Bringing Tagore alive

In memory

The wonderful evening titled Our Rabindranath was a highly informative event, where 14 of Tagore’s songs were sung.

Ranjon Ghoshal, a veteran Tagore researcher, read out the meaning of each song which was displayed on a screen, so that even the non-Bengalis understood the songs. He also gave interesting trivia on the songs. On the musical front, Sromona Chakrabarty enthralled audiences with her mastery in Rabindra Sangeet while the young Debalina Ghosh too showed potential. They had the accompaniment of violin, tabla and acoustic guitar.

Achintya Lal Roy, the president of Bengali Association, Bangalore and the Convener of Tagore Cultural Association, said, “When Tagore started painting at the age of 63, our countrymen did not take him seriously. An intellectual from Argentina, on the contrary, thought they need to be shown to the world.

This eventually led to an exhibition in Paris six years later. Tagore himself had said that it was in Paris that the world discovered the painter Rabindranath.” After many such interesting instances were shared, the musical evening began with the first song of Gitanjali, Mare Tumi Ashesh Korechho, the audience was thrilled and applauded in joy.

The next song on the list was a prakriti song titled Aar Nai Je Deri celebrating winter. Unlike most winter songs that are dull and sad, to complement the brooding month of winter, this song was a peppy, happy number.

There are few songs that being a Bengali one is entitled to know, Mamo Chitte Niti Nritye is one such song and the Bengali population of the audience couldn’t contain their excitement when Sromona gave a wonderful rendition of this beautiful song.

The event saw a considerable number of people in the audience, in spite of the ‘bandh’.  Avinash, an member of the audience, said, “It is very hard for a non-Bengalis to appreciate Bengali music, but this event is a nice way of emulating interest in Bengali music. I really liked the vocalist Sromona and thought she rendered it in the true form, however I was unhappy with the violin.”