“I always desired to make a career in music. The love for music brought me to Mumbai and I joined Abhanga Repost in 2019 as their music composer and producer. I went on stage with the band when they were searching for a new keyboard and harmonium player and found me as the perfect match. A mutual love for this genre of music brought me closer to the band and that is how I got all those opportunities to spread the culture of abhangas with the essence of contemporary music,” expressed Tushar Totre, Harmonium player of Abhanga Repost during an in-person interaction with ‘The Hitavada’ on the sidelines of Khasdar Jyeshtha Nagarik Sanskrutik Mahotsav, conceptualised by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

 

This one-of-a-kind contemporary Folk-Fusion band performed in Nagpur on Sunday, where actor and former member of Rajya Sabha Mithun Chakraborty was present as the chief guest. A band based out of Mumbai is now globally promoting Sant Tukaram’s composition and other abhangas composed by saints with members comprising Tushar Totre, a resident of Nagpur, on Harmonium; Dushyant Deorukhkar on drums; Pratish Maske on lead vocals; Ajay Vavhal on electric guitar; Viraj Acharya on tabla and percussion and Swapnil Tarphe on bass guitar.

 

It is a matter of pride that a musician from Nagpur is also a part of the band and has played a major role in the band’s success. From composing for the band to making it on the stage, Nagpur’s Tushar Totre has come a long way. Initially, Abhanga Repost started with small gigs, their first performance was at Girgaon during Gudhi Padwa and with all the hard work, the band has now performed in around 500 gigs that include many international shows in Germany and Mauritius. Asked about the feeling of performing in his home town, Totre said that he has seen the process of construction of Suresh Bhat Auditorium and made up his mind to perform at the auditorium. While performing in the city with the band last year, he expressed his wish to perform there with the band’s lead vocalist Pratish Maske, which got fulfilled with this gig.

 

Dushyant Deorukhkar, drummer of Abhanga Repost, explained the idea behind the band’s name saying, “Me and my band members have grown up listening to these abhangas and other folk music, and to make it more relatable with the contemporary generation, who are active in social media with likes, views and reposts, led to the birth of Abhanga Repost.” Band’s lead vocalist Pratish Maske explains, “It has been ten years spreading abhangas to every corner where music is heard and loved, so you see how long it has taken us to reach at a point where now people have started showing us much love for the art we create.” “The band also gained popularity after a reel of them singing ‘Chal ga Sakhe Pandharila’ went viral on Instagram. We also understand the responsibility we have on us to spread the teachings of the saints through our art,” added Totre. The band is expecting to release their upcoming albums soon with two albums already released on all the platforms.