Bickram Ghosh concert in Kolkata

It’s a journey of the soul, albeit with music. Saturday evening saw percussionist Bickram Ghosh present his first concert of Sufusion at a city auditorium. And boy, did he rock!
“I took the audience on a journey where different Sufi styles merge with a sparkling new, rhythm-heavy sound. Age old tradition was re-interpreted through technology-induced sound designing,” he said after the applause died down.
Vocalist Ambarish Das kickstarted the evening with Bulle Shah’s “Ghunghat odhe” in his deep sonorous voice which was beautifully married to Ustas Aamir Khan’s “Kaun jatan kar piya ko manau”. “It’s a raag Kalavati-based number,” Ambarish said.
With Hazrat Waris Shah’s “Jis din ke saajan”, a magical qawaali by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was fused and going by the audience reaction, it did strike a chord with them. However, the high point of the concert was the moment when Bickram used his right hand on his cheek and the left on the baya to create a unique sound matching the chhapki of the dholaks.
The Sufi vocals of Parwati Kumari were soul stirring as well. Ending with “Damadam mast kalandar”, it was fusion Sufi at its best. “This is only the beginning, just wait and watch,” signed off Bickram.