Monsoons have been a recurrent theme in Rabindranath Tagore’s songs. The songs of barsha are imbued with a subtle sense of mystery that reflects the myriad emotions of joy and loneliness. The early songs are about nature and are usually based on classical ragas such as Miyan ki Malhar, Megh Malhar, Desh Malhar and Gaur Malhar. The songs written later in Tagore’s life were introspective and were based on ragas such as Emon and Khambaj. The songs of the monsoon were explored in Meghamandrita Chhande — a musical soirée presented by Karmakutir on June 30 at the Dr Triguna Sen Auditorium in Jadavpur University.

The programme saw the father-daughter duo of Debashish and Rohini Ray Chowdhuri celebrating the beauty of the rains through Rabindrasangeet. They began with what they said was the poet’s first ever song on his favourite season, “Shaono gagane ghor ghanaghata”. This was based on Raga Megh Malhar. This song is a near translation of a teentaal-based Hindustani khayal, and was written by the poet when he was 16 years old. It is full of references to nature’s flora and fauna. This rendition by Debashish and Rohini set the mood for a musically enriching evening.

Tagore’s songs perfectly capture the arrival of the monsoons as well as the intensity of the dance of the seasons. Debashish and Rohini’s duet of “Rim jhim ghono ghono re”, based on the Desh raga, reflected the mood of the song beautifully and created a joyous ambience. Rohini’s rendition of “Hridoy amar nache re ajike”, which is based on Raga Abhogi, was tuneful, though she does need to enunciate more clearly.

The barsha songs written at the later stage of the bard’s life do not describe the beauty of the season. The changes in that phase of his life are reflected in these songs. Debashish’s sonorous renditions of “Ke dilo abar aghat”, “Megher pore megh jomeche” and “Aji jhorer raate tomar abhishar” were soulful. His performance of these songs had a distinct poise. The artists were skillfully aided by Anjan Bandyopadhyay (tabla, khol and pakhawaj), Debashish Halder (sarangi), Abhijit Chakraborty (flute) and Dwaipayan Roy (sarod). Hanshi Panchal was responsible for the musical arrangements.

Barsha is associated with plenitude, joy and life. Yet, Tagore explored the melancholy and isolation that the season can bring with it. Through his moods he explored the deep mystery of the relationship among the human, the natural and the eternal. The songs, “Nil anjana ghana punja chayay” and “Bondhu roho roho shathe”, explored these themes and were a treat for the senses.