TANMOY BOSE MUSICIAN

I can say with a certain amount of fortitude that my ancestral home in Ballygunge has played a defining role in my becoming a musician.

My first experiences with well-known artistes were in a medicine shop owned by my grandfather ? a well-known medical practitioner ? on the ground floor of my house.

Artistes like Gyan Prakash Ghosh and Shyamal Bose frequented the shop and regular interaction with them influenced me.

My ancestral house is still very much there, and that is where I stay. The 75-year-old house has seen three generations live under its ceiling.

I still live in a joint family and don’t agree with the concept of a nuclear family.

With kitchens on each floor, huge storerooms, a big courtyard, garden and thakur ghar, the sense of space and freedom is one that can never be replicated in an apartment.

The interiors, however, have undergone many changes.

As I have a knack for collecting Ganesh statuettes, there are about 150 of them all over the house. I’m also extremely fond of Japanese art and make it a point to collect Japanese murals whenever possible.

One of the perks of my profession is that I get to travel a lot, which is when I pick up decorative items and bric-a-brac for the house.

My wife, however, is the one who should get all the credit for refurbishing the place.

I, too, have a good idea of what further additions could be made to the decor. Mementoes from different countries occupy different corners of the house. A traditional Japanese Sake set and Chinese crockery inherited from my grandfather are extremely precious to me.

Right now, I am developing another property in Ballygunge. Architecturally, this is going to be modern and environment-friendly. It will be an apartment complex and I would like to design my top-floor flat like a Mexican home.

With Spanish murals covering the walls, rosewood floors and sound-proof music rooms, the living experience shouldn’t be too bad. But I will miss my garden, with its mango and coconut trees ? an absolute oasis.