AFD, Liberation War Museum Successfully Present Bombay Experience

Alliancde Francaise Dhaka and the Leberaton War museum presented the Bombay experience on Thursday.

Dhaka, 3 December 2025 — Alliance Française de Dhaka, in collaboration with the Liberation War Museum, proudly concluded Bombay Experience, a groundbreaking musical event that captivated audiences with its bold fusion of Carnatic rhythm, Indian hip-hop, and contemporary jazz. Held at the Liberation War Museum Auditorium, the performance brought together an exceptional ensemble of international and Indian artists whose collective vision pushed the boundaries of genre and cultural dialogue.

The lineup featured French pianist and composer Alexandre Herer, renowned for his innovative rhythmic explorations; Pierre Mangeard, the dynamic and versatile French drummer; Gaël Petrina, the French bass player whose sound provided melodic richness and depth; B. C. Manjunath, the mridangam and konnakol virtuoso celebrated for his mastery across both classical and contemporary traditions; and Manmeet Kaur, one of India’s most distinctive rap voices, known for her evocative, socially engaged poetry.

The genesis of Bombay Experience lies in French jazz composer Alexandre Herer’s discovery of Mumbai’s dynamic rap and beatbox scene during his encounters in Dharavi. Around the same time, Herer met B. C. Manjunath during a masterclass in France, where Manjunath revealed striking connections between the mathematical structures of Carnatic rhythm and Herer’s own compositional methods. What began as a series of artistic exchanges during a 2023 India tour matured into a full-fledged collaboration during a residency and world premiere at Grenoble’s Détours de Babel festival in March 2024.

Bombay Experience goes far beyond stylistic fusion. Its repertoire forms a living dialogue between Indian classical traditions, contemporary hip-hop, and jazz, creating a soundscape that is at once deeply rooted and fiercely innovative. The result is a bold musical encounter that invites audiences into a world where rhythmic complexity, lyrical depth, and improvisational freedom intersect.

On 4 December 2025, Alliance Française de Dhaka also hosted a special masterclass featuring Alexandre Herer, B. C. Manjunath, and Manmeet Kaur at its Dhanmondi premises. Musicians, students, and enthusiasts had the rare opportunity to learn directly from the artists, engaging with their creative processes and diverse artistic practices.

Participants explored Herer’s approaches to rhythmic systems and cross-genre composition, gained insight into Manjunath’s foundations of Carnatic rhythm and konnakol, and learned from Kaur’s pioneering work in rap, lyrical expression, and artistic identity. The session concluded with an energetic and engaging jamming segment, where the artists performed alongside the participants. This spontaneous collaboration sparked a vibrant fusion of Bangla, Hindi, and French rap interwoven with jazz—an uplifting moment that reflected the very spirit of cultural exchange at the heart of the Bombay Experience project.

An interactive discussion session further enriched the programme, offering a platform for meaningful exchange between the artists and the audience. – Press release