CHENNAI : No matter which part of India this band performs in, these artistes are particular about taking their local music with them and presenting it to the world. For the first time in the city — as part of the South Madras Cultural Association — Kolkata-based band Somlata and The Aces will be performing a gig. After her graduation, Somlata Acharyya Chowdhury got an opportunity to sing in the film Cross Connection in 2009.
“I started getting several opportunities in television shows and concerts. Unlike traditional gigs where it’s the vocalist who gets attention and limelight, I wanted to ensure all the musicians did too. This prompted me to start my own band in 2011. We named it Somlata and The Aces,” says the singer. Some of her notable contribution to Bengali cinema are in movies such as Belasheshey, Ranjana Aami Aar Ashbona, Chotushkone, Unishey April, Maach Mishti among others.
The band is popular for its Bengali fusion songs. Somlata performs numbers from her film playlists and compositions of Rabindranath Tagore, which is also called Rabindra Sangeet. The band comprises guitarist Arnab Roy, keyboardist Arnab Sen, bass guitarist Abhishek Bhattacharya and drummer Suman Chakraborty.
“We’ve been working on a few originals since 2016. Every week there would be a jamming session. All of us practice religiously. For the upcoming gigs, I’ll be performing Bengali songs and a few Hindi songs. We’ve got a good response from the younger generation for songs in our regional language, so we never compromise on celebrating our culture, and take the language to all corners,” says the singer. Somlata and The Aces will perform on April 6 at Sir Pitty Thyagaraya Hall, T Nagar. For details, call: 9176774444
Rabindra Sangeet
Somlata performs numbers from her film playlists and compositions of Rabindranath Tagore. The band comprises guitarist Arnab Roy, keyboardist Arnab Sen, bass guitarist Abhishek Bhattacharya and drummer Suman Chakraborty.