Soumik Datta is a powerhouse of talent. Unlike many from his generation, this Mumbai born London-based sarod artiste is equally adept at both western and Indian classical music. His collaborations with some of the biggest names in the West have earned him a distinctive reputation but the few who have heard his Pilu or Jhinjhoti, snippets of which are floating on cyberspace will tell you that he ought to play more sarod solo concerts.
Aside from composing and playing, he runs a small charity in the U.K. to help new talent and provide platforms for under-recognised artistes. In 2017, they made a documentary series on under-recognised musicians in rural India.
The six part series titled ‘Tuning 2 You: Lost Musicians of India’ was launched on Channel 4 in the U.K. and will be released in India later this year. Excerpts from an interview.
Your website describes you as a sarod virtuoso. Is that how you want to be identified?
I seem to have picked that description up after winning several string competitions at school in London and while doing a Masters in composition at Trinity College of Music. It then appeared in several reviews and seems to have got stuck to the rest of my bio.
You also appear wearing a metallic jacket on the homepage. Are you trying to create a new iconography as a new age artiste ?
Every tradition comes with its own paraphernalia. In Western music, you have concert dresses, bow ties and black suits. In Indian music, you have kurtas, sarees and shawls. Perhaps it is due to the fact that I grew up with a foot in and out of India that allowed me to have a more liberal take on all of this. I believe you should be comfortable in the clothes you perform in.
Tell us about your training with the late Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta
Guruji (or Dadu) as I called him will continue to be a pillar of inspiration in my life. As a 14-year-old late-comer to Indian classical music, I was a risky experiment. I lived in London and could only visit once or twice a year. He tailored a taleem (musical instruction) specially for me. As a teenager, I would spend up to sixteen hours a day with him playing along, listening to old records and soaking in the atmosphere of his house in south Kolkata. Guruji had been an engineer for many years and perhaps it was that over-developed analytical mind that allowed him to see me as a puzzle that needed to be solved. My taleem was filled with rare ragas and difficult, technical intricacies which allowed me to learn quickly and get up to speed with other players my age. In one month, he would impart a year’s worth of training. My job was then to go back to England and practice, practice, practice. His words still ring in my ears and when I touch the sarod, I am immediately connected to his spirit which I know has found peace.
You have done many collaborations with Beyonce, Jay Z, Anoushka Shankar to name a few. What is the key to a good collaboration?
As a teenage sarod player growing up in London, I longed to be part of a band. I tried my luck with rock bands, blues bands, gypsy groups and even experimented with electronica. By the time I reached my twenties, I had already met and worked with a diverse range of musicians in London. Those interactions were key as I learnt that in these contexts, listening was more important than playing. I believe the key to any collaboration is the ability to wait, listen and absorb before producing a single note.
While collaborations are wonderful, why do you play so few classical sarod solo concerts?
Perhaps because the industry has a way of pigeon-holing artistes. Festival programmers are quick to categorise an artiste as classical or experimental . I find that troubling since as people we are not just a monochrome shade. I am playing over 130 concerts this year of which only two are classical. So I’m particularly happy to announce that both Darbar Festival and King’s Place in London, have invited me to play classical sarod and represent the Senia ShahJahanpur gharana that I hail from.
Do you think playing collaborative concerts can damage your prospects of being accepted as a classical soloist in India?
The foundations of raga and tala music are so strong that it seems a shame not to step into the global arena and have musical conversations with artistes from completely different backgrounds. Surely, this is the point of music. To connect, to bring together and create bonds between people of all races. .
The Indian music scene in London seems vibrant and Darbar is a major draw every year. Do you feel a sense of community among Indian artistes?
Darbar Festival has turned into a wonderful annual meeting place for all musicians in the U.K. I keep in touch with my group of friends to discuss classical roots, innovation, performance and aesthetic. But I also have friends outside the Indian circuit who have opened my eyes to Brazilian rhythms, Russian folk music, French liberation songs and how music has been a vehicle for change in cultures around the world. I find these stories empowering in a way that has changed my approach to music.
Soumik Datta with Aruna Sairam at ‘Back to the Blues’ concert
Tell us about your recent collaboration with Aruna Sairam
In 2017, I was commissioned by the Bagri Foundation to compose pieces that weave together Carnatic , Hindustani and contemporary jazz. At the heart of this project titled ‘Back to the Blues’ was the celebrated Aruna Sairam. Over a period , I connected with her over WhatsApp and Skype recording bits of various ragas, collecting pallavis and learning about the various do’s and dont’s of Carnatic music. I then had the task to absorb all these new elements and compose a concert for Arunaji’s voice, sarod, piano and percussion. The concert premiered on March 15 at the coveted St John’s Smith Square in London and was received by multiple standing ovations — a rarity in London! I’m still touched by the experience of working with Arunaji. For her stature to trust a young composer with this task was no small matter. It only shows off her immense generosity. We hope to bring the collaboration to India soon.
Kunal Ray teaches Literary and Cultural Studies at FLAME University, Pune and writes on art and culture
