Dindun brings the sounds of Sylheti to Bengaluru this weekend

Dindun, a Kolkata-based duo, will be in town this week and the next. A look at what they bring to Bengaluru’s soundscape

Sourjyo Sinha and Rohit Ganesh are Dindun, a Kolkata-based duo who perform in Sylheti, Assamese, Bengali and English. The band will be at two venues in Bengaluru this month — at The Raft with Alva Kuuto on September 20, and with Sounds from the Library at Bangalore International Centre on September 25.

Talking to The Hindu over phone from Kolkata, Sourjya Sinha shares how Dindun shaped up and credits their fans and well-wishers for their growth:

A self-confessed “bedroom musician”, Sourjyo says, “I’ve been writing songs since 2013 and uploading them on SoundCloud, not too many people were aware of it because it took time to build my confidence.”

He adds, “In 2016, a friend of mine who knew I wrote songs, was organising the Sofar event in Kolkata and invited me to perform — that was my first gig ever.”

That show propelled Sourjyo to form a band shortly after, called Whale in the Pond. “We recorded an EP and put it out, but for the most part, band members were busy with individual projects. However, one of them introduced me to Rohit.”

That meeting proved to be a musical match made in heaven, as both Rohit and Sourjyo brought complementing assets to the table. “Rohit has always been into producing, mixing and the technical aspects of song-making. I bring songs in their skeletal form, after writing the lyrics and tunes. That’s how we work.”

The duo collaborated on a song titled ‘Your Love Makes Me Dance’, which they released in 2018, on YouTube as a standalone video under their own names. “At the time, I was still churning out music, and our collaboration strengthened with ‘Your Love Makes Me Dance’. Rohit fills those gaps in production that I cannot ideate in a song. It’s a fruitful partnership we share.”