Ochin Pakhi
From Classroom to Concert: Loyola Professors find Harmony in Music
Ochin Pakhi, a Bengali folk band based in Chicago, brings together cultures, languages, and musical traditions – and features faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences. The group recently secured a record deal with Innova Recordings for its unique renditions of poetry and songs by Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.
The lead vocalist for Ochin Pakhi is Swarnali Banerjee, an associate mathematics and statistics professor and Director of the Data Science program, while Molly Greening, a full-time instructor in the Department of Theology, plays the cello for the group.
“This is a testament to the spirit of Loyola’s faculty, bridging disciplines, cultures, and communities through creativity and shared passion,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
A Musical Connection Across Cultures
Ochin Pakhi, meaning “the unknown bird” in Bengali, is a phrase rooted in the works of Lalon Fakir, a Bengali philosopher, Baul saint, and songwriter. The name evokes a sense of spiritual and artistic exploration—ideals that resonate deeply with Banerjee, Greening, and their bandmates as they bridge academic and creative worlds.
Both professors joined Ochin Pakhi after its founding. The band was originally formed in 2016 by Subhajit Sengupta, a musician from West Bengal, India, who moved to Chicago to pursue a postdoctoral position. Hoping to share the sounds of his home, he gathered a group of musicians—including Lucia Thomas, Sam Hyson, Nathan Torrence, and Tzippora Rhodes—to form Ochin Pakhi.
Greening joined two years later after arriving at Loyola for their PhD in Integrative Studies in Ethics and Theology. Their academic journey took them across the world– studying comparative religions in Costa Rica, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.
Raised in a Catholic community, Greening found powerful parallels between teachings of Jesus and the philosophies they encountered abroad.
“This was a radical sense of divine incarnation that extended toward every being, a message of simplicity and love that challenged hierarchies of worth based on your religion, your gender, your racial or ethnic background,” Greening expressed.
Back in the United States, Greening yearned for a spiritual and artistic connection that mirrored what they had found in their travels. Their search eventually led them to Ochin Pakhi– a connection they call fate.
“I was ready to drive anywhere in the city to find them,” Greening recalled. “Then I discovered they practiced just eight blocks from Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus.”
Shortly after Greening joined, Ochin Pakhi began crafting performances around Tagore’s poetry, weaving their own stories into the music. At one of these performances, Banerjee sat in the audience, captivated by the band’s energy and artistry.
For Banerjee, music has always been an integral part of life. Raised in Kolkata, India, she grew up in a large Bengali family where conversations flowed just as easily between calculus and the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, and Mrinal Sen. She began training in Indian classical music at age 3, inspired by her father’s singing and her mother’s deep love for music.
“She was the first to teach me music and eventually I remember singing Tagore songs with my father,” Banerjee said. “I didn’t understand what I was singing but when I finally did–I saw that the meaning of the songs changed from my teenage, adulthood and now again as a new mom!”
Banerjee’s classical training continued under Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, a renowned classical vocalist. In 2010, she moved to the U.S. for a PhD in statistics and later joined Loyola as an Assistant Professor in August 2016.
Shortly after moving to Chicago, a Facebook event notification led her to the Ochin Pakhi performance.
“When I sat in the audience, I saw the members of Ochin Pakhi, born in America, talking about Tagore in terms of renaissance and modern-day revolution,” Banerjee shared. “They were singing the songs I grew up with, but from a completely new perspective. It was a connection across time and space.”
Banerjee introduced herself after the show, which soon led to weekly jam sessions and eventually, a place in the band.
Swarnali Banerjee and Molly Greening perform side by side in Ochin Pakhi.
Music as Advocacy
Beyond its artistry, Ochin Pakhi sees music as a force for change. The band regularly participates in politically-engaged performances, supporting causes such as climate action, racial justice, and global humanitarian aid.
“We frequently raise money for those facing life’s greatest hardships—whether it’s flood relief in Pakistan, financial support for families impacted by tiger attacks in Bengal, or clean water initiatives in Liberia,” Greening said. “We’ve also contributed to housing support for LGBTQIA+ refugees, scholarships for children in West Bengal, and organizations serving people experiencing homelessness in Chicago.”
Ochin Pakhi’s passion for music and social justice ultimately led to the creation of an album featuring Tagore’s works, reimagined through a blend of violin, cello, accordion, flutes, tabla, and more. This project earned them a record deal with Innova Recordings, a major milestone in their musical journey.
“I am so grateful to have Ochin Pakhi in my life—they are my family here in Chicago and the US,” Banerjee shared. “They are who I turn to when I am happy and when I am sad.”
“The fact that two Loyola professors from different departments are collaborating on this intercultural musical project makes me proud of the multifaceted faculty at this institution,” Greening expressed.
Ochin Pakhi is more than just a band– it’s a convergence of identity, art, and purpose.
Ochin Pakhi will celebrate their album release with a performance at the South Asia Institute on April 25, 2025.
