‘Mesmeric’ is the word that springs to mind when one hears the dusky tones and throbbing intensity of Tritha Sinha’s voice as she raises the pitch with a traditional raaga or tips the scale with a psychedelic rock. At home with Indian classical music as she is with Bjork and Janis Joplin or Aretha Franklin, Tritha has forged her own unique inclusive sound, gaining critical and popular acclaim the world over with her focus on women’s issues, adding a different dimension to it. In fact, her songs were included by Magnum Agency, France last year for their movies on ‘Women Changing India’ as well as a documentary for the UN ‘Dawn of Hope’.
To have managed a global recognition on both fronts is a matter of pride for this Bengali artiste who has struggled through a gamut of harassment and discrimination. Her journey from the classical to the punk rock finds its genesis in her wanting to break free from these shackles.”I am essentially an Indian classical singer who has been practising for the last 25 years. However, over a decade ago, I began experimenting with fusion music and wrote my first solo album, (a non-classical) ‘PaGLi’(2014) about five years ago. It’s about a mad woman who wants to find her freedom and break free from the traditional shackles that a woman is subjected to in India. My detour has helped on two fronts. One: it has helped to bring Indian classical music to the youth of the world, and secondly, it has empowered me as a woman,” explains Tritha who is channeling her music through her co-founded collective S.P.A.C.E. to encourage women artistes to come out and express themselves in the performing arts. Her forthcoming video album ‘Kali’s Forests’ serves to highlight domestic violence. “’Fish market’ from the ‘PaGLi’ album talked about corruption and my forthcoming album will address issues about the environment,” informs this artiste who divides her time between Delhi and Paris.
‘PaGLi’ was also to mark the beginning of her songwriting career, and in the process, the formation of her French psychedelic/fusion rock band ‘Tritha Electric’. Drummer Paul Schneiter, who has partnered with her to form PaGLi Records, Tony Guinard (bass) and Mathias Durand (electric guitar) have joined forces with Tritha to play their signature style of an explosive blend of psychedelic rock, wowing audiences the world over including those at the recent Asia Music Festival in Malaysia and Womex in Budapest. They are are now investing their collective talents in the second album. “It will have some poetry, some traditional music and some band compositions,” reveals Tritha, an instrumentalist herself who plays the Tibetan singing bowl, the tanpura and the guitar. Beyond the band, Tritha has recorded several other albums as well and partnered with some of the best names in the music industry.
The appeal of Titha’s music lies in its conglomeration of various influences. “I am influenced by root music – tribal and folk music, Indian classical, western jazz, psychedelic and all these in turn reflect in the creation of a different type of music. ‘Rangamati’ is a classic example where tribal African musical influences are incorporated to underline the passion and redness of the earth,” she avers.
Indebted to Dr Subodh Kerkar and Dr Sunny Sandhu for inviting her to perform at MOG museum recently, Tritha hopes to return to Goa for an encore.
