Sourjyo Sinha and Rohit Ganesh are the Dindun duo from Kolkata who perform in Sylheti, Assamese, Bengali and English. The band will be in two venues in Bengaluru this month – on September 20 at The Raft with Alva Couto and on September 25 at the Bangalore International Centre with Sounds From The Library.
talking to the hindu Over the phone from Kolkata, Sourjya Sinha explains how Dindun took shape and credits its fans and well-wishers for its growth:
Positive Vibrations
“I’ve been writing songs and uploading them to SoundCloud since 2013, not many people knew about it because it took me time to build up my confidence,” says Sourjyo, who calls himself a “bedroom musician.”
He adds, “In 2016, a friend of mine who knew I wrote songs was organising a Sofar event in Kolkata and invited me to perform – that was my first event.”
That show inspired Sourjyo to form a band called Whale in the Pond shortly after. “We recorded an EP and released it, but most of the time the band members were busy with their own projects. However, one of them introduced me to Rohit.”
The meeting turned out to be a musical match made in heaven, as both Rohit and Sourjyo complemented each other. “Rohit has always been interested in production, mixing and the technical aspects of song-making. I write the lyrics and melody, and then present the songs in their original form. That’s how we work.”
Rohit Ganesh (left) and Sourjyo Sinha of Dindun | Photo courtesy: Special arrangement
The two worked together on a song called ‘Your Love Makes Me Dance’, which he released as a standalone video under his name on YouTube in 2018. “At that time, I was still making music, and our collaboration got stronger with ‘Your Love Makes Me Dance’. Rohit fills in the gaps in production that I cannot think of in a song. It is a fruitful partnership.”
He recorded four more songs in 2018 and renamed himself Dindun. “That’s the name my grandmother gave me when I was a child. The word has a musical quality like a bell,” says Sourjyo.
From boys to men
Sourjyo admits that in the initial years, both he and Rohit treated Dindun as a studio project. Rohit was working from Mumbai and Sourjyo was in Kolkata, both following their own professional paths. “When we needed a break from work, we would get together; we would make music for two months, release it and move on. Our aim was to keep it simple and not overthink our musical inclinations.”
With this simple approach, he released two E.P.s – dindun section 1 In 2018, after Dindun Volume 2 However, things changed when he won the Bengaluru-based Toto Music Award in 2023. Around the same time, a popular YouTube channel from Bangladesh covered his songs.
“Until then, we had never actively promoted our work or run a sustained social media campaign – our popularity was spread by word of mouth. Then we realised this could be a lot more serious than we were letting on.”
Dindon Volume 3 cover | Photo credit: Ruth Dhanraj
“That same year we were invited to perform at a music festival in Kolkata. We saw that our music was giving us something without us asking for anything. So we decided to treat it with more seriousness and honesty than ever before.”
The results can be seen clearly Dindun Volume 3This EP is crowdfunded and includes visuals and videos, and its recording and production quality is quite different from their previous releases.
Sourjyo said a five-member team will be working in Bengaluru – manager Adrija Mridul Majumdar, Saurish Mustafi who will design their cover art and social media, and Adrija Samal who will handle their videography and photography.
“This is the first time we’ve put our music out in a sustained, planned way. It was eight months of hard work that everyone contributed to; no amount of crowdfunding can make up for that. Everyone did it because they believed in it.”
“It was a way for us to give back, to show the people who supported us when we weren’t giving it as much importance that we can be better, we can do better,” Sourjyo says.
Adrija Mridul Majumdar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Thus, Dindon collaborated with Kolkata-based drummer Gaurav Chatterjee for ‘Chorali’, the first number of his latest EP. He was also in consultation with Bengaluru-based music consultancy company Neon Culture, which helped him plan the album cycle and more.
“Since we were initially studio-focused, we never wanted our work to be performance-based; we never thought about performing live. Hopefully over time we’ll be able to add a bass player and another musician who can play multiple instruments,” says Sourjyo.
more than words
Dindun Volume 3 This one is exclusively in the Sylheti language, a language spoken primarily in Assam, North Eastern India and Bangladesh, while the first two shows also had a mix of Assamese and Bengali. For his Bengaluru show, Dindun will be performing in all the above languages as well as English.
“I sing in Sylheti language which is spoken in the southern districts of Assam where I grew up. There is not much literature, music or films in Sylheti as it is a spoken language, not a written one,” explains Sourjyo.
“Singing in Sylheti is a way for me to claim my identity. I feel I belong here and I know where the words come from. Sadly, Bengali has engulfed the local languages and people who speak Sylheti are considered slang,” he adds, lamenting how the dominant languages overpower the local dialects and languages.
Sorish Mustafi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This is why Sourjyo felt a connection with the Bengaluru band Alva Kuto, with whom he will be performing. “I feel connected to Praveen, the founder of Alva Kuto, who works on stage. He sings in Tulu, another spoken language that is being weakened now, so they can make their mark.”
Sourjyo said that in this one-hour program, he will perform in Sylheti, Assamese, Bengali and English. In his first visit to India, he will stop in Mumbai and Delhi and then end his program in Kolkata.
Adrija Samal Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Dindun will play at The Raft on September 20, tickets available on Skillbox. With Sounds From The Library at Bangalore International Centre on September 25. Entry is free, but RSVP is required on the spot.
Published – September 19, 2024 01:09 PM IST
