Music resides in the heart of India. The geographic, linguistic, and cultural diversity of India contributes to a broad range of musical styles within Indian music. Kolkata, a city so vibrant is the custodian of a rich musical heritage. In 1932, a new recording studio opened its doors in the erstwhile Calcutta- Hindusthan Record.

Born of the vision of C.C.Saha, who realised that the musical genres in Bengal at the time had enormous potential and needed to be nurtured and developed further. Most of all, they needed to be recorded.  The man who inaugurated Hindusthan's studio by singing and recording several of his own compositions was none other than the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore. This historic moment marked the auspicious beginning of a musical journey for Hindusthan which has covered nine decades. The journey continued and year after year, the studio hosted the musical geniuses of their time like Atul Prasad Sen, K.L. Saigal, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali khan, amongst others. With the years rolling by, from Classical Music to Film Songs, from Rabindra Sangeet to Baul and other folk genres - the studio of Hindusthan Record became the crucible of musical history. For Bengal and for, India.

In the new millennium, Hindusthan Record continued to grow and diversify. With the onset of new technologies and new forms of music coming to the fore, the studio was modernised wherein - Rock and Fusion - mingled with the lingering notes of the old. 

Now, in its 19th year, Hindusthan Records embraces on the discovery of surprising new details with Rabindro Sangeet in Dolby Atmos. Recently, at their Heritage Building Studio, two old tracks, namely Eki Labonye and Ontaro Mamo were mixed and released in Dolby Atmos which makes the music experience richer and fuller and connects you to the music and feelings. With Dolby Atmos, artists can now create music that is heard and felt all around wherein one feels like they are inside the song. This forges a deeper connection between artists and their fans.

Verus Ferreira spoke to Mr. Sohan Lal Saha, Director, INRECO Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

VF: Tell us about Hindusthan Records studio and its history and the music that was created

S L Saha: In 1932, in erstwhile Calcutta- Hindusthan Records opened its doors to the world of music. The studio was born of the vision of C.C.Saha, who had realised that the musical genres in Bengal at the time had enormous potential and needed to be nurtured and developed further. Most of all, they needed to be recorded. The man who inaugurated Hindusthan studio by singing and recording several of his own compositions was none other than the Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore. This historic moment marked the auspicious beginning of a musical journey for Hindusthan which has covered nine decades. The journey continued and year after year, the studio hosted the musical geniuses of their time: Atul Prasad Sen, K.L. Saigal, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, amongst others. With the years rolling by, from Classical Music to Film Songs, from Rabindra Sangeet to Baul and other folk genres - the studio of Hindusthan Record became the crucible of musical history, for Bengal and for India.

VF:How did you come about this collaboration and decided to recreate Rabindra Sangeet in Dolby Atmos. Do you believe it will enhance the magic of Rabindra Sangeet?  

SLS: In the new millennium and with the onset of new technologies and new forms of music coming to the fore, the studio was modernised wherein - Rock and Fusion - mingled with the lingering notes of the old. Now, in its 90th year, Hindusthan Records embraces on the discovery of surprising new details with Rabindra Sangeet in Dolby Atmos. Recently, at our Heritage Building Studio, two instrumental tracks of Rabindra Sangeet recorded in Brno, Czech Republic by the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra have been mixed and released in Dolby Atmos.

Rabindra Sangeet in Dolby will go beyond the ordinary listening experience by immersing you in the song, revealing details with unparalleled clarity and depth. Dolby Atmos Music is a completely new way to create and experience music that delivers artistic expression at its fullest capacity, forging a deeper connection between artists and their fans. This new cutting- age music technology will undoubtedly attract more and more listeners to experience the magic of Rabindra Sangeet and get fully immersed in the beauty of the soundtracks.

VF: Tell us about INRECO Entertainment Pvt Ltd and how it has been providing a platform to musicians from across India for so many years

SLS: Music landscape in India is always evolving. INRECO Entertainment for years has been committed towards providing the best musical experience to the Indian audience and cater to the Indian music industry across all regions.

Music listeners today are seeking better quality and enhanced music experiences. And therefore, we are embracing new cutting- edge technologies like Dolby Atmos to provide enhanced immersive experiences that gives old classic a new flavour and cater to the audiences of today. Together, we embark on this journey to create/recreate beautiful music for the evolving Indian musical palate. We will continue to adopt and adapt to new technologies and ensure more enriching musical outcomes, in the future.

VF: What are your future plans in adopting and creating awareness about new technologies in the music industry?

SLS: We are on a journey to go beyond Kolkata and of recording new music in regions like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bengal, Assam and the North-East. Every one of these recordings will be enhanced with Dolby Atmos. Listeners from these regions will get the full benefit of this new sound on their smartphones and other listening devices.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira