Lopamudra Mitra at ITA Centre, Machkhowa, in Guwahati on Saturday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Besides a magnificent command in overall rendition, what singer Lopamudra Mitra displayed in her recent live performance at the Pragjyoti-ITA Cultural Centre in Guwahati was a rare blend of poetry and song.

The programme, which saw Lopamudra’s debut performance in the Assam capital, was organised by Eka Ebong Koekjan, a magazine, to commemorate its 27th anniversary. Her presentation of four poems by Jibanananda Das, Shakti Chattopadhyay, Joy Goswami and Sunil Gangopadhyay in the form of songs revealed her command over both the creative forms.

Of these, Chattopadhyay’s Aboni Baari Achho and Goswami’s Malatibala Balika Bidyalaya deserve special mention. Both the numbers were presented without percussion and Lopamudra, by dint of her passionate rendition, could touch a rare intensity of human emotion.

While in the first number the singer showed her skill of expression, the second number proved her expertise in unfurling the pathos of a middle-aged unmarried woman seeking her lost love. The use of guitar and piano in this number was praiseworthy.

In the rendition of the remaining two poems — Jibanananda’s Aabaar Aasibo Phire Dhaan Shikitir Tire Ei Baanglai and Gangopadhyay’s Mone Pore Sei Supuri Gaachher —Lopamudra displayed her enviable maturity and deep sense of subtlety.

The performance began with a Rabindrasangeet, Tomaai Gaan Shonaabo, an obvious choice for Lopamudra who, during her 10-year sojourn, has brought a different dimension to this genre. She concluded her two-hour recital with another Rabindrasangeet, E Jibon Punya Karo.

The first one was marked by some splendid pieces on guitar. The finest use of guitar was perhaps in another Rabindrasangeet number, Aamaaro Poraano Jaha Chai.

Lopamudra’s fourth song that evening was Tagore’s Jodi Tor Daak Sune and interestingly, she presented all the four numbers with no percussion support.

One may very well recall the enchanting bouquet of Rabindrasangeet from Rezwana Choudhury Bonya of Bangladesh in July last year — also organised by the same magazine — and this time Calcutta’s Lopamudra enthralled the audience in the same auditorium, but with a completely different style of rendition.

Besides Aboni Baari Achho, the marvellous voice of Lopamudra was extremely prominent in two different numbers. The first one, Desh Maane Ek Loker Paashe Anya Lok, was a restrained glorification of the sense of friendship, fraternity and brotherhood among different people belonging to different places of the world. The other one, Jaao Paakhi, depicted the thirst of the human mind to explore the world of imagination.

Lopamudra’s four other numbers in the concert, Carpet, Madhyabitto, Dhaa Ni Naa Naa Dhi Naa and Mithye Raajaar Deshe, were satirical about contemporary socio-political events. The tunes and musical designs of these numbers were rich and complex.

But Lopamudra was absolutely effortless in dealing with all sorts of complexities, such as sharp curves, frequent fluctuation from high to low scale and off beat.

And finally, two other numbers — Tumi Shononaa Aamaar Kothaa, a romantic number composed by Suman Chattopadhyay, and Daakchhe Aakaash Daakchhee Baataash, describing the plight of today’s children under the pressure of studies — brought in some sort of variations to the entire show. The first one, presented with only guitar support, held the audience spellbound.