Rock music of West

Bengal

Rock music of West Bengal originated in Kolkata,

West Bengal, India. The first known Bengali rock
band, and India's first rock band, was Moheener
Ghoraguli.[1][2][3] In modern times, in this type of
music distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, and
drums are used, sometimes accompanied with
pianos and keyboards. In early times the
instruments used in modern times were also
accompanied by saxophone, flute, violin and bass
violin.
 Music of West Bengal

Baul Song Performing in Birbhum, West Bengal

Genres

Classsical · Rock

Specific forms

Religious music Kirtan · Shreekrishna Kirtana

· Shyama Sangeet · Patua
Sangeet

Ethnic music Agamani-Vijaya · Baul ·

Bhatiali · Bhawaiya · Dhamail
· Gombhira · Kavigan

Traditional music Rabindra Sangeet · Nazrul

Geeti · Baul · Shyama
Sangeet · Moheener
Ghoraguli

Media and performance

Music media Radio

Akashbani · 106.4 FM Radio Gold ·
Radio Mirchi
 Television

DD Bangla · Sangeet Bangla

Internet

http://allindiaradio.gov.in/Default.aspx

Regional music

Related areas Bengal

Other regions Bangladesh

v ·t ·e
 Bengali rock in India
Stylistic origins Rock and roll, electric blues,
folk music, country, blues

Cultural origins 1960s-1970s, West Bengal

(India), Tripura (India) and
Assam (India)

Typical instruments Vocals, electric guitar,

bass guitar, drums,
synthesizer, keyboards

Derivative forms Bengali language and

rock music

Subgenres

Alternative rock – art rock – baroque pop – beat music –

Britpop – emo – experimental rock – garage rock –
glam rock – grindcore – Group Sounds – grunge –
hard rock – heartland rock – heavy metal –
instrumental rock – indie rock – jangle pop – krautrock –
madchester – post-Britpop – power pop –
progressive rock – protopunk – psychedelia – punk rock –
rock noir – soft rock – southern rock – surf –
symphonic rock
(complete list)

F i
 Fusion genres

Aboriginal rock – Afro-rock – Anatolian rock –

bhangra rock – blues rock – country rock –
flamenco-rock – folk rock – funk rock – glam punk –
indo-rock – industrial rock – jazz fusion – pop rock –
punta rock – raga rock – raï rock – rap rock – rockabilly –
rockoson – samba-rock – space rock – stoner rock –
sufi rock
Regional scenes

West Bengal, Bangladesh (Bangladeshi rock)

Other topics

backbeat – rock opera – Bengali band – hall of fame –

social impact

History
Origin (1960s-1970s)

Bengali rock in Kolkata originated when the first

band Moheener Ghoraguli was formed and played
in many concerts. The band was inspired by Bob
Dylan and many other western artists. Their music
was a mixture of a wide variety of influences,
including the Baul and folk traditions of Bengali
and rock.

Emergence (1990s)

Most of the Bengali rock bands in Kolkata were

formed after the 1990s. The bands in this era
started using many types of effects like distortion,
wah wah, flanger, phaser, and delay in their music.

Krosswindz, a Bengali rock band based in Kolkata,

India, was formed in 1990, and have played all over
India and abroad, helping to urbanize and
popularize the rock music of Bengal. Krosswindz
have recorded ten albums, the highest number
ever recorded by a Kolkatan rock band. The
legendary Bengali rock band Abhilasha was also
formed during this period. Their first album, a
mixture of delightful rock and melody, was
released by the original band members in 1997.
Many bands like Bhoomi, Cactus, Parash Pathar,
Chandrabindoo, Hip Pocket, Fossils, and
Lakkhichhara were formed later in this era. Fossils
and Cactus have also brought Bengali metal into
this era. Both Fossils and Cactus are regarded as
the best Bengali hard rock bands, and they have
toured all over India and abroad. All their albums
and singles have been successful.

In 1994, the opening of Someplace Else (a pub

which also hosts live music) changed the rock
scene in Kolkata. Now it hosts live music for
approximately nine hours every night.

New millennium (2000s)

Many bands formed in the 2000s were influenced

by guitar-heavy music. As metal became popular
in the 2000s, many bands like Insomnia, Agnish,
Alienz, Crossroads, and Underground Authority
started playing heavy metal and alternative music.
Chronic Xorn was the first band from Kolkata to
record a heavy metal album. Death Destruction
Sermon is their latest album, released in 2010, it
consists of six tracks, and the full-length version of
the album is 25 minutes 45 seconds.[4]

As computer technology became more accessible

and music software advanced in the 2000s, it
became possible to create high quality music
using little more than a single laptop computer.
This resulted in a massive increase in the amount
of home-produced electronic music available to
the general public via the expanding internet. Many
underground metal bands like Nitric Dreams and
Crystal and the Witches from Kolkata also started
recording and releasing singles on their blogs.

To encourage the Bengali rock scene, the Bangla

Rock Magazine was started on July 3, 2013,
covering exclusively Bengali rock.
2014 marked the emergence of new bands like
Blood, Delete, Revolution, Cross Chords (First
Experimental Band in Bengal), Dialect, Road Roller,
Alo, Mysterious M, and Adhyay. After, 2015
Corridors and Shuktara came up with their new
sound in the Bangla rock scene, "funk rock."

In 2017 Sanket released their album called

Biplab.They are doing "grunge core" in kolkata or
entire west bengal.Sanket's guitarist Tana have a
big contribution to this band.Heavy distortion,fast
melodic solos,off count riifs are the significance of
Sanket..

