Exclusive Premiere: Shubh Saran and Saptak Chatterjee’s Resonant ‘Wishful Night’

The latest addition to fusion guitarist Shubh Saran’s dream collaborative project is Hindustani classical vocalist Saptak Chatterjee with his track “Wishful Night.” The video is the fourth installment in a series of live performance clips that blend different musical cultures. The project has previously featured New Delhi duo Shadow and Light, world music band Pakshee and acoustic duo Chayan & Smiti.

Saran created the project with a goal of putting the spotlight on some of his favorite Indian indie artists and chose to include Chatterjee after collaborating with him last year. “I met Saptak Chatterjee when he came into the studio in Delhi to record on my album Hmayra,” Saran recalls. “After getting his information passed to me from Chayan (Adhikari, of Chayan & Smiti) I looked him up and knew he was a perfect fit.” Chatterjee ended up featuring on “Imposter” from the guitarist’s debut LP and when the time came to choose artists for this project, Saran didn’t hesitate. “He’s a really creative musician who’s been releasing some amazing songs, so I knew this was the perfect opportunity to work with him again.”

“Wishful Night” is the third single off Chatterjee’s 2017 debut EP Kehsihba and initially featured a downtempo/ambient flavor that supplied a modern twist to the singer’s Hindustani classical vocals. The addition of Saran and his band’s cinematic jazz instrumentals elevates the track to orchestral levels and brings in an almost tangible depth.

Drummers Angelo Spampinato and Joshua Bailey build crescendos with absolute ease while keyboardist Christian Li’s vibrant synthy solo manages to pay tribute to the original version’s electronica leanings.

Watch Shubh Saran and Saptak Chatterjee’s video for “Wishful Night” below: