Exclusive! World Cup fever: Upal, Anindya, Ujjaini, Prashmita, and Prabuddha enjoy football and make music on a trip

A bunch of musicians, including National Award-winners Prabuddha Banerjee and Anindya Chattopadhyay, Chandrabindoo frontman Upal Sengupta, Ujjaini Mukherjee, and Prashmita Paul are caught in football fever. Recently, they took a trip to Qatar to watch World Cup matches. Besides, they soaked in Dead Sea Salt Water, walked through the ruins in Petra, and embarked on a Bedouin ride in the golden-red desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan. And throughout the trip, they penned and composed a fresh song, Troubadour-er Gaan (A song of Troubadours). 

Filmmaker-composer-singer Anindya, who penned the lyrics, said, “It was a journey of like-minded musicians. Our primary plan was to watch the World Cup matches. The Jordan trip came along with it and we thought that we should make our travel more memorable by making a song.” 

Troubadour-er Gaan captures imageries around the area and is dotted with references to Jordan’s history. The musicians shot across Jordan, including the ruins of Jerash and Petra, for the music video, before heading to Qatar. In Doha, the group watched two matches, Australia versus Denmark at Al Janoub Stadium and Germany versus Costa Rica at Al Bayt Stadium. Besides, they also took a trip to the Fifa Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park in Doha to catch the Argentina and Poland match. The group met Australian cricketer Brett Lee outside the stadium.  

This is the second World Cup visit for Upal after Russia in 2018. “Everybody knows that I am a football fanatic person. My friends are also pretty much like me. We wait four years to watch the best of the footballing nations collide with each other in pursuit of the trophy. In my experience, this football festival binds the entire world together through the love for the sport. Soaking in this spirit of the carnival and camaraderie is a magical experience,” said the composer artist. He has also captured the experience in his illustrations.  

Tanu Weds Manu-fame Ujjaini said, “Initially, I wasn't sure if I could manage time off from my work. For me, it was more about travelling with friends and I booked my tickets too. After reaching Qatar, I could not stop falling in love with the sport. I must thank Upalda for encouraging me to join the trip. Singing through the desert, ruins, and the Dead Sea added more joy to our vacation. I loved every bit of it.”