Ratul Shankar, Cajonito and Tongue drum
Travelling across the globe has helped Ratul Shankar enhance his exotic collection of musical instruments. “I always try to buy local instruments. I bought a cajonito — a baby version of the cajon — from Vienna in 2010. While you sit on top of a cajon, a cajonito sits on your lap while you play,” says Ratul with a smile. He customises the usage of this instrument. “While one side sounds like a cajon, the other side is like a conga. I use it extensively.” He also owns a tongue drum that can hardly be seen in the city. “This I bought from a famous music store chain in San Francisco. I was done shopping and was heading towards the till with my arms full of stuff when I saw it. It was yet to be catalogued. I played the first notes and immediately decided to buy it,” he says.

Gaurab Chatterjee, Marine flute
This instrument is an heirloom for Gaurab Chatterjee, aka Gabu. His father Gautam Chattopadhyay’s friend handcrafted it for the legend. “In 1984, my dad was in the south of France where he met a flautist. They became friends. Later, this man gifted him this wind instrument. I was told that this type of flute is largely used by mariners and fishermen,” he tells us. His father used to play the flute, but Gabu can’t. “I try, but alas!” he confesses with a smile, adding, “My uncle, Bula Chatterjee, can play it though.” But this didn’t stop him from using the instrument while scoring for a film. “When I was composing the music for Elar Char Adhyay, I made Humptu (a city musician) play this instrument. The marine flute has a haunting sound and it perfectly suited the background score,” Gabu says.