Bijoy Chowdhury
Bijoy Chowdhury graduated from the Government College of Art and Craft, Calcutta, 1987 – now working as a visual communicator and photographer. He has been honored twice with the Commonwealth Photography Award and has received the National Geographic Traveler Photo Award. International photography magazine PRIVATE published his portfolio twice. His work has been exhibited and acclaimed in India, London, Amsterdam, Sweden, China and Japan. Govt. of India honored him with the National Senior Fellowship in Photography. Now he continues to work on several long-term photo-projects of socio-economic interest.
Music is second to none to bring about festive mood and pleasantries under any circumstances.
So it has always been an enthusiasm to any person to become more cheerful during a particular time.
In connection with this thought, in the past bandwallahs (also known as Tasa Party in common parlance) were, among others, most prolific entertainers without whom any festive or social event like wedding would not have any charm.
An inevitable part of Kolkatas most popular culture for a pretty long time, today its miserable conditions has put them on the brink of annihilation under the impact of glitz and glamour in the field of musical entertainment.
Mostly they are found along M. G. Road and College Street(known as book lover’s paradise) in the Kolkata city.
At present their diminishing fate supported by extreme poverty robbing us off a most entertaining era in the field of old cultural ethos.
Bandwallahs – the disappearing tradition bearers of the Baboo-era of Kolkata and beyond.
A community on the verge of extinction.
A culture – at its end.
The Bandwallahs of Kolkata.
kaj ta dekhe mon bhore galo. ei art ta aste aste extinct hote cholechhe