Nachiketa Live: The artiste brings Kolkata to Dhaka
This Friday was a nostalgia trip for music enthusiasts as Nachiketa Chakraborty, one of the icons of Bangla music graced Dhaka with his performance
Amidst the suffocation of constant blockades and strikes, 10 November came as a little respite. On this Friday, half the town attended the Coke Studio open-air concert in Army Stadium and, it seems, the remaining concertgoers went to see Nachiketa Chakraborty Live in Dhaka at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB), Farmgate.
Organised by 'Aajob Karkhana' and 'Aajob Records;' the show titled 'Tirishe Nachiketa – Nachiketa Live in Dhaka with Joy Shahriar' celebrated the musical artiste's entry into the fourth decade of his journey. For attendees, it was an especially nostalgic day.
It was also a celebration of three beautiful and melodic decades with music where he voiced songs like 'Nilanjona,' 'Ek Din Shopner Din,' 'Briddhasrom' and many others.
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Over the past decade, the Kolkata-based singer Nachiketa has collaborated on multiple songs in Bangladesh with Joy Shahriar. You may remember Joy through his very famous 2009 track 'Shotti Bolchi' from the eponymous album. Nachiketa celebrated his 30 years with music in Kolkata recently. In light of that, Joy took up the initiative to celebrate the same occasion in Dhaka.
Although the show began a full hour late, at around 7:30 PM, what followed the delay was worth it. Singer-songwriter Joy headlined the show, beginning with the track 'Ashtei Hobe,' strongly reminiscent of band music in the noughts.
Joy faced a tough crowd earlier in his set but after a few songs, as he began 'Shotti Bolchi,' everyone cheered. With this, he left the stage for Nachiketa or Nachi Da, as he is called lovingly.
In all honesty, there's no need to reintroduce Nachiketa – good wine needs no bush. Through his lyrics that reflect strong social commentary, coupled with resonating vocals, the musician made his mark in the realm of Bangla music quite early in his career.
Some credit him for the timeless 'Nilanjona' and the later renditions of the song that followed or for his music direction in the Tollywood movie 'Hothat Brishti.' He's well known for numerous collaborations with other veterans of Bangla music like Kabir Suman and Anjan Dutta, etc as the list goes on.
On Friday, the 52-year-old musician performed with the same fervour and energy that we've been experiencing for as long as we remember. He not only did a 15-song set, but he joked away, stopping songs and between them, causing the entire crowd to immerse in hearty laughter.
The crowd predominantly consisted of the 40-over-year demographic. Nachiketa joked about everything and anything. Signs of ageing may well have appeared in him but his wit and humour are still going strong.
The experience of listening to Nachiketa felt like a slice of Kolkata here in our backyard. Some songs were downright flavoured with Salsa and Latin music.
The crowd constantly requested him to perform most of his better known songs but he wanted to sing some lesser performed songs. One audience member addressed him as Toton Da. "How do you know that name?" Nachiketa asked, surprised. That's the kind of love he receives wherever his music reaches.
Some popular tracks he performed were 'Antabihin Path Cholai Jibon,' 'Bhoboghure,' 'Dekhe Jao,' 'Agunpakhi,' 'Jokhon Shomoy Thomke Thake,' 'Rajosri Tomar Jonno,' 'Prithibi Abar Shanto Hobe' and of course 'Briddhasrom.'
'Ichhe,' 'Hoyto Tomari Jonne,' 'Bhebe Dekhecho Ki,' 'Dekhey Jao,' 'Din Sheshe Ratri Ashe' were his lesser-known tracks.
Before coming to the stage to perform the most anticipated song of the night: 'Nilanjona', he left the stage to rest and allow his fellow instrumentalists and backing vocals to carry on for him. To the audience's surprise, his instrumentalists too could sing just as well as he.
Rupak, the crew's lead guitarist performed 'Feriwala,' showing off his excellent guitar-playing skills. Then Argho, the one on the keys, performed one of the renditions of 'Nilanjona' that was greatly reminiscent of Consuelo Velasquez's 1941 Spanish song 'Bésame Mucho' (Kiss Me a Lot).
After their brief but powerful performance, Nachiketa resumed the stage and performed the fourth rendition of 'Nilanjona,' essentially keeping the audience on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the original track. At long last, he began 'Nilanjona.'
Nachiketa held out the mic to the audience to sing the final chorus of the song and exited while the audience members were still singing and the other musicians were still playing. An enthralling performance, one should take lessons in showmanship from this great musician.
