With May just over, the month that marked the 149th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, celebrations continue in full swing, building up to the 150th year of India's poet-patriot.
Recently Le Rythme, a cultural organisation of the Capital, presented an evening of music that celebrated both Tagore and the other great poet of the Bengal region, Kazi Nazrul Islam, whose 111th year is being commemorated.
The programme, “Bandana-I Rabindra Nazrul”, featured popular singer Rini Mukherjee and others. Rini presented songs of Nazrul (Nazrul Geeti) under the title “Nana-Ranges Nazrul”, or “Nazrul in different moods”. Known for her rendition of Nazrul Geeti and light classical Hindustani music, Rini sang a selection of Bengali ghazals, light classical, devotional and patriotic songs, displaying the range of the poet who penned over 4000 songs and raised a voice against fascism and oppression. The performance was enhanced with a script and recitation by Durgadas Bandhopadhyay. Rabindranatyam by the troupe of Guru Valmiki Banerjee, a pioneer of the dance form originally created by Tagore, was another highlight of the evening.
An audio drama, “Atpoure Rabindranath”, by Amit Roy and Ratna Mitra of Kolkata, was also presented. With quotations, songs and poems of Tagore, this production brought to light the daily life of the poet.
