Under the musical direction of the renowned Debojyoti Mishra, a new contemporary Bengali song honoring Kolkata has been released. Madhuchhanda Ganguly sang the song.

Madhuchhanda, who was raised in Bengal’s small towns, has a strong, enduring connection to Kolkata even tho she now lives in the UK. The song’s melody and lyrics convey a sentimental collage of the city’s essence, including its tram lines, rain, potted flowers, and love. In a Debojyoti Mishra composition, the name Kolkata is repeated by a vocal choir for the first time.

In the same way that Madhuchhanda was motivated to create this Bengali song despite living overseas, Debojyoti Mishra continues to create top-notch work from within the city while maintaining a strong connection to his heritage. The official YouTube channel of Madhuchhanda has it.

“I miss Kolkata constantly—in every single moment. I adore Kolkata, but I also like England. I was ecstatic to learn that Debu-da had written a nostalgic song about Kolkata, a genre I had never heard of before. He was just as happy with the finished recording as I was when he sent it to me. I wanted to show my love for our cherished city through my singing,” said artist Madhuchhanda Ganguly,

Glimpses of Kolkata’s famous sites, including the Victoria Memorial, the Maidan, New Market, Park Street, Gariahat, North Kolkata, and the historic alleyways where time seems to stand still, are captured in the song. It also includes the temples of Belur Math and Dakshineswar, the Metro rail, and boat rides on the Ganges.

“In my opinion, Kolkata is a lively, vibrant city. Of course, there’s the food, particularly the street food. This is the first time I have written a song where the Kolkata accent recurs in the opening vocal choir,” said Debojyoti Mishra.

The song makes you feel nostalgic, like you’re listening to old songs on the radio.

Priyanka Dutta