Friends 91.9 FM Music Festival, a three day music carnival, got off to a colourful start on 27 th February at Nazrul Mancha .The students of Dakshinee, heralded spring with Orey bhai, phagun legechey ,’Akaash,amay bhorlo aloy’, Aji ei gondhobidhuro , however the choric rendition of an exquisitely private song like ‘Aj Jyotsnaraatey’ was incongruent and moreover the organization of songs by such a premier institute was diffused. Lopamudra Mitra took over the stage and created the ambiance with her splendid rendition of numbers like Aji Bijon Ghorey, Bhengey Mor Ghorer Chabi, and mesmerized the the audience with her soulful presentation of the all time favourite romantic song of  Tagore, Amaro Porano Jaha Chay. Joy Sarkar’s innovative orchestration lent a new dimension to the song. Srabani Sen, the heart-throb of Gen Y lovers of Rabindrasangeet, regaled with popular numbers like Aami Kaan Petey Roi, Daanriye Acho and Amar Mukti Aloy. Spring came alive with her velvety rendition of Jodi Taarey Naai Chini and Amar Mollikaboney. The treat came when the audience joined her in concord with Purano Shei Diner Kotha. Siddhartha Bhattacharya (tabla), Subrata Mukhnerji (keyboard) and Amal Sarkar (percussion) left no stone unturned to ornate the songs with their musical genius. Baul Bhajandas Bairagi and his troupe entertained the masses with their songs and dance interspersed with metaphysical conceit Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty set the tune of the evening with Behaag, Tagore’s favourite raga; the maestro didn’t have ample time to elaborate the raga on vilambit ektaal, so he quickly switched over to the drut bandish in jhaaptaal, followed by the locus classecus of Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Hari Om Tatsat. The first day’s programme was ably anchored by RJ Raja and RJ Rayn.

Chaturanga (2008)-music review

Suman Mukherjee’s  splendid celluloid adaptation of Tagore’s novel revolving around the conflict between the spiritual and the sensual has been enhanced by ace musician Debajyoti Mishra’s dexterity in interfusing different genres of music,conducive to the cinematic requirements. Debajyoti, an erstwhile  assistant to the legendary late Salil Choudhury , is a music director par excellence and has already won laurels for his scores in Rituparno Ghosh’s movies , worth mentioning amongst which are , Titli, Chokher Baali and Raincoat.

Apart from RabindraSangeet, Mishra has captured the mystic-romantic mood of the Shachis-Damini-Sreebilash relationship using traditional folk numbers like baul, sufi numbers, keertan, gajan and kheur.While songs of Rabindranath like Matir Buker Majhey(Kabir Suman), Amaar Praner Majhe and Aalo Je Aj Gaan Korey, rendered by Parama Banerjee in her dulcet voice,admirably depict Damini’s insatiable sensual thirst, keertans like Hari Haraya (Manomoy Bhattacharya), Rup Lagi Ankhi Jhurey, (rendered brilliantly by  Raghav Chatterjee) and Bhaja Patita Udhharana (sung soulfully by debutante Arijit Chakraborty) create the perfect spiritual ambience. Mishra has exploited Shaukat Amanat Ali’s enviable vocal prowess in the sufi numbers, Allah key Nur and Maula Tere Bina.Use of original instruments like harmonium, mridanga, esraj instead of the synthetic effects have made the audio CD a connoisseurs’s delight.The theme music, (specially the restrained  use of percussions) leaves the listener yearning for more.

Reviewed by: Kaustav Goswami
For review of the movie, please visit: Chaturanga Movie Review

Song Title	Artist
1. Allah Ke Nur	Shafqat Amaanat Ali & Chorus
2. Din Thakte Tiner Sadhan	Kartick Das Baul
3. Bhajo Patito Udhadharana	Arijit Chakraborty & Chorus
4. Hara Gauri Prananath	Dohar
5. Esraj	Instrumental
6. Hari Haraye Nama	Monomoy Chakraborty & Chorus
7. Jagohu Brishobhanu	Sri Bani Kumar Chatterjee & Chorus
8. Hese Khele Nao Re Jogu	Neel Mukherjee & Chorus
9. Rupo Lagi Aankhi Jhure	Raghab Chatterjee
10. Joy Radhe Radhe	Arijit Chakraborty & Chorus
11. Moula Tere Bina	Shafqat Amaanat Ali & Chorus
12. Nirodo Nayane	Santa Das
13. Background Music	Instrumental
14. Praner Majhe Sudha (Hum)	Parama Banerjee
15. Radha Madhabo	Kabir Suman & Chorus
16. Aalo Je Amar Gaan Kore	Parama Banerjee