Learn more about Banerjee, Greening, and their band, Ochin Pakhi.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”
Ochin Pakhi, a Bengali folk band based in Chicago, brings together cultures, languages, and musical traditions – and features faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences. The group recently secured a record deal with Innova Recordings for its unique renditions of poetry and songs by Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore.
The lead vocalist for Ochin Pakhi is Swarnali Banerjee, an associate mathematics and statistics professor and Director of the Data Science program, while Molly Greening, a full-time instructor in the Department of Theology, plays the cello for the group.
“This is a testament to the spirit of Loyola’s faculty, bridging disciplines, cultures, and communities through creativity and shared passion,” said Peter J. Schraeder, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
A Musical Connection Across Cultures
Ochin Pakhi, meaning “the unknown bird” in Bengali, is a phrase rooted in the works of Lalon Fakir, a Bengali philosopher, Baul saint, and songwriter. The name evokes a sense of spiritual and artistic exploration—ideals that resonate deeply with Banerjee, Greening, and their bandmates as they bridge academic and creative worlds.
Both professors joined Ochin Pakhi after its founding. The band was originally formed in 2016 by Subhajit Sengupta, a musician from West Bengal, India, who moved to Chicago to pursue a postdoctoral position. Hoping to share the sounds of his home, he gathered a group of musicians—including Lucia Thomas, Sam Hyson, Nathan Torrence, and Tzippora Rhodes—to form Ochin Pakhi.
Greening joined two years later after arriving at Loyola for their PhD in Integrative Studies in Ethics and Theology. Their academic journey took them across the world– studying comparative religions in Costa Rica, India, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey.
Raised in a Catholic community, Greening found powerful parallels between teachings of Jesus and the philosophies they encountered abroad.
“This was a radical sense of divine incarnation that extended toward every being, a message of simplicity and love that challenged hierarchies of worth based on your religion, your gender, your racial or ethnic background,” Greening expressed.
Back in the United States, Greening yearned for a spiritual and artistic connection that mirrored what they had found in their travels. Their search eventually led them to Ochin Pakhi– a connection they call fate.
“I was ready to drive anywhere in the city to find them,” Greening recalled. “Then I discovered they practiced just eight blocks from Loyola’s Lake Shore Campus.”
Shortly after Greening joined, Ochin Pakhi began crafting performances around Tagore’s poetry, weaving their own stories into the music. At one of these performances, Banerjee sat in the audience, captivated by the band’s energy and artistry.
For Banerjee, music has always been an integral part of life. Raised in Kolkata, India, she grew up in a large Bengali family where conversations flowed just as easily between calculus and the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, and Mrinal Sen. She began training in Indian classical music at age 3, inspired by her father’s singing and her mother’s deep love for music.
“She was the first to teach me music and eventually I remember singing Tagore songs with my father,” Banerjee said. “I didn’t understand what I was singing but when I finally did–I saw that the meaning of the songs changed from my teenage, adulthood and now again as a new mom!”
Banerjee’s classical training continued under Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, a renowned classical vocalist. In 2010, she moved to the U.S. for a PhD in statistics and later joined Loyola as an Assistant Professor in August 2016.
Shortly after moving to Chicago, a Facebook event notification led her to the Ochin Pakhi performance.
“When I sat in the audience, I saw the members of Ochin Pakhi, born in America, talking about Tagore in terms of renaissance and modern-day revolution,” Banerjee shared. “They were singing the songs I grew up with, but from a completely new perspective. It was a connection across time and space.”
Banerjee introduced herself after the show, which soon led to weekly jam sessions and eventually, a place in the band.
Music as Advocacy
Beyond its artistry, Ochin Pakhi sees music as a force for change. The band regularly participates in politically-engaged performances, supporting causes such as climate action, racial justice, and global humanitarian aid.
“We frequently raise money for those facing life’s greatest hardships—whether it’s flood relief in Pakistan, financial support for families impacted by tiger attacks in Bengal, or clean water initiatives in Liberia,” Greening said. “We’ve also contributed to housing support for LGBTQIA+ refugees, scholarships for children in West Bengal, and organizations serving people experiencing homelessness in Chicago.”
Ochin Pakhi’s passion for music and social justice ultimately led to the creation of an album featuring Tagore’s works, reimagined through a blend of violin, cello, accordion, flutes, tabla, and more. This project earned them a record deal with Innova Recordings, a major milestone in their musical journey.
“I am so grateful to have Ochin Pakhi in my life—they are my family here in Chicago and the US,” Banerjee shared. “They are who I turn to when I am happy and when I am sad.”
“The fact that two Loyola professors from different departments are collaborating on this intercultural musical project makes me proud of the multifaceted faculty at this institution,” Greening expressed.
Ochin Pakhi is more than just a band– it’s a convergence of identity, art, and purpose.
Ochin Pakhi will celebrate their album release with a performance at the South Asia Institute on April 25, 2025.
Learn more about Banerjee, Greening, and their band, Ochin Pakhi.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 13 schools and colleges. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments, 31 interdisciplinary programs, and 7 interdisciplinary centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of university-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the university’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”