Moheener Ghoraguli
Encyclopedia
Moheener Ghoraguli or Mohiner Ghoraguli was a Bengali
independent music group from Kolkata
, established in 1975, it was arguably Bengal's and India's first band. It is difficult to classify them into a musical genre, as their music was a mixture of a wide variety of influences, including the Baul and folk traditions of Bangla and rock.
Established in the 1970s during a period of stagnation in Bangla music, when commercial film songs were the dominant market force, the lyrics (and to some extent the compositions) of leader Gautam Chattopadhyay were radically new. They were of a very personal or social nature, similar to the urban folk movement led by Bob Dylan
in the 60s. Though they were almost unknown in their time, in recent years they have undergone a critical re-evaluation much like the Velvet Underground. In recognition of this renewed interest, Gautam released a compilation of Mohiner Ghoraguli covers by contemporary artists, Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore
in 1995. They have since come to be considered an unrecognised pioneers of the jibonmukhi style and ethics, decades ahead of their times.
They are sometimes also credited as the pioneers of the flourishing of Bangla band
s in the new millennium. This is debatable as their songwriting was strongly rooted in Bangla folk and also American urban folk, while modern Bangla bands like Fossils
and Insomnia
are influenced by grunge
.
Their signature song is Prithibita Naki, a reflection on how television creates urban alienation. It has been covered by many artists.
towards the end of 1974. Initially, they called themselves 'Saptarshi', and finally settled on the name 'Moheener Ghoraguli' proposed by Ranjon Ghoshal
. The name was borrowed from a poem 'Ghora' by Jibanananda Das
.
In such a conservative climate, Moheener Ghoraguli, with its unorthodox musical compositions and strange choice of song themes, failed to gain much of a fan base. Its songs dealt with everyday topics -politics, poverty, injustice, revolution, love, loneliness, even begging and prostitution. Gautam Chattopadhyay had strong political beliefs; in common with many intelligent and idealistic young men of his generation, he was involved in socialist/communist politics during the 1960s and 1970s. (According to former bandmate Abraham Mazumdar
, Gautam may have been involved in the Naxalite
movement as well.) This political outlook was reflected in the musical output of the band.
The type of music that Moheener Ghoraguli pioneered, though debatably, had the seeds of now very popular Jibonmukhi gaan or 'Songs of ordinary life'. Two decades after Moheen, singers like Kabir Suman, Nochiketa and Anjan Dutta
took Jibonmukhi gaan to a new level of popularity, but the origins of the genre can be found in the songs of Moheener Ghoraguli.
The band recorded with Western instruments and also experimented in a variety of musical styles, some of which must have jarred with the sensibilities of its audience. Today, these compositions sound quite contemporary, leading many to conclude that Moheener Ghoraguli was indeed ahead of its time. The band freely borrowed elements from baul
shongeet, the folk music
of rural Bengal . It can therefore lay claim to be the original Bengali folk-rock band. Many bands since Moheen have adopted similar innovations, among them Feedback, Dolchhut and Bangla are notable.
The first album in this phase issued by the new-look Moheener Ghoraguli was a compilation called Abar Bochhor Kuri Porey ("Again, After Twenty Years", a quotation from Jibanananda Das
), released at the Kolkata Book Fair. It included a number of original Moheener Ghoraguli classics from the 1970s, as well as songs recorded by select music makers of the 90s. Although listeners were initially slow to catch on, the album proved to be a hit, and it introduced the MG movement to a new generation of music-lovers. Gautam Chattopadhyay finally saw Moheener Ghoraguli music gaining the popularity and critical recognition that had eluded their band in the 1970s. Several other successful compilations have followed since the first one. Both in their native West Bengal and in Bangladesh, Moheener Ghoraguli is now a much-admired movement.
Gautam's death in 1999 was sudden. After returning from a location shooting of his last film Rong Bin, which was never completed, the next day he went to the Indropuri Studio to meet his longtime cinematographer friend and colleague, Vivek Banerjee and there he collapsed and died of a heart attack. An entire generation of budding musicians who had been popularized by Gautam in Kolkata
mourned his untimely death and a tribute album "Moni chara shunno laage" was released; it should be noted here that Moni was not Gautam's nickname, but his siblings would call him Moni-da, moni, defining that he was the third of the brothers. His nickname was Manik.
