Usha Uthup returns to the stage as Kolkata revives an all-day live music culture

Veteran singer Usha Uthup returned to the stage for a special performance in Kolkata as she unveiled a revived live music programming format at Trincas, reconnecting the city with a culture that once defined its nightlife.

The evening marked more than just another performance. It reflected a larger conversation around the slow disappearance of live music programming in India’s hospitality spaces, where curated performances and dedicated listening rooms have increasingly given way to playlists and DJ-led entertainment.

At the heart of the revival is the addition of a new weekday lunch band, Island Breeze, bringing back an all-day live music structure at the Park Street restaurant.

The programming now spans multiple genres across different time slots throughout the day, from Latin and jazz lunches to Hindi retro evenings, Western pop nights, and Bengali rock and folk sessions. For Usha Uthup, the moment carried particular nostalgia.

It was at Trincas that she made her live debut in 1969, before going on to become one of India’s most recognisable voices. Her return to the stage, decades later, felt symbolic of Kolkata’s attempt to hold on to a musical culture that once thrived in intimate performance spaces across the city.