Author: Kaustav Goswami

A close survey of Indian musical legacy leaves us with only a handful of names who have ably taken over the mantle from their illustrious predecessors.so far as Bengali music genre is concerned,the Sen siblings (Indrani Sen-Srabani Sen), daughters of the veteran exponent of Rabindrasangeet, Smt.Sumitra Sen are two feathers in the same cap. If Indrani is a versatile artist spreading her wings in all genres of bangla music,for over two decades now, Srabani has excelled as the most promising Rabindrasangeet singer of this generation,being the torchbearer of  an enviable lineage.
‘ Dishaa‘, the brain child of the sisters celebrated its annual programme at a ‘packed to its full capacity’, Rabindra Sadan on 24th august’ 08, amidst a lavish yet aesthetic display of grandeur.following the introductory formalities by the president of ‘Aksmt’, the soiree commenced with a choric rendition of Tagore’s ”Aaj sraboner amontroney”,performed by 200 students of Dishaa, and directed by Srabani Sen. The evening was a treat for the music lovers as it celebrated the monsoon mood through an embellished array of musical schools——-North-Indian Bandish-s of monsoon raagas, songs of Rabindranath, Nazrul, Atulprasad and some popular contemporary Bengali songs. The students of Dishaa, clad gorgeously in saffron, peacock blue and green were looking resplendant amidst the tastefully decorated stage which created the perfect ambience, with clouds saling across the sky, and the frequent light and sound effects depicting thunder and lightning. Supriyo Ganguly‘s composition, based on Desh raag set the mood of the evening, followed by a tarana in drut teental.Debashish Ganguly‘s (Ekalabya) ”Ja,ja,rey”,was a cerebral fusion, rendered flawlessly by the talented kids. The impeccable perfection with which the gifted children sang the sargams left the audience spellbound. Soumya Basu‘s composition ”Aay brishti aay ”Echoed the wordsworthean lines:”      the music in my heart i bore /  long after it was heard no more”.

The second half of the soiree was aglow with some splendid dance compositions by the noted dancer, Koushik Chakraborty, interfused with songs by all the teachers of Dishaa. ”Aashey oi bhola mon”(Soumya Basu),”Badra ayo rey”(Debashish) and Sparsha (Indrani Sen,Rukmini) enthralled the audience.the choreography reached the pinnacle of excellence in ”Saawan ki bundaniyan” where koushik juxtaposed four of the indian classical dance forms-kathak, bharatnatyam, manipuri and mohiniattam. Indrani sen‘s effortless rendition of “Shaon andhaar namey” and the rhythmic Tagore number “Srabonero gogonero gaaye”, Srabani‘s soulful renditions,”Bodhu,emono badoley” and “Gohono ghano chhailo” accompanied by Koushik‘s choreography lent a new dimension to the programme.The star performers of megheder shamiyana were the  vibrant children ”fluttering and dancing” with ‘Megher koley rod heshechey’. The spontaneity and the feeling of freedom came alive with accolades showering from all corners of the auditorium. Indrani Sen gave a beffiting finale to the rain washed evening with her popular number ”Megheder shamiyana”. Kudos to all the musicians who left no stone unturned to ornate each of the songs, to the best of their ability, and a thumbs-up for the all the budding talents of today and the stars of tomorrow, nurtured by their foster mothers—–Indrani and Srabani.

Author Details:

Kaustav is a young, avid aspiring singer and a critic possessing a penchant for constant perfection. Born into a musical family, Koustav has inherited this passion for music from his illustrious grandfather, Sangeetacharya Kumud Ranjan Goswami, who was a disciple of Gurudev Rabindranath and Pt.Bhimrao Shastri at Shantiniketan. Trained initially by his mother, Kaustav swings with an aplomb from his pure classical vocal recital to melodious movie numbers; from songs of Tagore to traditional folk. He has had the privilege of training under stalwarts like Pt.Dinanath Mishra (Indian Classical ), Biman Mukherji (Light Classical and modern Bengali songs) and is presently under the wings of the eminent exponent of Tagore songs, Sm.Shrabani Sen. Apart from his luminous academic career (a master’s degree in English literature) and a host of allied academic activities, Koustav devotes quality time to cultivate his passion for music. A first class Sangeet Visharad from Nikhil Bharat Sangeet Parishad, he has performed on an esteemed private television channel in Kolkata and has performed at a number of programmes, the most noted being, KAVI PRANAM (Rabindra Sadan), SPIC MACAY (classical vocal recital), SRIJAN,CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, SANCHARI KALA KENDRA,TRIVENI, BRAHMO SAMAJ and a number of inter college fests. Kaustav had the opportunity to sing for the album ”AARO AALO”(lights..),directed by his guru and followed by a successful solo programme at Nehru Children’s museum in 2005.He was a participant at the historical ..”HAJAAR KANTHER GAAN”,organized by Muktadhara, in association with The Govt. Of West Bengal which featured veteran Rabindrasangeet exponents like the legendary Smt.Suchitra Mitra, Smt.Maya Sen and Smt.Sumitra Sen. Kaustav had the honor to perform at Madhusudan Manch on ”Baishey Sravan”(Tagore’s death anniversary) this year as an invited artist from The Ministry Of Cultural Affairs,Govt. of West Bengal.
Contact Author: kaustav.goswami@gmail.com