Soumik Datta (born c. 1983) is a Bengali-born British Indian musician and composer, who specialises in the

sarod The sarod is a stringed instrument, used in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments. It is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet ...

. He was born in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

and brought up in London. His brother is the photographer and filmmaker Souvid Datta. Sons of banker father Soumilya and writer/art-house film director mother Sangeeta Datta, Soumik and Souvid Datta both attended

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

and Soumik was trained in the sarod by Pandit

Buddhadev Das Gupta Buddhadev Das Gupta (1 February 1933 – 15 January 2018) was an Indian classical musician who played the sarod. He used to reside in Kolkata, India. He was one of the artists featured in Nimbus Records' ''The Raga Guide''. Early life and tr ...

, whom he called "grandfather". He went on to

University College London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = ...

, then studied at

Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...

, graduating in 2009 with an MMus in Composition. In 2006 he was invited by

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

to play at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

and he subsequently performed on stage with

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

, but declined an offer to join her on tour. Soumik Datta contributed to the musical scores of the films ''

Brick Lane Brick Lane (Bengali: ব্রিক লেন) is a street in the East End of London, in the borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest ...

'' (2007), '' Life Goes On'' (2009), and ''

Gangs of Tooting Broadway ''Gangs of Tooting Broadway'' is a 2013 British-Tamil crime drama film directed by Devanand Shanmugam. The film features Nav Sidhu and Kabelan Verlkumar in lead roles. It released on 4 February 2013. The story is based on gang wars between Tamil ...

'' (2013). In 2017 he curated a festival of music and dance at the

Horniman Museum The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a museum in Forest Hill, London, England. Commissioned in 1898, it opened in 1901 and was designed by Charles Harrison Townsend in the Modern Style. It has displays of anthropology, natural history and musical ...

in London. In the same year, he presented ''Tuning 2 You: Lost Musicians of India'', a documentary directed by his brother Souvid. In June 2019, Datta performed at the

Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury Festival (formally Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts and known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts that takes place in Pilton, Somerset, England. In addition to contemp ...

. Later in the year he was signed by

Bucks Music Group Bucks Music Group was founded in 1967, and is one of the UK's leading and longest running international, independent music publishers. The company has a rich musical heritage, having been responsible for launching and developing the careers of m ...

Albums

*''Fretless'' (2009) *''Circle of Sound'' (2012) (with

Bernhard Schimpelsberger Bernhard is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar (1604–1639), Duke of Saxe-Weimar * Bernhard, Prince of Saxe-Meiningen (1901–1984), head of the House of Saxe-Meiningen 19 ...

) *''Anti-Hero'' (2014) *''King of Ghosts'' (2019) *''Jangal'' (2019) *''Silent Spaces' (2021)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Datta, Soumik Indian musicians Sarod players Living people 1980s births Year of birth uncertain