KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar:, Aug 17: Under the noble initiative and stately patronage of Pragati in collaboration with Odisha government's Department of Culture, a musical evening of Oriya Rabindrasangeet was organised at Rabindra Mandap auditorium here on Saturday evening to commemorate the 67th death anniversary of world-poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Cuttack-based Trupti Panda, who has pioneered in the field of experimenting the immortal compositions of Tagore in her mother tongue Odia was the cynosure of the evening who presented 20 songs in her two-hour recital.

“It is for the first time that Rabindrasangeet was rendered in Odia and that too in a pertinent venue like Rabindra Mandap named after the poet. We think the best and most befitting way through which Odias can pay tribute to Tagore's connection with Odisha is by rendering his songs in Odia. It was really a historic musical evening at Rabindra Mandap, “ said Sudhansu Marik, secretary of Pragati.

Three years ago, Marik had conveyed his far-sighted vision to the media about experimenting Tagore songs in Odia while installing a rock edifice of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in the lobby of Rabindra Mandap.

“Today, on this auspicious eve my dream comes alive with this unique musical evening of Odia Tagore Songs for the first time. We'll soon be organising Odia Rabindrasangeet concerts in other cities and states,” he informed.

“I think the very purpose of constructing a Rabindra Mandap in Odia consummated today with the world-poet's songs rendered in Odia as a rare musical tribute to his intimate association with Odisha and its people,” he opined.

Though a native of Bengal, Tagore was closely associated with Odisha like that of Netaji in many ways. Both Tagore and Netaji had a house in Cuttack city. He was very much influenced by the natural beauty of the Kathjodi river and compared it with the metaphors of Kalidasa's Meghduta.

Tagore owned ancestral property in Pandua village near Rahama in Jagatsinghpur district and used to visit the house and adjoining farms frequently.

Amid the sylvan surroundings of this village, he composed the famous lyrical verses (dance-drama) of "Chitrangada". The ravishing natural beauty of coastal Odisha had always inspired him to compose many literary works during his sojourn.

Tagore, while addressing a gathering at Puri in 1939, had referred about his connections with Odisha and had said: “I belong also to Odisha."

Noted music connoisseur S. K. Tamotia released two solo albums of Odia Rabindrasangeet – “Tume Sandhyara Meghamala” and “Hey Jibananatha” sung by Trupti Panda. While the former is a collection of 12 most popular love songs of Tagore, the latter is a collection of 12 soul-emancipating devotional compositions of Tagore exclusively from the Gitanjali.

After a brief introduction by the organisers, Trupti ignited the soiree with the signature song, "Biswabina", a brilliant and exuberant composition in Carnatic Raga Shankarabharan set to Jhaap Taal in the Sthayi and Qawali cadence in the antara.

The next five songs were some of the highly popular and immortal monsoon compositions of Tagore chosen in view of the rainy season. Tagore was a master composer of rain songs who eulogised monsoon with apt passion by writing over one hundred rain songs.

She also presented some devotional compositions of Tagore in view of his 67th death anniversary. Her impeccable rendering of the Yaman-based soul-emancipating composition "Ubhahoi Achha (Dariye Achho)" written by Tagore in a morbid state of mind – a song which tells about the ultimate distance, distance between life and death, and love after death – was truly immaculate and praiseworthy.

She also picked a Brahma Sangeet on the eve of the full moon night of Shravan Purnima. It was in the hands of Tagore that Brahma Sangeet ultimately acquired perfection.

Trupti concluded her two-hour recital with the very famous folk-based patriotic song, "Jadi Tora Daka Suni" which had inspired many to delve into the freedom movement like fish to water.

Trupti performed all the songs in a very flawless and proficient manner. Her mellifluous voice and brilliant performance kept the audience glued to their seats till the end of the programme. She selected the songs intelligently.