. The second line of the poem is:
loosely translated as:
One of the band's most popular songs, Bhalobashi jyotsnae, is a tribute to the natural beauty of the Bengali countryside; the influence of Jibanananda's pastoral poetry is evident throughout the song.
There are other parallels: Jibanananda broke with the literary tradition of his time and introduced modernist themes and diction to Bengali poetry. He is often considered the first Bengali poet to truly break free of Rabindranath
's imposing presence. To some extent, Moheener Ghoraguli attempted to do the same for Bengali popular music.
Later Members:
After Tapesh Bandopadhyay left the band in 1978, he was replaced by Raja Banerjee. Raja went on to record the third Moheen album Drishyomaan Moheener Ghoraguli with the band and performed in numerous concerts till the band was disbanded.
The details of the band is available at
www.mohinerghoraguli.com
. Some of their notable performances were at:
In 1995 Gautam Chattopadhay wanted to do first Bengali Song concert. He got immediate response from Jadavpur University Student's union. In march '95 when the inter college cultural festival was happening, Gautam was requested to do a live performance. He took the challenge and as usual, Bengal saw something which till date nobody ever dared to repeat "SOMO SAMAYIK BANGLA GANER CONCERT" at the Jadavpur University OAT.
All the new generation musicians who performed in the Abar Bochhor kuri poray album were given the opportunity to perform....
While the singers and musicians were enjoying the stage performing, at the back side, 6 huge canvas was kept and Bengal's one of the most famous contemporary painter was depicting the meaning of the songs live on the canvas.
Each of the Canvas later on was donated to Jadavpur University Student's Union with an autograph of Gautam and Rathin.
In this concert few members of Original Mohineer Ghoraguli was also present like Abraham Majumder with his young students of Kolkata Music Academy, Tapas Das, Pradip Chattopadhyay, and Raja Banerjee.
Monida's last live performance was at Kalyani University in Jan 1999, along with Subrata Ghosh of Garer Math, Neel, Bonny & Dwide of the then Krosswindz and the live sound mixing was done by Chhoton (founder member of Chandrabindo) a die-hard follower and inspirer of Subrata & Monida.
Moheener Ghoraguli's music is till been covered immensely by Subrata Ghosh (Gorer Math) and also by a number of Bengali artists in the 1990s and 2000s, including Fossils
, Chandrabindoo, Bhoomi
, Krosswindz
, Lakkhichhara and Insomnia
and last but not the least Prithibi. Gaurab Chattopadhyay (Gabbu), son of Gautam, is a catalyst member/drummer of the Kolkata band Lakkhichhara. Koushik of Prithibi with Monfokira has organized an experimental concert on Shottorer Sohortolir gaan, an unreleased album of Moheener Ghoraguli, with the aim of taking their music forward.
In 2006, the original Moheener Ghoraguli song Prithibi ta naki was remade as Bheegi Bheegi by the music-director Pritam
Chakrabarty for the Hindi
film Gangster which went on to become a chartbuster. The song was sung by Bangladeshi singer James of Nagar Baul fame. Prithibi ta naki was sung by Bonnie who is a founder member of Oikyotaan, a baul
fusion band based in Chennai
.
9 January 2001 and 2002 Jadavpur University AISA organised Dariyay Ailo Tufan where all the contemporary Bangla bands performed in memory of Gautam Chattopadhyay
.
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
independent music group from Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, established in 1975, it was arguably Bengal's and India's first band. It is difficult to classify them into a musical genre, as their music was a mixture of a wide variety of influences, including the Baul and folk traditions of Bangla and rock.
Established in the 1970s during a period of stagnation in Bangla music, when commercial film songs were the dominant market force, the lyrics (and to some extent the compositions) of leader Gautam Chattopadhyay were radically new. They were of a very personal or social nature, similar to the urban folk movement led by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
in the 60s. Though they were almost unknown in their time, in recent years they have undergone a critical re-evaluation much like the Velvet Underground. In recognition of this renewed interest, Gautam released a compilation of Mohiner Ghoraguli covers by contemporary artists, Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore
Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore
Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore was a Bengali album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in the 1995 Kolkata Book Fair.It was not an original Moheen album, like earlier releases. It was released nearly twenty years after the last album by the group had been released.Many of the songs...
in 1995. They have since come to be considered an unrecognised pioneers of the jibonmukhi style and ethics, decades ahead of their times.
