CALCUTTA EXPRESS AUSTRALIA 2017
Calcutta Express plays a fusion of Bengali folk/Indian classical and Afro-Brazilian idioms. India-based santoor master Sandip Chatterjee first collaborated with guitar virtuoso and composer Guy Strazz in India in 2004. The outcome was the album
Calcutta Express. Released in 2006, the album was second place finalist in the Indie Acoustic Project Awards (US) for “Best CDs of 2006” in the World Beat Asia Category. After a long hiatus filled by tours, recordings and PhD, Guy and Sandip will reunite for an Australian tour in 2017. They are thrilled to be joined by talented Indonesian-born pianist/keyboardist Wendy Anggerani and Indian-born Maharshi Raval on tabla, Dhol, Dholak and Pakhawaj; now both living in Australia.
BACKGROUND
Sandip Chatterjee and I co-founded Calcutta Express in 2004. The group included percussionists Biplab Bhattacharya and Somnath Roy, as well as guest singer and film director Sushishree Roy. Prior to this I had collaborated with several Indian musicians, including the late Pt. Ashok Roy – disciple of Ali Akbar Khan – and Jaipur guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt; best known for his work with Ry Cooder on the album Meeting by the River.
Playing with the Calcutta Express group in India was an exciting personal and professional experience for me because Indian music was and continues to be an influence on some of my work as a composer and instrumentalist. I enjoyed the process of this collaboration, the synergy between the musicians and the making of special friendships and music. I like to thank the Australia Council for the Arts for supporting the initial stage of this project. I am also very pleased to be associated with Underscore Records, the brainchild of master vocalist Shubha Mudgal and tabla maestro Aneesh Pradhan.
Calcutta Express
Veena Deeveena
Yoga
Heaven 7