There has always been something wonderfully capacious about the compositions of Jyotirindranath Tagore (Rabindranath’s elder brother). There are shades of his famous sibling’s peerless work, of course, but only fleetingly. On his 100th death anniversary, Indira presented Tabo Jyoti Nehare at the Triguna Sen Auditorium.
Jayati Chakraborty’s performance in “Adinath pranabrup” was stimulating, capturing the correct spirit of the composition. Her movements through the loops of this winding song were exact and she ended with a flourish. Alok Roy Choudhury’s “Shey prem kotha re” was playful, vivid and rhythmic. Snigdhadeb Sengupta’s “Kotodin gotihin” was reminiscent of the popular “Sukhahin nishidin” but he left his unique mark on this homage. His attempt did not seem complex when it came to expressions.
The opening bars of Pramita Mullick’s performance were marred by faulty microphone arrangements. But her sheer command and mastery over her craft saw “Aaj anande premchandre” emerge as a perfect rendition. In “Aaye aaye desher santaan”, Agnibha Bandopadhyay sounded easy and natural. Not so Revanta Ghosh, whose voice broke frequently in “Mon churi korilo”, and Saswati Bandopadhyay, who sounded lacklustre in “Hridoyer mamo jotone”. Srinanda Mukherjee brought her quietly reassuring style to “E ki moher cholona”.
Of the few choruses, the most popular was “Chal re chal sabe”, which was exuberant due to its emotional appeal. “Dhanya tumi hey” came a close second in terms of energy.