They are sometimes also credited as the pioneers of the flourishing of Bangla band
Bangla band
A Bangla band is any musical band that performs solely or mainly in the Bengali language and which uses Western principles of music.As Western influences became more widespread, Bangla bands became popular with young people in the 1970s, both in India and Bangladesh, and have since become...
s in the new millennium. This is debatable as their songwriting was strongly rooted in Bangla folk and also American urban folk, while modern Bangla bands like Fossils
Fossils (band)
Fossils is a Bangla Rock band formed in Kolkata, West Bengal, India in 1998.The group is considered one of the pioneering rock acts in Kolkata's Bangla music scene....
and Insomnia
Insomnia (rock band)
Insomnia is a rock band based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The band's repertoire includes both English and Bangla songs. The band has an album each in English and Bangla . Insomnia is a rock band from Eastern India with bilingual repertoire...
are influenced by grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
.
Their signature song is Prithibita Naki, a reflection on how television creates urban alienation. It has been covered by many artists.
Style
This group was formed by a group of Kolkata musicians led by Gautam ChattopadhyayGautam Chatterjee
Gautam Chattopadhyay was an Indian musician, singer, and one of the founding members and inspirational leader of the band Moheener Ghoraguli, which was formed in the 1975, arguably Bengal's and India's first band...
towards the end of 1974. Initially, they called themselves 'Saptarshi', and finally settled on the name 'Moheener Ghoraguli' proposed by Ranjon Ghoshal
Ranjon Ghoshal
Ranjon Ghoshal is a founder member of the Bangla band 'Moheener Ghoraguli', and runs an advertising agency, "Mareech Advertising" in Banglore, apart from "Forum Tree", a theatre group....
. The name was borrowed from a poem 'Ghora' by Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....
.
In such a conservative climate, Moheener Ghoraguli, with its unorthodox musical compositions and strange choice of song themes, failed to gain much of a fan base. Its songs dealt with everyday topics -politics, poverty, injustice, revolution, love, loneliness, even begging and prostitution. Gautam Chattopadhyay had strong political beliefs; in common with many intelligent and idealistic young men of his generation, he was involved in socialist/communist politics during the 1960s and 1970s. (According to former bandmate Abraham Mazumdar
Abraham Mazumdar
Abraham Mazumder is an Indian conductor and violinist. He is a former member of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli and has been active in Kolkata's western classical music world since the 1970s.- Career :...
, Gautam may have been involved in the Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
movement as well.) This political outlook was reflected in the musical output of the band.
The type of music that Moheener Ghoraguli pioneered, though debatably, had the seeds of now very popular Jibonmukhi gaan or 'Songs of ordinary life'. Two decades after Moheen, singers like Kabir Suman, Nochiketa and Anjan Dutta
Anjan Dutta
Anjan Dutta is a popular artist of the 1990s Bengali music scene defined by anyodharar gaan . Anjan Dutta's style of music is different from the others in the sense that it has simple tunes, one that is reminiscent of western folk music. His lyrics are simple and more natural...
took Jibonmukhi gaan to a new level of popularity, but the origins of the genre can be found in the songs of Moheener Ghoraguli.
The band recorded with Western instruments and also experimented in a variety of musical styles, some of which must have jarred with the sensibilities of its audience. Today, these compositions sound quite contemporary, leading many to conclude that Moheener Ghoraguli was indeed ahead of its time. The band freely borrowed elements from baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
shongeet, the folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
of rural Bengal . It can therefore lay claim to be the original Bengali folk-rock band. Many bands since Moheen have adopted similar innovations, among them Feedback, Dolchhut and Bangla are notable.
