India and Pakistan share a rich heritage in music; this bond just became stronger after Bombay-based singer Sharmistha Chatterjee joined Pakistan's popular Mekaal Hasan Band as lead vocalist.
The band's classical fusion renditions are both soothing and stirring, which makes them cater to a global audience.
Talking to Sharmistha is an insightful experience as she opens up about her life. Her early training in music came in Calcutta under the mentorship of Hindustani Classical musician
K.C Lahiri.
"My father used to recite 'Rabindra Sangeet' at home. He noticed an early spark in me towards music and encouraged me to follow suit. He ensured my training was strong enough and sent me under the tutelage of K.C Lahiri," she said.
She started at the tender age of five and feels her strong classical beginning has helped her sing various genres with ease.
For Sharmistha, life revolves around music; she listens to a wide variety of music - jazz, classical, world folk, all of which add a unique and rich personality to her own music.
"I love music from all around the world. I am inclined to picking up different singing styles and languages," says Chatterjee.
Along with this, she says listening to live music performances inspire her. "Being able to perform effortlessly and perfectly during a live performance is the biggest achievement for a musician," she added.
Recently, she replaced Pakistani singer Javed Bashir as a vocalist in Pakistan's Mekaal Hasan Band. Talking about her experience, she said, "Both Mekaal Hasan and Ahsan Papu are very
experienced, established, skilled and soulful musicians. They are also great human beings to work with. It has been a great learning process for me".
Sharmistha started off working with Mekaal Hasand Band when they were recording their new album Andolan. The album is a mix of alternative rock, jazz and fusion music. It is a collaborative, first of a kind effort between Indian and Pakistani musicians.
The musician is also open to Bollywood projects but does not want to get lost in the crowd of non-experimental tunes.
