The extensive reach of Tagore’s music — in spite of its inherent regional slant as far as lyrics matter — is phenomenal. Based in Qatar, far-removed from the predominance of Tagore cult, Sangha-mitra Chakrabarty continues to imbibe his philosophy and music and spread the word in a society alien to it all. Her solo recital at Sisir Mancha on April 30, preceding her mentor Rajeshwar Bhattacharya’s rendition of a mixed bag of Tagore’s musical creations, was ample proof of her dedication at keeping in touch with her roots.

Sanskriti’s production — ‘Surey Surey Sur Melatey’ — presented a wide repertoire of Tagore’s music. It witnessed a variety of taal and genre — perhaps attempting to give the audience a somewhat wing-side view of the poet’s experimentation with theme and style. Chakrabarty’s tonal range seems to have its own limitations and her choice of songs should have been more judicious. The richness of tone and the perfect synchronisation of melody, mood and method required of numbers like Hridaye tomaar daya; Pratidin aami or pure dhrupad adaptations like Aamar bichar tumi koro are difficult to grasp, let alone render.

The second half saw Rajeshwar Bhattacharya dwelling on tonal modulation and rhythmic crescendos, to lend an exclusive aura of mystery and vibrancy to songs like Swapna madir neshaye. The introductory reference to the dhrupad origin of Hriday nandan boney and Udata bandhan pavan proved to be an inspiring one for connoisseurs of classical music.