THE LIVING ROOM (LR) SESSIONS

Anirban Deuri and Jonathan Donald Syiemlieh

“You come as guests, but you leave as family”. Words like these are what make the LR Sessions special. The LR Sessions are a unique concept of celebrating musical talents in living rooms in a very casual ambience to appreciate musical talents and give them their due recognition as artists. Already having celebrated its anniversary event, the house concert project is setting itself apart from its rivals, because it celebrates the artist and values them above monetary gains. What also helps set the project apart is that there is a dedicated team for sound and videography which helps them produce high quality videos for the artists to promote themselves.

“It’s is never about the money,” says Kym Kharkongor, the woman behind the whole project. And once you attend a session, you understand where she is coming from. People are not only not charged entry fees, they are also served refreshments and snacks during the sessions. There is no sense of it being a corporate event, and people are encouraged to interact with each other: The ultimate goal being to provide those in attendance with an experience that they will want to enjoy again.

The concept of Living Room Sessions started with an idea which came in Kym’s mind a few years ago after she saw a live band being largely ignored by the audience in a bar. The apathy of the crowd made her want to provide a platform for artists and bring together like-minded individuals who had the passion and love for music and celebrate life and love. The LR team believes in the fact that the power of music can help us empathise and come together and this is what filters through in the sessions. There is so much talent in India that needs to be explored and as Ludwig van Beethoven put it, “Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. It is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents.”

What has also helped LR Session to set itself apart from the crowd is that it has a brilliant team that works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that this never feels like a DIY project. Each member has a regular 9 to 5 job, but everyone is united in their passion to make LR Sessions a platform that artist not only feel proud to perform in but also gives them the reach that they sometimes need to reach the masses in today’s digital world.

In the 10 sessions that LR Sessions has organized, there has been a plethora of artist who have come and shared their journey and talent with the audience. Like Manita and Ranjan from Zero Gravity whose sound took the audience by surprise or Squarez Attached whose retro act filled the crowd with energy or the Queen of Blues, Tipriti Kharbangar whose voice left everyone in attendance spellbound. Singer Embhah Kharmujai recalls frequenting his friend’s house to get an opportunity to strum the guitar. He writes his own songs which are about his experiences with life and the people in it. The members of the band Aashanaa comes from different backgrounds but have the same goal, to bring smiles to those whoever listens to their music. Instrumentalist Udip Das whose compositions are inspired by childhood memories and time spent with his mother. The two-man band of Hazard that brought glam music of the 80s and 90s to the session. Every artist comes with their own struggles and stories and each have left a memorable impression on whoever has attended the sessions.

In a way, the LR Sessions through the power and love of music is helping to bring artists with myriad backgrounds and experiences together and connect with the audience. There is something about listening to music or playing it with others, that brings its own social dimension, making you feel connected to those around you. We take this time to appreciate and express gratitude to all the wonderful artists for sharing with us their musical journeys of life and experiences. We also express our gratitude to all who help host the LR Sessions in their warm and beautiful homes.

As Kym says, “We would like to offer a mammoth thanks to everyone for your love. We will ensure that your continued support fuels our desire to never stop doing what we do and to constantly improve ourselves and the Sessions. Stay tuned to us on our Facebook page, Instagram and our blog and become part of our family.”

The LR Sessions family consists of Kim Kharkongor, Anand Vijay, Raj Das, Jonty Indra, Anirban Deuri, Udip Das, Rimeka Dora, RisuklynnGerbergh and Jonathan Donald Syiemlieh. Follow the LR Sessions on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/livingroomsessions_in/), on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LRSessionsin). Or you can simply write to them at livingroomsessionsin@gmail.com