In search of Unheard sounds, music

For the majority of people, music is just another source of entertainment, but Vishesh Kalimero – a musician and lead member of world-renowned band Musica Medicina – holds an entirely different perspective. For him, it is a way towards freedom… a way to heal body and mind. "I believe music can be used as a medicine for the soul. My band basically intends to give people a break from the chaos surrounding them, impart them mental peace, and give them a sense of joy."

Vishesh, who formed the band in the year 2014, wanders around the globe in search of new tunes, which are rare to human ears. "The undiscovered sounds attract me the most and listening to rare music takes my mental energy into some other space. That's the reason, I am always looking to experiment with new instruments – trying to create something new and exceptional for the audience."

Substantiating his thought with an example, the musician says, "For example, the instrument 'Gong' creates a sound similar to that produced at the time of creation of the universe.

Learning about this 'not-so-popular' instrument was interesting and this further drove me to explore other rare musical devices like Chinese Erhu, Turkish-Yayli Tambur, Persian Setar, and Seni Rabab. Today, I can say that my journey -full of curiosities and experiments is leading me to the ultimate peace."

The musician comes to India only for four months, conducts workshops, organizes events, and leave once again in 'search of the unheard music'.

Recently he was in the Capital for a live concert at India International Centre. The event, which was attended by 200-250 people, saw Vishesh play sounds inspired by nature using the interesting musical devices. The session was divided into halves – the first half comprised of traditional music while the other had contemporary melody.

The basic motive behind organising such concerts is not to earn money or be a part of popular culture. Rather it is to pay tribute to our ancestors and to connect people back to their roots, mentions Kalimero. He also loves to fuse traditional art with modern forms of music and treat audience with the melodious tunes of his instruments.

The most interesting fact about the band is, they wish to spread this rare form of music among as many people as possible, but refrain from performing it in front of a larger audience.

"As we know, anything that becomes fashion loses its essence, and I don't want to exhaust the charm of this indigenous form of music. Also, I want to teach this form only to people who actually understand its essence," he says, adding, "Even in history, the Gurus only shared their advanced knowledge or techniques to their special disciples – who stands out of the crowd. I believe in the same notion. I want to share my skills with somebody who would value it and pass it on to generations," he concludes.

The band Musica Medicina will be performing once again for the Delhiites at India Habitat Centre in the coming months.