Later years
The group played together until 1981 and was then dissolved. In the late 80's Subrata Ghosh a student of Presidency College, Calcutta, an ardent Music lover, heard a song bhalo lagay jotsnay kash boney chhut tay and came to know about Gautam Chattopadhay. Immediately he became a die-hard fan of Monida and excavated information about him. In a few days, Subrata reached Monida's residence at Naktala. After few days of jamming with Subrata, the 2nd innings of Monida started. It was days after days, night after night, month after month gradually new generation music lovers, who wanted to break the traditional tide of Bengali music started jamming in at Monida's small drawing room and sometimes they used to gather at Sale Lake BE Park at Salt Lake Welfare Associations tent to create new innovative music. This was the time when the most revolutionary compositions like "Prithibi", "telephone", "bangalee Korachoo" got created. Then in the mid-1990s, a decade and a half after Mohineer Ghoraguli's dissolution, Gautam Chattopadhyay with immense mental support of Subrata & Neel decided to revive the movement of Moheener Ghoraguli. In 1994 Gautam was awarded with an assignment from Kolkata Doordarshan to make 1st ever Bengali Music Video and a budget was allocated to him. As usual the budget was too little to make a quality product, so after the songs got recorded Gautam with the support of Sourish and A. Mukherjee decided to come out with a cassette album Abar Bochhor Kuri poray - compiled by Mohiner Ghoraguli: Mohiner Ghoraguli shompadita Bangla Gaan.The first album in this phase issued by the new-look Moheener Ghoraguli was a compilation called Abar Bochhor Kuri Porey ("Again, After Twenty Years", a quotation from Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....
), released at the Kolkata Book Fair. It included a number of original Moheener Ghoraguli classics from the 1970s, as well as songs recorded by select music makers of the 90s. Although listeners were initially slow to catch on, the album proved to be a hit, and it introduced the MG movement to a new generation of music-lovers. Gautam Chattopadhyay finally saw Moheener Ghoraguli music gaining the popularity and critical recognition that had eluded their band in the 1970s. Several other successful compilations have followed since the first one. Both in their native West Bengal and in Bangladesh, Moheener Ghoraguli is now a much-admired movement.
Gautam's death in 1999 was sudden. After returning from a location shooting of his last film Rong Bin, which was never completed, the next day he went to the Indropuri Studio to meet his longtime cinematographer friend and colleague, Vivek Banerjee and there he collapsed and died of a heart attack. An entire generation of budding musicians who had been popularized by Gautam in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
mourned his untimely death and a tribute album "Moni chara shunno laage" was released; it should be noted here that Moni was not Gautam's nickname, but his siblings would call him Moni-da, moni, defining that he was the third of the brothers. His nickname was Manik.
Meaning of the band's name
The literal meaning of Moheen'er Ghora-guli is "Moheen's horses". While this obscure phrase puzzles many of the band's fans, it is actually taken from a poem Ghora ('Horses') by the great modernist Bengali poet Jibanananda DasJibanananda Das
Jibanananda Das was a noted Bengali poet. He is considered one of the precursors who introduced modernist poetry to Bengali Literature, at a period when it was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore's Romantic poetry....
. The second line of the poem is:
- Moheener ghoragulo ghash khae Kartiker jyotsnar prantorey
loosely translated as:
- "Moheen's horses graze on the horizon, in the Autumn moonlight"
One of the band's most popular songs, Bhalobashi jyotsnae, is a tribute to the natural beauty of the Bengali countryside; the influence of Jibanananda's pastoral poetry is evident throughout the song.
There are other parallels: Jibanananda broke with the literary tradition of his time and introduced modernist themes and diction to Bengali poetry. He is often considered the first Bengali poet to truly break free of Rabindranath
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
's imposing presence. To some extent, Moheener Ghoraguli attempted to do the same for Bengali popular music.
