Nibir Bhuyan is a prominent name in India, having played his guitars for the last decade and a half. He started singing in 2012, at a few concerts and at a studio, after informal vocal training. While playing the six string, his music always takes the audience to another world – a world filled with emotions and freedom.
During 2000-2004, he won many awards as a guitarist at various Rock competitions. The big shots from the industry had forecast that this kid in his 20’s, who was playing like matured guitarists at 40’s, will definitely make a mark in the Rock Scene of India. During his Celestial Doom days, back in 2004/05, Vijay Nair of “Only Much Louder” saw him playing live in front of a crowd of around 5000 at “Summer Jam” in Nehru Park, Guwahati. Nibir along with few of his close friends and family used to organize the only open air concert “Summer Jams” in Guwahati which was open to all. Those days, Vijay wanted to promote the band and manage, too. But things didn’t worked out as he was pursuing his Engineering and wanted to concentrate on academics.
He then shifted to Bangalore and formed a band called “Fretwrek,” along with seasoned musicians from there. He stayed there for around 4 years, but he didn’t liked the place and came back to Guwahati and formed Work In Progress with few members of Celestial Doom. While being with these bands, he did many other projects like “Exiled Viper”, “Great Acoustic Project” and “Shakti Peeth”. After various experiments with genres and musicians with the bands and projects, he finally formed something of his own (the self- titled band – Nibir Bhuyan).
He was the co-founder of all the bands he played for, but this time, this is something that he did all by himself, and for himself–for his passion towards experiments in music. When asked during a latest interview at a local radio station about reasons behind disbanding WIP, he told –
“ Now, I formed my own band. Here I am free to experiment, I get freedom to create with an open hand to NOT play that I don’t enjoy playing. When you are in a band in a country like India, you have to play the same old cover songs to satisfy the organizers. Being a member of a professional band, it becomes essential to make the money for the band too. Basically, I am tired of making money for others by doing something I don’t want to do. I chose music and I am passionate about it. I am not a jukebox or a goose laying golden eggs. Even if I don’t make good money as a solo artist, I am satisfied with whatever music I am doing without any pressure to mint money for others. Music is a bird and she needs to fly…and I want to excel as a musicians and not just a guitarist. I am also planning to learn the Sax very soon. Cheers to that !!”
He is currently working on background scores for Movies and Documentaries in his studio and in his free time he is making plans and arrangements to set up a music school for poor and unprivileged children. The school would be free for everyone. He is planning to submit a proposal to various NGOs, companies and government for the same. He wants to do it, so that these children don’t get diverted towards crime and other anti-social activities. He is hopeful that music would bind them with the brighter side of life.
Nibir Bhuyan is known as one of the most passionate guitarists from the region, who loves to experiment on stage. He is very mischievous on stage and he just loves to jam impromptu, over pre-rehearsed music. He has said in many interviews that he leaves the studio works at the studio; he doesn’t play it for live concerts. Live gigs are about passion and jamming with the soul of music.
He once said during a concert, while introducing one of his popular compositions that – “Whenever I feel sad, I pick up my guitar and let my fingers crawl over the fretboard like a “VIPER” and believe me, it lifts my mood, and sometimes, I even end up composing a song. I always play my instrument with my heart and emotions and pull every string with feeling. Even when I am on stage, I never apply formula or bookish structures to fill up the guitar parts.. I play impromptu, whatever I feel at that particular moment of time.. don’t expect my studio works on stage!! “
So, many might have noticed that his guitar solos are never the same, when he plays them live in the arena.
He released his new album [Nibir Bhuyan : Your Eyes] in August 2015. It consists of 11 tracks, featuring many other popular and upcoming musicians from other bands, along with members of WIP.
Two of the tracks are pre-released for the audience to experience his new sound and it’s available for free download at www.soundcloud.com/nibirtheviper .
(Thank you to AnyLouder.com, for their information for this article)