ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio USA

Mar 29, 2010 (Washington Bangla Radio) Indian Ocean is unarguably India’s most significant band. The film has been made to celebrate this once-in-a-couple-of-generations musical phenomenon. The idea is not merely to document but to provoke, enrich and, above all, entertain. That is why the film has been made for the big screen.

Ashim Chakraborty - the renowned vocalist and percussionist of Indian Ocean, was part of a pioneering Bengali band in the 1980s named NIHARIKA - contributing in Tabla and Percussion, vocals and composer and arranger. Ashim is the only person in the group who took up music professionally and now is the lead vocalist and percussionist of the famous group Indian Ocean. To learn more about Niharika, click here.

The following is a rare Niharika video from 1986 shared with Washington Bangla Radio by co-founder Someswar Chakraborty - check out Asheem's excellent Tabla and percussion even in those early days of his career:

Leaving Home is, very simply, the story of four men who make music together in a contemporary India where commercial concerns are overriding. Their inspirational story of how they kept the creative fires burning without compromising their essential vision is told with the same energy and lightness of touch their unique music is imbued with. Their music is showcased in three different ways — in concert with all their stage finery, a casual performance in their own neighbourhood, and raw improvisations from inside their rehearsal room.

Trailer of Leaving Home

LEAVING HOME - the Life & Music of Indian Ocean (115 mins) is releasing exclusively through BIG CINEMAS all around India on April 2, 2010. It is India's first non fiction film ever to release nationally on the big screen.

For more information, consult the official facebook group or web-site.