By Parveen Chopra, IANS
New York : The noted Bengali fusion singer Isheeta Ganguly launched her new album here Tuesday.
Titled “Nutan Joubaneri Duth” (Call of the Young), it includes some popular, inspirational Tagore songs about rejuvenation, courage and reinvention.
The album is Ganguly’s interpretation of Rabindrasangeet through her influences in jazz, gospel and pop.
Eleven of the 12 numbers in the album have been sung by Ganguly and one by her guru, Suchitra Mitra, a veteran Rabindrasangeet exponent.
The album was launched by the Indo-American Arts Council at Sundaram Tagore Gallery. Ganguly sang three numbers to the delight of an audience of about 50.
This is Ganguly’s fifth album and first with Saregama, which is distributing it in India as well as internationally. It was earlier launched in Kolkata.
When asked why she was releasing the album in America, Mumbai-based Ganguly told IANS that her music is “not for Bengalis alone”. She is trying to expand the horizons of Rabindrasangeet to make it accessible to a wider audience. Her forthcoming album in collaboration with the percussionist Tanmoy Bose will even have songs in English besides Bengali.
Kolkata-born Ganguly’s predilection for fusion stems from musical influences received while growing up in the US, Turkey, Japan and Indonesia, countries where her father’s job with an oil company took the family.
As a teenager Ganguly went back to Kolkata to train in Rabindrasangeet. Since her first album released at age 15, she has performed Rabindrasangeet widely in Kolkata and the US.
She gained proficiency in Western style of singing by training at Lincoln Centre in New York City with Nancy Wilson, a legendary jazz singer.
Her eclectic musical background has given her a chance to collaborate on some prestigious international multimedia projects.
The 33-year-old works as a management consultant in public health in Mumbai and considers New York her second home.