Students of Sangeetalay perform at Rabindra Okakura Bhavan

If you thought film songs were a strict no-no at classical music soirees, you should have attended the annual day of CE Block-based classical music school Sangeetalay at Rabindra Okakura Bhavan recently.

The students, led by their teacher Arpita Roy, sang Hindi and Bengali film songs. “The theme this year was film songs based on ragas,” Roy explained later. “I spent a year researching such songs and the students have spent months perfecting them.”

The result was interesting. The show began with a spattering of non-film songs. The first section was on Rabindrasangeet based on raga Desh, such as Esho shyamal sundar and Rim jhim ghono ghono re. Next, students of classes VI to VIII presented raga Behag through a tarana and songs like Amar mukti aloy aloy. Representing folk songs were popular baul numbers like Hrid majhare rakhbo based on raga Bhupali.

As senior artistes started performing, the songs got tougher. Dekona more from the film Lal Pathor (raga Kalavati) and Albela sajan from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (raga Ahir Bhairav) were performed. A group of 15 sang Manna Dey’s Amay dubaili re from the film Ganga in chorus.

Ankita Chaudhury’s rendition of Madhuban me Radhika (raga Hameer) from the Dilip Kumar-starrer Kohinoor and Debosri Mukherjee’s Nazrulgeeti Ajo kande kanone koyelia (raga Chandrakosh) were commendable. As was Kumar Gourab Das’s Rabindrasangeet Sukhoheen nishideen, in an illustration of raga Natmallar.

“I have been contemplating a show on this theme for five to six years now. I’m very happy with my students’ performance,” smiled Roy after the show.

Health high

Around 122 residents of DL Block attended a free health check-up at their community hall recently. The camp was organised by DL Block Residents’ Association and Chattogram Porishod in association with Subodh Mitra Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.

Apart from tests for blood sugar, pressure and electrocardiogram, there were doctors from various branches of medicine like orthopaedics, physical medicine, eye care, ENT, dental care, paediatrics, gynaecology, surgery and homeopathy. They rendered their services free.

“This is the second edition of our health camp. The last one was held in 2005,” said vice-president of the block committee Dhirendranath Chakraborty. “We have revived it this year to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.”

Chakraborty also informed that their block runs a 24-hour crisis management committee for senior citizens. “We started this service last year for elderly residents who stay alone. We reach as soon as they call us and ferry them to the hospital if need be. We keep a record of their medical details with us too.”

Chattogram Porishad is a township-based social group and its secretary Gopal Das said they conduct such health camps at different venues on a regular basis. “We have a panel of doctors working with us and hold these camps in both planned and added areas of Salt Lake. Any block association may contact us if they want us to organise such camps with them,” said Das.