Debasish Banerji - Professional drummer with over 30 years experience

Debasish "Debu" Banerji is a renowned, self-taught multi-instrumentalist, drummer, saxophonist, composer, singer, and music producer working dynamically within India's independent and commercial music circuits. Guided by an instinctive approach to creation, Banerji has spent over three decades crafting a highly distinct sonic identity that seamlessly bridges traditional roots with global contemporary sounds. His professional career began in the late 1980s as a drummer, a foundational era that led to onstage collaborations and jamming sessions with premier national and international pioneers, including Herbie Hancock, Matthew Garrison, Seamus Blake, Scott Kinsey, Kirk Covington, Sanjay Mishra, Bickram Ghosh, Usha Uthup, and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. This phase culminated in a standout performance alongside Ehsaan and Loy for MTV Coke Studio in 2012. As a composer, Banerji consistently pushes past conventional boundaries to infuse jazz with funk, fusion, pop, rock, and blues. In 2005, he released his groundbreaking debut album, Nagar Ratri ("City Nights"), under the pseudonym "Urban Reflektions." The record became one of India’s top-selling Bangla albums, earning a nomination for "Best Fusion Music Album" at the prestigious Zee Bangla Music Awards. Its opening track, "Shurer Shandhaney," was selected by HMV SaReGaMa for The Underground Volume 1. Following this success, Banerji formally established the band Urban Reflektions in 2006 to pioneer a modern, existentialist blend of jazz-funk and regional Bangla music. Shifting his creative base to Mumbai in 2009, Banerji expanded into commercial cinema and high-profile advertising jingles. His distinct percussion work is featured on the soundtracks of major Bollywood films, including Delhi Belly (notably the hit "Bhaag D.K. Bose"), Shuddh Desi Romance, London Paris New York, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Kill Dil. Alongside his film work, he formed 'Cinema', a fresh multi-genre Hindi band dedicated strictly to executing his complex original compositions. Banerji expanded his discography in 2016 with his second major album release, Lamhez, a critical jazz-fusion and funk project recorded alongside a handpicked ensemble of young, elite musical talent from Mumbai. Banerji’s eclectic, cross-generational compositional style is directly informed by a vast array of legendary global and domestic influences, drawing from Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Allan Holdsworth, Joe Zawinul, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, The Police, Madan Mohan, Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, and S.D. Burman.