Indian steel guitarist Deepen Mallick has teamed with guitarist Tutul Ganguly to produce a new instrumental album. The album celebrates the 150th birthday of Bengali poet and musician Rabindranath Tagore, whose songs combined Indian classical and traditional folk music to bring a new dimension to Bengali music. The form, known as Rabindrasangeet, has become a distinctive school of music and cultural touchstone in West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Deepen has been playing steel guitar since his teens, and was the youngest steel guitarist to pass the All India Radio audition when he was 16. He stopped playing professionally to pursue a career in engineering, but always loved the sound of the instrument. As Deepen noticed the decline of steel guitar recordings in recent years, he decided to use this 150th birthday milestone to stimulate cultural interest in both the instrument and Tagore songs.
Deepen Mallick is joined on the album by his old friend Tutul Ganguly on guitars and electric bass, Subhas Mondal on synth keyboards, and several other musicians. The CD should be available on Amazon.com soon. You can hear excerpts of it online at WashingtonBanglaRadio.com.
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