Rabindranath, Rabindranath, Rabindranath….
I find myself falling in love with Rabindrasangeet, again.. There was a lull in between, when I had grown distant. And now, I am back again. Here, where I have been so many times before. It’s a new set of songs this time, sung by a new set of exponents and it’s heady. But permeating through his creation is the man himself.
This fresh spell was cast by Rabindrasangeet. But it hasn’t been like that every time. Let me explain: in the past, it has also been me seeking refuge. When assaulted by sorrow and disappointments, Rabindrasangeet provides the perfect shelter. Warmth in the cold, respite from the heat, shade in the blistering sun, soothing moonlight through the darkness. He is the sun of energy, the moon of tranquility, the vast sky and the endless ocean.
However, it was the magic of Rabindrasangeet which pulled me in this time. And the new energy infused by the modern-day exponents only leaves one begging the question of why it was thought in the first place that a copyright is needed to protect this divinity. If a piece of creation is so entirely dependent on, and confined to a small group of individuals, it is not possible to experience it in its full grace. Sadly, this is what happened for a long time to this timeless body of work. Fortunately, it is no more the case. Rabindrasangeet is now a box of crayons, magnificent in quality and spanning every possible hue and shade, which is there for every artist to paint his own piece with. And what phenomenal renditions are resulting therefrom is here for all to savour!