Jalsa 2 – Magical Salon Concert Series

The second edition of Jalsa, presented by Charista Foundation, made the evening of 30th January 2021. The second session of ‘Jalsa – Magical Salon Concert Series’ was hosted by Shilpi’s Voice & Visuals from the living room of Shilpi Das Chohan, Founder. This time around too, the audience was mesmerised by live performances up close. Unlike the first version, this evening was graced by more art connoisseurs and included a few well-known names from the music industry. As always, the hosts were more than welcoming to share the space with the guests and the artists.

It was a great evening watching and listening to the pure instruments, unadulterated and up close with no electronic additions or editing involved. The purity itself commanded silence as though it had taken over the collective intellect of the esteemed gathering. The astounding camaraderie between guests hitherto unknown to each other was surprising and proved that music binds hearts and minds together transcending human-made boundaries. That deep binding between the guests as well as the artists is what being humane is!

Jalsa 2 began with Carnatic rendering of some wonderful devotional songs by Smt. Saraswati M V and Smt. Sonam M V, known as the Kabadi Sisters. With Vidwan D. R. Chetan Murthy on the mridangam and Vidwaan D. R. Raghavendra on violin, the performance was magical. A strak variation from YouTube and PrimeMusic rendering, the up close live music was real music to the ears, bringing peace to the soul and silence to the mind. The highly de-stressed audience enjoyed it thoroughly across an hour or so, loosening their otherwise tangled minds.

The Carnatic session was followed by our Guest of Honour, Sri Anik Banerjea, reciting poetry in all his element. He was accompanied by his son Sri Dheeraj Banerjea on guitar. Sri Banerjea Sr., held the audience spellbound with his unique rendering of some Pritish Nandi poetry. Sri Anik Banerjea, by profession is the Chief Business Creator, Ripple Fragrances Pvt. Ltd., Makers of IRIS Home Fragrances for Wellness, division of NR Group, and an avid patron of arts.

This was followed by a little ‘adda’ over some mouth-watering snacks and tea. The hospitality dished out along with delicious food was the highlight of the the evening, because it involved some wonderful networking and beginnings of some great friendships. Cookie artisan Ms. Susy Indrie added to the hospitality by serving her handcrafted irresistible and delectable cookies along with coffee to the guests. She also gifted a box of her artisan cookies to Shri Anik Banerjea for enthralling us with his recitation.

It was hard to break the networking session, but in a few minutes, with the promise of more good things to come, the guests settled to listen to bhajan and bollywood classics by none other than Smt. Rupali Sen, accompanied by her husband Sri Nilanjan Sen on harmonium and Sri Jaisen K Joy on tabla. The trio was a treat to listen to and as usual, the guests were taken over by the music. They made the evening with some classic Bollywood numbers which are normally hummed across.

The Guest of Honour, the special guests and the artists were presented with gift hampers of all natural beauty products from AVKA Naturals, by Viji Murthy, the gift sponsor. This was Ms. Viji Murthy’s contribution towards showing her support towards this initiative and appreciating there artists and the art connoisseurs.

Though the guests wanted more, it was time to end the program with more to come in the 3rd edition.

This edition, Jalsa expresses its gratitude to Kankana Studio, 1990 Minds, Susy’s Pink Roses, gift partner AVKA Naturals and Media Associate Sri Sankara TV.

Audience Speak:

Artists’ speak:

Vidwan D.R Chethan Murthy – Internationally Acclaimed Mridangam Artist 

“It feels immensely great and an affectionate journey with team Jalsa. The way they organised the program, from day one to the concert stage is a memorable experience. They look at every minutest aspect in keenly. They hosted their artists, guests, and fellow members with great love and dedication. It was evident that making them feel at home was pivotal to their standards of hospitality. The host Smt. Shilpi  Das Chohan being a professional artist herself, welcomed everyone with warmth, and great food. I fail to express my experience at Jalsa in words.  It’s just the beginning of my journey with Jalsa, and hoping to continue to creating more memories with Team Jalsa. My best wishes and regards to all their upcoming projects and endeavours. “

Smt. Sonam M V – Carnatic Vocalist

“Jalsa was indeed a magical musical extravaganza . The warmth and hospitality extended by the Jalsa family made us feel at home..It was a privilege to be a part of it…. Thankful to Shilpi ji for the wonderful opportunity!!”