Popular bands
Popular bands from Kolkata:
 Year
Band name Genre Language
formed

Moheener
1970 Bengali rock Bengali
Ghoraguli

1990 Abhilasha Bengali rock Bengali

Bengali,
1990 Krosswindz Bengali rock, fusion
English

1991 Chandrabindoo Bengali rock Bengali

1992 Cactus Bengali rock, hard rock Bengali

Bengali,
1998 Fossils Bengali rock, hard rock, metal
English

1998 Kalpurush Bengali rock Bengali

1999 Bhoomi Bengali folk Bengali

1999 Lakkhichhara Bengali rock Bengali

2000 Charondol Alternative rock Bengali

2000 Eeshaan New Age Bengali rock, Bengali rap rock, hip hop, dance rock Bengali

The Missing
2000 Bengali rock Bengali
Link

2001 Prithibi Bengali rock Bengali

Escape Bengali, Hindi,

2001 Classic Heavy Metal Rock
Velocity English

2002 Deenga

English,
2002 Insomnia Bengali rock, alternative
Bengali

2002 Maadal [5] All women Bengali folk band (Sarmistha Chatterjee and others) Bengali

2004 Agnish Bengali rock, New Age rock, hard rock, rock n roll Bengali

2005 Rikterskale Bengali hard rock Bengali

Bengali,
2006 Alienz Bengali rock, progressive metal
English, Hindi

Bengali,
2006 Atmahatya Bilingual Metal, Bengali Metal, Death Metal, Groove Metal
English

2006 Kanvas Alternative rock, folk rock Bengali, Hindi

2006 Pinknoise Experimental rock, alternative rock English

2006 Prachir Alternative metal, hard rock Bengali

2006 Pseudonym Alternative rock, hard rock English

2007 Chronic Xorn Metal, metalcore English

Five Little
2007 Alternative rock English
Indians

2007 The Svitch Classic rock, rock n roll, blues, pop rock, country English [6]
2008 Calcutta Blues Bengali rock Bengali

Underground Hindi, English,

2010 Alternative rock, rap rock, hard rock
Authority Bengali

Bengali, Hindi,
2010 Half Major Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Progressive Metal
English

Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock, Hard Rock, Groove Rock, Folk, Bengali, Hindi,
2010 The Grooverz
Progressive Rock, Alternative Metal English

2011 Blood Bengali heavy metal Bengali

2011 Fakira Bengali folk rock Bengali

Bengali, Hindi,
2012 Redemption Alternative and Progressive Rock Band, Kolkata
English

Bengali, Hindi,
2012 Delete Progressive rock/metal, hard rock
English

2012 Prohor Bangla rock Bengali

Smooth
2012 Bengali Heavy Metal & Alternative Bengali
Distortion

Cross Theory - Progressive Experimental, Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Metal, Blues, Bengali, Hindi,
2013
India Fusion, Experimental Electronic Music English

Bengali, Hindi,
2013 Reboot Alternative
English

Pata R
2014 Folk Rock, Hard Rock, Bengali Rock Bengali
Moruddyan

2014 Alo Bengali folk rock, alternative rock Bengali, Hindi

Metalloidz - Bengali, Hindi,

2014 Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, Fusion
India English

Bengali,
2014 Jack Frost Indian rock
English

2015 Adhyay Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Bangla rock Bengali

Alternative Rock, Experimental Rock, Hard Rock, Groove Rock, Folk,

2016 Shuktara Bengali, Hindi
Progressive Rock, Alternative Metal

2016 Goshai Gang Bengali rock n roll Bengali

Folk Band
2017 Bengali Folk Bengali
Proyas

See also
Bangladeshi rock
 Indian rock

References
1. "A five man musical journey of countless Miles" .
The Times of India. Jun 22, 2003.
2. "When music feeds a city's soul" . The Times of
India. Dec 20, 2010.
3. "Song of the stallion" . The Times of India. 2011-
07-30.
4. "Chronic Xorn - Death Destruction Sermon" .
iTunes. Jul 27, 2010.
5. http://www.maadal.org
6. http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?
eid=31812&articlexml=BACK-TO-THE-GROOVY-60S-
18062015103005

Further reading
"Mass Funeral-Meet ATMAHATYA, a bi-lingual death
metal band in the city making some serious noise" .
The Telegraph. October 27, 2007.
"School of rock-t2 Rising Rockers Atmahatya emerged
as the zonal winners of Campus Rock Idols 07" . The
Telegraph. November 27, 2007.
"Kolkata rockers turn to jazz tunes" . Hindustan
Times. December 8, 2010. Archived from the original
on October 22, 2012.
"Bangla band music getting global recognition" .
Hindustan Times. July 21, 2006. Archived from the
original on December 3, 2013.
"Bengali music bands rock in India and abroad" . The
Times of India. Dec 20, 2010.
"Let's rock 'n roll" . The Times of India. Aug 19, 2001.
"Rock along, Kolkata" . The Times of India. Jun 19,
2008.
"Rockilution reaches Kolkata" . The Times of India.
Sep 30, 2007.
"Five musketeers in Kolkata" . The Times of India. Jul
27, 2010.
"We will... we will 'rock' Kolkata!" . The Times of India.
Jan 19, 2010.
 "Rock-er-thek entertain Kolkata" . The Times of India.
Jan 10, 2011.
"Rock mela" . The Telegraph. March 9, 2008.
"TAKE FIVE" . The Telegraph. July 17, 2010.
"Ready to rock" . The Telegraph. May 20, 2008.
"Rock on hold" . The Telegraph. August 19, 2007.
"CAMPUS ROCK" . The Telegraph. January 29, 2011.
"Kolkata Autumn Music Festival 2010" . The
Telegraph. September 23, 2010.
"Banks back on Broadway" . The Telegraph. August
11, 2010.

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