A galaxy of stars from all over the country descended on the magnificent stage at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town on the evening of June 21, in what was one of the most spectacular celebrations of World Music Day. In its 13th edition this year, Sourendra-Soumyajit’s World Music Day Concert ‘23 in association with The Telegraph was about discovering and celebrating the diverse influences, variations and possibilities for exploration in the music compositions of Rabindranath Tagore.
Stalwarts like Pt Ajoy Chakrabarty, Srabani Sen, Rekha Bhardwaj, popular artistes like Papon, Rupam Islam, Iman Chakraborty and Mohit Chauhan, and young talents like Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, among others, besides hosts Sourendro Mullick and Soumyojit Das, presented their renditions of familiar Tagore songs in an innovative, contemporary format, keeping the soul of their creator’s original compositions intact. Poet and lyricist Gulzar delivered the pièce de résistance of the evening when he read out a set of poems on Tagore’s works that he had specially written for this occasion. Evergreen actress Sharmila Tagore touched the heartstrings with a soul-stirring poetry reading. Entrepreneur and philanthropist Harshavardhan Neotia added a poignant note to the proceedings with his reading of a letter written by Tagore. The concert was inaugurated byWest Bengal governor C. V. Ananda Bose in the presence of versatile music personality Usha Uthup.
Glimpses from an enchanting and unforgettable evening of “Tagore, our way” as conceived by Sourendro-Soumyojit.
Eminent classical vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty sang the popular number Akash bhora surjo tara in his distinctive calm yet captivating style, scattered with interludes by a finely synchronised Western chorus
(l-r) Mohit Chauhan, Shweta Mohan, Parvathy Baul
Popular playback singer Mohit Chauhan’s heartfelt rendition of the love song Tumi robe nirabe, sung in an almost pure Bengali accent, was the perfect ode to romance as well as the pain of unfulfilled love.
Playback singer Shweta Mohan impressed with her rendition of Labonye purno praan, filling the hearts of all those present with the bliss and joy associated with the onset of spring that the song celebrates.
Baul singer Parvathy Baul presented a song composed by Tagore in the Kirtan raga Ohe jiban ballabh ohe sadhan durlabh, in traditional folk style and held the audience spellbound with her powerful, soul-stirring performance.
