Combining stories and music, Utsavi Jha will perform in Mumbai this week

Utsavi Jha (left) performs on stage at an earlier event in Pune. Pic Courtesy/@utsavijhamusic on Instagram

Storytelling and music are a match made in heaven. Fort-based Malido Café, in association with Zyto, is organising There and Back Again, an evening where the audience will get to listen to Utsavi Jha as she narrates stories through songs. The singer will set the vibe of the evening with her ballads, Saanjh and Khata, and electro-pop track, Piya.

Musicians perform at a previous edition of the series. Pics courtesy/Malido Cafe

Neville Bose, the café's founder, says, "Malido Live hosts a monthly live music series called There and Back Again, showcasing up-and-coming singer-songwriters from the indie music scene. It focuses on giving artistes the space to share their stories and music." Speaking about the series, he shares, "The event is an intimate blend of storytelling and music, creating a space where artistes and guests can connect at a deeper level."

Jha, an actor and playback singer of the award-winning film, Gulmohar (2023), believes that the combination of songs and stories goes hand in hand. She shares, "All my songs stem from stories, anecdotes, and experiences. I see music as sonic storytelling. Each note, instrument choice, melodic change, and word can reinstate the same story or bring a different perspective. To combine and play with prose, vocal, and sonic elements is cathartic and a fun process."

Audience members enjoy a musical performance (right) An entry ticket of There and Back Again show

Jha adds an emotional touch to her songs and storytelling. She explains, "I approach songwriting as a channel through which I express feelings, find closure, or process my thoughts. It starts with a seed of a thought articulated with words that becomes a music production that translates the sonic thought to finally be served to listeners with creative visuals, which I like to ideate and execute."

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Her songs Khata and Saanjh are deeply rooted in personal stories and experiences. She shares, "Saanjh was the first Hindi song I wrote back in 2020. Writing it, piecing it lyric by lyric, was an inspiring process that opened up a whole new world to me. I call Saanjh the gift that keeps giving because of the way it has touched lives and the amount of love it has brought my way. It's a very special song for me, and to see it get all the love makes me grateful. Khata, at the other end, is about heartbreak. It's the title track from my debut EP Khata, themed around the stages of heartbreak. It is about self-doubt and the shock I felt when someone I loved walked out of my life unannounced."

ON June 19; 7 pm to 10 pm
AT Malido Café and Apero, Burjorji, Bharucha Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort.
LOG ON TO allevents.in
ENTRY Rs 500