How Trincas is keeping the jazz music scene alive in Kolkata

“I have a strong Calcutta connection.” These were the first words I uttered when I began an hour-long chat with Anand Puri, Partner and third-generation owner of the iconic Trincas in Kolkata (earlier Calcutta), which was also responsible for sparking the rock-and-roll and jazz revolution in the 60s and early 70s. 

My love affair with Trincas began on the brink of teenage, about two decades ago. The grand setting, the richness of Chicken a la Kiev (a Continental dish filled with molten butter and served with creamy mash potatoes) and the live music left a lasting impression on my young mind. 

Little did I realise that every visitor to Trincas has a personal story—of their connection with this iconic establishment (calling it just a restaurant is a disservice) and its illustrious legacy. 

As one of Park Street’s most identifiable landmarks, Trincas vies for your attention. Amid the jarring billboards crowding the street, this tea room-turned-restaurant-bar is a throwback to the times past—a reminder of its heydays when some of the finest musicians—from jazz virtuoso Benny Rozario and his boys, to the legendary Usha Uthup crooning popular English songs in her trademark Kanjeevaram saree and a jumbo bindi, graced its stage. 

While that was the golden era, Trincas hasn’t lost its charm even now. With Puri’s consistent efforts, jazz and other forms of live music are finding takers once again for its ‘coolness’ factor. 

Shaping Kolkata's music culture 

Trincas started out as a Swiss confectionery and tea room on Park Street in 1927—as a consequence of a successful partnership between Cinzio Trinca and wife Lilly (also known as Mr and Mrs Trinca) and Mr and Mrs J Flury, of Flury’s (another iconic brand that remains today). 

Their alliance ended in 1939 due to unknown reasons—after which Trincas moved across the street to its current location. 

About two decades later, in 1959, Trinca sold his business to Omi Puri and Ellis Joshua—who then converted Trincas into a nightclub that served food, drinks, and organised live shows. That's how the music scene took off. 

“Music was the trend at that time and all the classy places in town had live bands, tea, and dinner dances. It wasn't just music but magic shows too. Park Street was on par with most places in the world with the kind of entertainment being offered,” Puri recalls. 

This was also the time when Uthup broke the trend of musicians being mandatorily seen in evening gowns. Her voice reached everyone—there was pin drop silence followed by rapturous applause and calls for more and more. 

“Trincas is my hallowed ground, my mandir, my masjid, my girja. When people ask me ‘How was your journey with Trincas?’, I say, ‘Don’t ask me like it’s in the past, it’s still on’,” Uthup tells YS Life. 

Before Uthup, there was Rozario—who Puri believes was one of the best musicians to come out of Calcutta in the 60s-70s. “That was the first essence of jazz that Trincas had, which was very much in demand back then. That started evolving into what was then popular music. At some point in the 70s, the craze for jazz started fading and it began drifting more towards rock and pop,” Puri says. 

It was also a time when there was massive political tension as a result of the Naxalite movement. There was also a heavy tax imposed by the government on establishments that hosted live music. 

“Even then, Trincas was the only place that continued to have live music. That's how we became more and more known for music and our reputation stuck,” he adds.

Democratising jazz culture 

When Puri took the reins of Trincas five years ago, he took a hard look at what people perceived about the place. For most of them, it was a place where they could head after dinner to listen to music or drink. 

“Trincas had this history and rich culture, also good food that people had seemingly forgotten because music had taken centre stage. On one side, it was the USP of the place—on the other, it had become stagnant and people didn't pay much attention to it,” he adds. 

Playing to people’s perception of Trincas being a ‘jazz club' or a bar, Puri decided to work in that direction. “That’s when it struck me…why don't we have jazz music and do it in a period when it feels right? Say when it's a Sunday afternoon and you want to relax and have a chilled beer or something nice to eat. It just compounds the afternoon and makes it feel special.”

Since August 2021, Willie Walters’ Jazz Quartet has been gracing Trincas’ iconic stage for two-hour jazz sessions every weekend. The quartet comprised of Soumojit Sarkar on keys, Aneeshaa Seth on vocals, Arya Mukherjee on drums, and William on bass (who passed on, on May 1). 

“I’ve played at many special places in Calcutta through the decades. Trincas is like a home-base, with a comfort factor where musicians can express themselves. Now, every music venue wants a touch of magic jazz,” said Walter just a few days before his death. 

In Puri’s opinion, Trincas has made jazz accessible and democratised it. One doesn’t have to pay an exorbitant amount to enter the place or to drink or eat. “You are being introduced to jazz in a manner that's close to pop but it isn't. It has its own rhythm and flow,” he shares.

Besides jazz, Trincas has a live Hindi band every evening that plays from 6-9 pm, while the western band takes over from 9-11 pm. 

A legacy that lives on

Puri reveals that Trincas has strong communal memories that everyone connects with. “It's not trying to be something. When you step in, you feel nothing has changed in decades. It has but it feels like it hasn't,” shares Puri. 

What keeps people coming back is the comfort that Trincas offers—whether through its music, food, or drinks. One of their signatures, Chicken A La Kiev,  has been on the menu since 1959—so have the florentine and stroganoff. 

Anisha Motwani, Director at QED marketing agency, who has been a regular, can’t stop gushing about the Chilli Garlic Noodles they have been making for the last 40 years. 

“I’ve grown up with this flavour, and now my daughter is hooked! My mom loves the food too. A favourite through generations,” she reiterates. 

Drinks continue to focus on classic recipes. Their Bloody Mary is particularly known—it comes with a celery stick to chomp on. 

“It’s a very nimble balance you have to maintain across the music, food and ambiance. To put pressure on any one of them would disbalance the whole setup,” concludes Puri. 

(Disclaimer: The article was updated to correct factual errors)