Band members
Original lineup:- Gautam Chattopadhyay (Manik a.k.a. Moni-da to his younger siblings) - voice, lead guitar, saxophone, lyrics
- Abraham Mazumdar - piano, violin
- Pradip "Bula" Chattopadhyay - bass guitar, flute
- Ranjon Ghoshal - lyrics, emcee, visuals, media relations
- Biswanath "Bishu" Chattopadhyay - drums, cello
- Tapas "Bapi" Das - voice, guitar
- Tapesh "Bhanu" Bandopadhyay - voice, guitar (till 1978)
Later Members:
- Raja Banerjee - Guitar (1978 onwards)
After Tapesh Bandopadhyay left the band in 1978, he was replaced by Raja Banerjee. Raja went on to record the third Moheen album Drishyomaan Moheener Ghoraguli with the band and performed in numerous concerts till the band was disbanded.
Original studio albums
- Shongbigno Pakhikul O Kolkata BishayakShongbigno Pakhikul O Kolkata BishayakShongbigno Pakhikul O Kolkata Bishayak was the first album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1977 as an Extended play 45 rpm disc by Gathani Records, and had four songs.-Track listing:1...
(1977), - Ajaana UDonto bostu ba Aw-Oo-BawAjaana UDonto bostu ba Aw-Oo-BawAjaana UDonto bostu ba Aw-Oo-Baw was the second album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1978 as a Standard Play 45 rpm disc by Hindusthan Records, and had two songs.-Track listing:1...
(1978), - Drishyomaan Moheener GhoraguliDrishyomaan Moheener GhoraguliDrishyomaan Moheener Ghoraguli was the third album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1979 as a Standard Play 45 rpm disc by Bharati Records, and had two songs.-Track listing:1. Ayee Surey Bohudurey* Lyrics: Tapas Das...
(1979),
Later albums
These were recorded by other artists.- Aabaar Bochhor Kuri PoreAabaar Bochhor Kuri PoreAabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore was a Bengali album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in the 1995 Kolkata Book Fair.It was not an original Moheen album, like earlier releases. It was released nearly twenty years after the last album by the group had been released.Many of the songs...
(1995), - Jhora Somoyer GaanJhora Somoyer GaanJhora Somoyer Gaan was a Bengali album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1996.-Track listing:#Manush Chena Dai - Subrata/Boni...
(1996), - MayaMaya (Bengali album)Maya was a Bengali album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1997.-Track listing:#"Hay Bhalobashi" - Raja/Boni/Rituparna/Gautam Chattopadhyay...
(1997), - Khyapar GaanKhyapar GaanKhyapar Gaan was the last album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in 1999. Their song "Tai Janai Gaaney " is based on the Jim Croce song "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song".-Track listing:# Shono Shudhijon - Krosswindz # Cricket - Arnob...
(1999) - Aabaar Bochhor Kuri PoreAabaar Bochhor Kuri PoreAabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore was a Bengali album of the Bangla band Moheener Ghoraguli. It was released in the 1995 Kolkata Book Fair.It was not an original Moheen album, like earlier releases. It was released nearly twenty years after the last album by the group had been released.Many of the songs...
extended CD re-release (1999), - Goutum - From The Live Performances Of Goutam Chattopadhyay
The details of the band is available at
www.mohinerghoraguli.com
Live performances
The original Moheen lineup performed consistently over the period 1976–1981 throughout the city of KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. Some of their notable performances were at:
- Jogesh Mime Academy (1977 and 1978)
- Star Theatre (1978)
- Max Mueller Bhavan (1979)
- Rabindra SadanRabindra SadanRabindra Sadan is a cultural centre and theatre in Calcutta, located near the Nandan cinema and cultural complex and the Academy of Fine Arts on AJC Bose Road in South Kolkata. Construction began on 5 August 1961 and ended October 1967...
(1979) - St. Paul's Cathedral (1980)
- Calcutta International Jazz Festival (1980)
- Calcutta School of Music (1981)
In 1995 Gautam Chattopadhay wanted to do first Bengali Song concert. He got immediate response from Jadavpur University Student's union. In march '95 when the inter college cultural festival was happening, Gautam was requested to do a live performance. He took the challenge and as usual, Bengal saw something which till date nobody ever dared to repeat "SOMO SAMAYIK BANGLA GANER CONCERT" at the Jadavpur University OAT.
All the new generation musicians who performed in the Abar Bochhor kuri poray album were given the opportunity to perform....
While the singers and musicians were enjoying the stage performing, at the back side, 6 huge canvas was kept and Bengal's one of the most famous contemporary painter was depicting the meaning of the songs live on the canvas.
