Purbayan Chatterjee, Unbounded (Abaad) Review

Purbayan Chatterjee is a Mumbai-based prolific collaborator and virtuoso sitarist. Chatterjee is considered one of the finest Sitar players in Indian Classical music and has attained an extraordinary place among musicians and music lovers worldwide. Chatterjee belongs to the famous Senia Maihar Gharana, the school established by musical genius Baba Allauddin Khan, the guru of such stars as Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (He also studied with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan) on the sarod and sitar players Pandit Ravi Shankar and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee. Chatterjee performances include both North Indian raga music and the South Indian raga tradition. Chatterjee has designed the DWO, which is a Doppelganger of the Indian Sitar. The instrument celebrates the oneness of two by creating a sound where the acoustic and the digital, the ancient and the modern, the ethnic and the urban, the esoteric and the virtuosic, all complement each other and become one. His soulful and dexterous performances have evoked praise and admiration in various music festivals in India and abroad. He has performed in esteemed venues in his international career spanning 26 years. Chatterjee is now releasing his album of global music called Unbounded (Abaad).

Bottom Line:  Unbounded (Abaad) is seven songs being released on the UK-based, South Asian-focused music platform and label Sufiscore. Each collaboration is at heart a triumph in global music as Chatterjee, and various co-collaborators take the listener on an inspiring auditory journey. Each song is a celebration of collective energy as the musicians from around the world unit to form music that is communitive, relatable, and exciting. The opening selection, “Shanmukhapriya” – ‘The Mystic’ finds Chatterjee collaborating with jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez, mandolinist U. Rajesh, kanjira player V. Selvaganesh, and bassist Michael League (founder of Snarky Puppy). “This piece has a chant-like quality to it, and many of its language-less chorus lines are like sacred chants. I wanted to start this album on this note,” he explains, adding, “It’s like the entire universe was created out of the hum of the ‘music of the spheres. This album is a quest for a common musical consciousness which strings together many musical sensibilities into one pulse.” The music reflects not only Mahadevan’s mastery of Indian classical music but also what he calls “his love story with jazz” and his inquisitive approach to the music of all kinds. Chatterjee’s sitar playing and singing are emotive, and the ensemble works as a unit to build an emotional statement of East and West. The song form has multiple feels, and each player has their moment in the spotlight. Rashid Khan, Anat Cohen, Gary Husband, Michael League, and Pratibha Singh Baghel join Chatterjee for a delightful composition called “Intezaar (The Wait).” The ensemble blends a wealth of colors from the master musicians from around the world. Chatterjee explains, “I’m trying to create a sound that appeals to the greater diaspora, incorporating the nuances of Western harmony along with the embellishments and ornaments of Indian music in terms of my playing, my phrasing, my thinking.” That comes through on “Intezaar (The Wait)” with a beautiful blend of Eastern and Western sounds and instruments through a variety of sections, all framed with stirring male and female singing. The best of both worlds are coming together to lend their talent to crafting this album and thus creating this beautiful sonic composition brought to life with deep listening, musical understanding, and intense spirituality. Overall, Unbounded (Abaad) is a stylish, triumphant collaboration that imbues a sincerity of melding East and West in the highest form of artistry and comradery. That’s the short of it!

Connect with Purbayan Chatterjee: Website |