Sunita Bhuyan is all set to enthral Mumbaikars with a violin fusion performance today

Mumbai’s music aficionados are in for a treat as violinist Sunita Bhuyan will present a unique fusion of violin with the Assamese folk form Bihu today

Music lovers in the city are in for a treat today, as violinist Sunita Bhuyan is all set to mix things up as she performs a unique fusion of violin with Bihu folk music from Assam.

The event will see a music and dance performance by traditional musicians and dancers from the Assamese folk fusion ensemble Bihu Strings, led by Bhuyan and a set with singer Ranjit Gogoi. She says, “I am really excited to perform with Guinness World Records holder and dhol samrat Ranjit Gogoi and his team of beautiful Bihu dancers. The ensemble is one of a kind. The Assamese Bihu has a scintillating rhythm and pulse that music lovers should definitely experience. Moreover, the lyrics are about love, romance, Nature, celebration and togetherness.”

The attendees can enjoy this one-of-a-kind event that wants “to break the myth of the violin as only a classical instrument and reinforce the universality of the seven notes”. Bhuyan explains, “In my earlier days, I always felt a violin concert was only for music connoisseurs. Especially in Assam, where I come from, it was always regarded as a niche classical instrument and an exclusive act. I, somehow, felt excluded from the masses who enjoyed the month-long Bihu festival.”

She adds, “I believe, there’s no class or mass in music. Hence, I researched and identified a few ragas that we could base the Bihu compositions to suit the violin as well the scale of my vocals.”

Known to be a versatile instrument that offers to play diverse music styles, violin is now breaking its boundaries in the Indian music scene. Speaking about the same, she says, “The violin is one of those unique instruments that has a very wide repertoire. From classical and jazz to folk, it’s used across genres in the world. However, in India, it was mostly limited to classical and film music as an accompanying instrument. But today, it’s very heartening that we have so many different violinists breaking boundaries and stereotypes.”

Going beyond what the fiddle can offer on its own, various formats of fusion have been explored with the violin and other musical genres. Bhuyan explains, “The most common is the Hindustani or North Indian style with the Carnatic or South Indian style with many violinists exploring this in depth. Another is that of Indian and Jazz - a trailblazer of that space is the partnership between Dr L Subramanium and jazz maestro Stephen Graphelli. Their album Conversation inspired me a lot in my younger days. It was an eye opener for me to what the violin can achieve outside of the conventional classical training.”

Catch it live

What: Bihu Strings

When: January 20 (Today)

Where:The Studio Theatre, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Bandra (E)

Timing: 8pm