Kendraka

Kendraka, is a Sanskrit word for the nucleus of an atom. This band is the nucleus of the world of creativity for the artists participating in this music project, especially that of the band leader, composer, arranger and bass player Mainak "Bumpy" Nag Chowdhury. This is perhaps India’s only Bass Guitar Trio, the lead instrument being Maitrayee and other electric basses. Kendraka is a project that was ideated by a patron and friend Tapan Desai - he also named the band after 18 months of its formation in July 2009. The band has been a cauldron or pool of creativity, where inspiration of the artists in the band have poured in and have under gone thematic metamorphosis, changing with the rapidly evolving city life in the home town Kolkata, India.

The Kendraka experience, takes one to the confluence of the different cultures - Hindustani & Carnatic classical music, hardcore rural folk of West Bengal, of that of Purulia and Bankura, the urban folk of Kolkata, Jazz, Rock, Blues, RnB and even integrating Indian classical dance form - Bharatanatyam, all of this set to the backdrop of the modern complex urban thematic metamorphosis with emphasis on spontaneity, improvisation and on the ever evolving "cosmopolitan" yet "root conscious Bengali-Indian" spirit. Kendraka often defies genre in their presentation of music. The audience and Press around the world calls it “Alt Jazz”, “Indian Jazz”, “Fusion” etc. Mainak “Bumpy” Nag Chowdhury, calls it “Contemporary Indian Music”. Thus, it's ever changing ... change is the only constant force in life.

Mainak "Bumpy" Nag Chowdhury (Maitrayee Basses, Electric Contra Bass guitar, Konnakol, Compositions, Arrangements)

Popularly known as "Bumpy", Mainak is a globetrotting artist, music director- composer-arranger and producer from Kolkata India. He is a disciple of Kalaimammani Awardee late R. Visweswaran, Mridangist Vidvaan S. Shekhar and Sarod maestro Pratyush Banerjee. He also learnt and performed under tabla maestro Pt Tanmoy Bose. Mainak has performed with Kendraka and other various artists in countries like China, Croatia, Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Germany, Malaysia, Nepal, Switzerland, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and United Arab Emirates apart from performing across the length and breadth of India.

In the years of his professional playing in studio and live sessions, he has played various styles ranging from Latin (Afro-Cuban, Brazilian), Pop, Rock, World music, World fusion, Progressive rock and Jazz, with some of the most sought-after performers of the country and abroad, with the likes of Pt. Chitresh Das, Grammy Nominee Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar, Vikku Vinayak ji, Ustad Rashid Khan, Grammy Nominee Pt. Debashish Bhattacharya, Adam Del Monte (USA), John MacLaughlin (USA),Valtihno Anatachio (Brazil), Matthias Mueller (Germany), Sabina Rakhcheyeva(Azerbaijan), to name a few. He is also one of the most sought after young music directors in the film world in Tollywood, or the film industry in West Bengal, India. He also currently performs with the cult vernacular rock band Cactus. He is also the designer and creator of his own signature series, patented Maitrayee Basses.

Ratul Shankar Ghosh (Percussion, Vocals)

Born in the Shankar family, Ratul was exposed to the various forms of Performing Arts at a very tender age. He has been touring with his illustrious parents Mamata Shankar and Chandrodoy Ghosh from the age of 2 years. Trained under Sri Tanmoy Bose, Ratul also has had the honour of performing in his World Music Project "TAAL TANTRA" and has been performing with the project for the last 15 years. He has also been a feature of various other World Music projects. While performing with "TAAL TANTRA" and other various projects, Ratul has had the Privilege to perform with the Maestros namely Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Taufique Quereshi, Selvaganesh, Pt. Tejendra Narayan Mazumdar, Pt. Bickram Ghosh, Pete Lockett, Tilmann Dienhart, Niladri Kumar, Carl Peters, Ranajit Sengupta, Wolfgang Netzer, Anusheh Anadil , Soweto Kinch, Jesse Bannister to name a few, Ratul has also scored the music for various Plays and Dance Productions. He recently made a debut as a Music Director in the much acclaimed feature film “Antarleen” in 2016.

Gaurab Chatterjee "Gaboo" (Drums, Dubki, Konnakol)

Gaurab "Gaboo" Chatterjee is a drummer and a composer based out of Kolkata, India. He has been associated with the Kolkata based rock band, Lakkhichhara, since its inception having released 5 studio albums with the band. Gaurab has been associated with the critically acclaimed alt jazz fusion line up Kendraka since 2012. Gaurab has been a part of the Live Album "Live At No Black Tie". Gaurab has toured all over the country with Kendraka as well as in Malaysia, Japan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Germany and Switzerland. Having played in jazz clubs like "Bird's Eye Jazz Club"(Basel) and "No Black Tie" (Kuala Lumpur) Gaurab also works as composer and a music director for Bengali films.

He has worked in films like Kagojer Bou (2011), Necklace(2011), Elar Char Adhyay (2012), Damadol (2013), Swabhumi (2013), Nayika Sangbad (2013), Britto (2014), Sohra Bridge (2016). Gaurab also composes music for jingles and has worked as a music director/composer for different artists. Gaurab also works as a session’s drummer having performed with artists like Bickram Ghosh, Purbayan Chatterjee, Kala Ramnath, Subhen Chatterjee, Debashish Bhattacharya. He is a part of Pandit Tanmoy Bose 's Taaltantra He has been a part of a project called Beat Goes Bach in Kuala Lumpur with classical pianist Mei lin HII. He is also a part of two Indo Australian avant garde projects called "The Three Seas" and "Hatchlings".

Bodhisattwa Ghosh (Electric Guitar, Compositions)

A disciple of Indian Guitar legend Amyt Datta, Bodhisattwa is essentially a Blues musician who is constantly looking to stretch the boundaries of music. An endorsee of Fender Guitars, USA and Ernie Ball Guitar Strings, USA, he has worked as a guitar player/composer since 2002 and played in major venues/festivals across the globe including National Theatre, Oslo (Norway), San Jose Mc Energy Convention Centre (USA), Bird’s Eye Jazz Club, Basel (Switzerland), Blue Frog, Mumbai (India), Ravi Shankar Institute of Performing Arts, New Delhi (India), Goethe Institute (Kolkata), Russian Cultural Centre (Dhaka) etc. to name a few and collaborated with reputed musicians from around the world.

Bodhisattwa has been an integral part of critically acclaimed Ethno-Jazz outfit “Kendraka”, and Electronic/Alternative outfit “Zoo”. Apart from his instrumental Jazz Rock Trio “The Bodhisattwa Trio” with whom he has 2 albums “Heart of Darkness” and “Intersections”, Bodhisattwa is currently a part of veteran vernacular Rock band “Lakkhichhara” and Grammy Award winning Tabla Player Pt. Tanmoy Bose’s World Music outfit “Taal Tantra”.