The historic span of Bengali music and songs extends to more than two centuries. The tradition of Bengali vocal renditions has been continuously revived across generations. Present-day exponents breathe new life into the classic compositions of Bengali maestros, preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage they inherited. These modern practitioners not only honour the legacy of their predecessors but also enhance the melodic beauty of the songs, showcasing the timeless musical creativity of Bengali culture.

Earlier exponents of the genre, like Dwijendralal Roy, Rajani Kanta Sen and Atul Prasad, have left their mark through their distinctive singing style coupled with the easy-flowing flexibility of the melody, whose lyrics are noted for their simplicity, subtlety, softness and sentimental value, blending a king of intensity that is mind-boggling. In this context, these composers had rendered their vocal compositions on the other side of the border in Opar Bangla, receiving instant recognition. A revival of nostalgia is deemed vital to enlightening the new generation of aspiring vocalists and captive listeners.

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To perpetuate memories of that foregone era of Rajani Kanta Sen, Surnandan Bharati, under the stewardship of Ritish Ranjan Chakraborty, arranged a musical soiree on Saturday, 22 June, this year, in Kolkata’s Indumati Sabhagriha (Jadavpur). According to Ritish Ranjan Chakraborty, Rajani Kanta’s sons and daughters kept their father’s musical tradition alive through their remembrance and contemplation. Dr Sukamal Das, Supreme Court lawyer Samarendranath Dutta and elocutionist Anita Roy Mukherjee spoke at the inauguration.

Vocalists Jaba Mukherjee, Indrani Chakraborty, Amitaditya Sanyal, Kamalini Barua, Yudhajit Roy, Amitabha Basu, Tanav Mukherjee, Rupali Bhattacharya, Ushashi Roy and Biswajit Dey gave their separate individual interpretations of the old master composer. This was followed by a dance presentation by Soumita Roy, who synchronised her rhythms with the songs of Rajani Kanta. The audience gave her a round of applause in appreciation of her elegant dance movements. The child artist gave an admirable account of her recital.

A watercolour painting of Rajani Kanta Sen by Arjita Das was showcased before the audience. Pt Shivnath Bhattacharya, sarodist Bhavani Shankar Dasgupta and musician Amitaditya Sanyal were special guests at the function. Debashish Sarkar and Anita Roy Mukherjee anchored the musical soiree. Behind the scenes, Ritish Ranjan Chakraborty, Pritam Kundu, Shantanu Mishra and Jaydev Mondal were instrumental in making the musical event dedicated to the memory of Rajani Kanta Sen by reaching out to the audience.

The writer is an independent contributor