Somjit Dasgupta is a traditional musician performing on Sarod, Dhrupad Rabab, Mohan-Veena and other instruments.

It is striking how many terms related to Tantric concepts and practices are also found in the context of the theory and practice of music in South Asia.
Starting from this observation, Somjit Dasgupta will explore several aspects of music related to Tantra and Tantric philosophy. After a more general discussion on the musicality of Tantra and some aspects of music related to Tantric philosophy, he will turn to the presence of Tantra in the large area comprising Kashmir, Nepal, Greater Bengal, Bhutan, Assam and Tibet, and the place of music in the thought and lives of Sadhus and practitioners of Tantra, like the performance of Kālīsaṅgīt or Śyāmāsaṅgīt. Then he will discuss the different types of instruments in use, like the Dotārā used in Baul and other folk music, and its variations used in the Tantric context. The presentation will be concluded with a summary and may be followed by the playing of some sample music or the showing of film footage/photos on Tantric rituals involving music.