Each of the Canvas later on was donated to Jadavpur University Student's Union with an autograph of Gautam and Rathin.
In this concert few members of Original Mohineer Ghoraguli was also present like Abraham Majumder with his young students of Kolkata Music Academy, Tapas Das, Pradip Chattopadhyay, and Raja Banerjee.
Monida's last live performance was at Kalyani University in Jan 1999, along with Subrata Ghosh of Garer Math, Neel, Bonny & Dwide of the then Krosswindz and the live sound mixing was done by Chhoton (founder member of Chandrabindo) a die-hard follower and inspirer of Subrata & Monida.
Tribute concerts
- First Rock Concert - Remembering Mohiner GhoraguliFirst Rock Concert - Remembering Mohiner GhoraguliThe First Rock Concert is a concert by the Bangla band, Moheener Ghoraguli who are touted as the first Indian rock band. The concert was performed at Ambedkar Bhavan, Bangalore on 17 February, 2007....
(2007) - Abar Bochhor Tirish Pore (2008)
- Monfokira and koushik(Prithibi) - Sangbigno Pakhikul & Nagar Sankirtan (2009). A tribute concert to Mohiner Ghoraguli
- Tribute to Mohiner Ghoraguli by Kolkata musicians 2010 at the Basement, Kolkata
Covers
Moheener Ghoraguli's music is till been covered immensely by Subrata Ghosh (Gorer Math) and also by a number of Bengali artists in the 1990s and 2000s, including Fossils
Fossils (band)
Fossils is a Bangla Rock band formed in Kolkata, West Bengal, India in 1998.The group is considered one of the pioneering rock acts in Kolkata's Bangla music scene....
, Chandrabindoo, Bhoomi
Bhoomi
Bhoomi is a music group based in Kolkata, India. They are a Bangla language band. In July 2006 they became the first Indian band to play at the United Nations.-Beginnings:...
, Krosswindz
Krosswindz
Krosswindz is a Classic Rock/folk-fusion band, based in Kolkata, India. They have played all over India and abroad, and have helped urbanize the folk music of Bengal and have tried to make it popular...
, Lakkhichhara and Insomnia
Insomnia (rock band)
Insomnia is a rock band based in Kolkata, West Bengal. The band's repertoire includes both English and Bangla songs. The band has an album each in English and Bangla . Insomnia is a rock band from Eastern India with bilingual repertoire...
and last but not the least Prithibi. Gaurab Chattopadhyay (Gabbu), son of Gautam, is a catalyst member/drummer of the Kolkata band Lakkhichhara. Koushik of Prithibi with Monfokira has organized an experimental concert on Shottorer Sohortolir gaan, an unreleased album of Moheener Ghoraguli, with the aim of taking their music forward.
In 2006, the original Moheener Ghoraguli song Prithibi ta naki was remade as Bheegi Bheegi by the music-director Pritam
Pritam
Pritam Chakraborty , better known as Pritam is a music director and composer from Kolkata who currently works in Bollywood, Mumbai.- Early life :...
Chakrabarty for the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
film Gangster which went on to become a chartbuster. The song was sung by Bangladeshi singer James of Nagar Baul fame. Prithibi ta naki was sung by Bonnie who is a founder member of Oikyotaan, a baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
fusion band based in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
.
9 January 2001 and 2002 Jadavpur University AISA organised Dariyay Ailo Tufan where all the contemporary Bangla bands performed in memory of Gautam Chattopadhyay
Gautam Chatterjee
Gautam Chattopadhyay was an Indian musician, singer, and one of the founding members and inspirational leader of the band Moheener Ghoraguli, which was formed in the 1975, arguably Bengal's and India's first band...
.
External links
- Moheener Ghoraguli homepage
- Interview with Abraham Mazumdar, former band member
- Interview with Ranjon Ghoshal and Sangeeta Ghoshal
- The Hindu's review of Bangalore's First Rock Concert
- Utkal Mohanty talks about Moheener Ghoraguli
- Former band member Bishu Chatterjee music
- Moheener Ghoraguli in Bollywood