Part of the band ‘Space’,Tritha has been singing since she was five years old! Navni Kumar attends the 20-something singer’s live performance at Delhi’s The Living Room Café and comes back entranced.
The usually buzzing atmosphere at The Living Room Cafe came to a halt on Friday as Tritha took the stage. Starting serenely with her Tibetan bowl, she managed to capture the attention of the entire restaurant, the echoing sound emanating as if marking the beginning of a sacred ritual.
She found this bowl in a little tourist shop in the hills. When she started playing it in the shop and singing along, the entire shop just stopped and listened. That’s when she decided to incorporate it in her music along with the tanpura.
Her mesmerising voice soon caught up with the sound bowl, singing in melodious Bengali – one of the seven languages Tritha sings in. French, Tamil, Hindi, English and Sanskrit are some of the others. Accompanied by Rishabh Shankar and then 2 french musicians Paul Schneiter on drums and Tony on bass, she moved on to faster, louder self compositions, completely transforming the ambiance to one of thumping energy and fervour. The performance was meant as a preview for her first album to be launched later this year.
Tritha has been singing since she was five years old. Her parents recognised her talent at an early age and encouraged her to get training in Indian classical music, which she followed religiously for 18 years in Kolkata and Chennai. Although she completed her degree in Mass Communication from St Xaviers Kolkata, she soon found herself plunging into a singing career.
In 2001, she won ‘Close-Up Antakshari’ and has never looked back since. She has also entered the Bollywood realm and sung along with the likes of Kunal Ganjiawala, Vasundhara Das, Abhijit, Sukhwinder Singh, Jaspinder Narula, Indian Idol Abhijeet Sawant and CHANNEL [V] popstars Viva and Aasma. When asked what made her decide to take up music as a profession, she says, “It is just because of how I feel when I sing and how the audience feels when I sing. If my music touches the hearts of even a few people, I have achieved a lot.”
As part of the band Space, Tritha sings about a variety of themes ranging from childhood stories to social issues. “Women are still not completely free in India and we’re using music as a medium to create awareness,” she says. Although she classifies her music under the ethno-grunge genre, the music varies between soft acoustics to hard, clubby beats. Her aim is to urbanise Indian classical music. The future for Tritha is all about “singing, making more people like me and to release my album.”
Apart from being a singer, Tritha is also a foodie. So much so that she sometimes clubs her concerts with cooking: sharing with people her passion for music and good food. Thai and Bengali are her favourites and the mustard salmon is a huge hit in her circle.
Tit Bits
Favourite dish: Chicken 65 from Swagath, uthappam and other South Indian food from Naivedyam and TLC (fried chicken) from TLR
Most wow moment during a performance: When I was singing a capella at an international school in France and a girl burst out crying. She didn’t know the language but the music reminded her of birds flying in the sky. It was one of those intense moments when she truly felt her music was received.
Most embarrassing moment: At a concert in Rishikhesh where my guitar string was not to be found. I had to haul in my suitcase for support, much to the amazement of the audience.
When not singing or cooking: I watch movies, look for good books to read, search for exotic destinations to visit
Musicians she looks up to: Sushila Raman, Bjork
Dream concert: More gastronomical affairs, combining good food and good music
Performance schedule
Upcoming events at TLR
Space at 1 Cafe Boulevard, Saket
Saturday, 28 January, 9pm – 12pm
Blue Frog
Wednesday, 29 February
Wills Lifestyle Fashion Week
February, 15th-20th
Tritha & Space at Gulmarg Festival
March 2012
Check the full page in Marie-Claire India where Tritha is considered as one amongst the ten most interesting young Indian women.
