Award-winning musician brings together refugee stories and music.

Award-winning musician, producer and television presenter Soumik Datta is bringing his company’s full-length production ‘Hope Notes’ to NAC on Tuesday 15 November 2022, as part of the HOPE NOTES x CHOOSE LOVE tour.

Hope Notes was made in collaboration with refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Yemen, Cameroon and Uganda and is a powerful tribute to the displaced communities of the world.

Here you can find out what to expect from Hope Notes as well as viewing some of the Hope Notes series on YouTube, which includes scenes from the show filmed at the Southbank, London.

In a nutshell: what to expect from Hope Notes

Who’s on stage?

Soumik Datta on sarod, and his band. Details on the musicians coming soon.

I’ve never heard of a sarod, what is it?

It’s a string instrument from the Indian subcontinent. It has 19 strings!

What sort of music is in Hope Notes?

It’s contemporary Indian music. By contemporary we mean that it was made last year. You’ll probably hear sounds that you haven’t heard before, but you’ll also find that there are similarities to music you know from the radio – for example, songs that have a verse and a chorus.

How are refugee stories included in the show?

Selected bits of recordings of Soumik’s conversations with refugees are woven into the show, so that the voices and music work together. The songs are inspired by the refugees, so you will hear the original stories as well as Soumik’s artistic response.