The best thing about women breaking the glass ceiling to venture into male-dominated fields is the fearless novelty they bring. And it's always a delight to watch them own that space in their own unique ways. If not for that, would we have ever known that heavy metal music and sarees can go hand in hand with panache? Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar has shown us that it's possible. Playing a cover of Sea Of Lies by American metal band Symphony X on her bass guitar, Dastidar in her elegant Bengali saree fuses traditional Indian and Western metal.
What may seem like polar contrasts to some has been pulled off with such natural ease by Dastidar that makes it look as if heavy metal music was meant to be played in sarees. Even more charming is the thorough enjoyment with which she can be seen jamming to the music on her guitar, which is sure to get smiles breaking and feet tapping.
Watch the video posted on Twitter After Mohini Dey, this is another jaw dropping Bengali lady bassist. Sea of lies by Symphony X. Bass Cover by Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar pic.twitter.com/3yXIymtqqS
— Sashi Wapang (@sashiwapang) October 4, 2020
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Who Is Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar?
Dastidar is a 20-something bass guitarist hailing from Bandel, West Bengal. Her journey in music began at the age of five, with formal training in Indian Classical music. As per Insider, Dastidar was previously a participant in Zee Bangla's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in 2015 and was one of the top 5 finalists.
Despite being relatively new to being a bass guitarist, Dastidar has performed at live shows and has a YouTube channel to her name. She draws inspiration chiefly from her father, who is himself versed in playing the bass guitar, among other notables in the field like Jaco Pastorius, Melvin lee Davis, and even Mohini Dey.
Mohini can be seen as a contemporary of Dastidar, who she has in fact been likened to in the tweet above. Daughter of bass player Sujoy Dey, Mohini, at 23 years of age, is one of the world's youngest bass guitarists. She is known as somewhat of a prodigy in music circles, having already played at various shows, on Coke Studio, and through collaborations with stalwarts like AR Rahman, Ranjit Barot, Zakir Hussain, and Selva Ganesh.
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Women Breaking New Ground On Internet
The internet has been a big booster for women to showcase their talents and reclaim online spaces with confidence. Last week, the internet was wowed by another such saree-clad woman named Eshna Kutty, a flow artist, whose video had gone viral. It showed the 23-year-old hula hooping in a saree and sneakers to the tunes of Sasuraal Genda Phool from Delhi-6.
Labelling it the #SareeFlow movement, Kutty made an attempt at liberating women from the stress that wearing sarees brings. It was a young take on a traditional attire, adding some spunk and lightness to it. Now with Dastidar's video also readily communicating the versatility of wearing sarees, it looks like young women are increasingly finding comfort in an exciting cross-cultural fusion space.
Views expressed are the author's own.
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