Kabir n’ Shiba : Shohore 25 (25 in the City)

Tucked away in a quiet neighbourhood of south Kolkata is a small cafe called Abar Boithok. Besides serving patrons with beverages and snacks, the elegantly simple place provides a space for small musical groups to perform. It was in this fashion that Abar Boithok hosted the duo Kabir n’ Shiba for a special show named ‘Shohore 25’.

The duo is famous for their simple and beautiful songs. Kabir Chattopadhyay’s profound lyrics and soulful singing are perfectly coloured by Shibashish Banerjee’s brilliant compositions on the keyboards, creating an endearing and fragile enchantment which touches the heart of anyone who hears them. They had released an album named Shohore Ekush, talking about the life of a 21 year old living in the city of Kolkata. Four years later, at the age of 25, they reunited for a concert, aptly named ‘Shohore 25’, on 7th August 2016, at the aforementioned venue. The gig also featured Surjo on electric guitar.

Now a question might arise as to what was so special about this show? Shiba had written a letter dedicated to a former lover, who had left him. It was written in a period of confusion, agony and inner turmoil. This letter of pain was the protagonist of the show. Upon reading Shiba’s letter, Kabir created lyrics out of thin air, describing precisely what Shiba was feeling at that time. The lyrics that came out were so uncannily truthful that perhaps he expressed it better than Shiba could. This gave birth to new songs and eventually the experimental concert : a tale of song and story through the eyes of a letter.

Such a show has probably never been done before. This new venture of expression is however, “Not here to impress, but to express. To communicate, not preach.”, as Shiba put it. Their set started with the likes of ‘Chinno Bhinno Tukro’ (Shattered Pieces), ‘Anwesha’ and ‘Kothao Udhao Hoye Jai’ (Let’s Disappear Somewhere). Snippets of the letter was being read at the beginning of each song, introducing the mood and the circumstances behind the song. The great, melancholic troubadour Leonard Cohen was remembered through their bangla version of his iconic ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’.

The concert was very similar to a shrutinatok (play featuring only dialogues). The letter was the director and the songs were the actors, orchestrated by the whims of the director. The background of the play was a solid, rhythmic soundscape created by Surjo and Shiba. Rich and melodic, they did not allow a moment’s respite. It was a musical treat in and out. The song ‘Aar Dekha Hobe Ki’ (Will We Meet Again) was characterized by an aggressive tune. The intense solo hardly reached its climax, when suddenly it was seared up by the knife-cutting words of Kabir, delivered in a voice flooded with emotion.

Lyrics are the focal point of Kabir n’ Shiba’s compositions, but that day, lyrics took a side role. There was only emotion, which Shiba’s nearly watery-eyes screamed out! The words acted as the perfect medium for the expression of that emotion, inherently human as well as inhuman. The love which we feel makes us human, but the tearing up of one’s heart at losing a love is absolutely inhuman. The only truth that Shiba could utter in a breaking voice was “Bhulte parchi na. (I can’t forget)” before going into the song ‘Ami Tomaay Bhalobashi’ (I Love You).

The concert was of a very personal nature. It was a piece of Shiba’s life that was up on display. I will not be doing justice to it if I attempted to analyze it. All I know is that it touched me and probably most of the people present there, for at some point in our lives, we do go through such an experience. I had to just go back in time and memory and relive those periods. They had pointed out the path. But the thing which remained with me was an endearing statement by an audience member, “Bhalobeshe lekh. Bhalobashbo tahole. (“Write with love. Then, you will be loved.)”

Images Courtesy : Artist

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Ideating on music, travel, life and imagination. From Kolkata, India.

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