Rabindranath Tagore Jayanti: Shaan, Dr Palash Sen, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Akriti Kakar on their love for Rabindra Sangeet

Shaan

From my understanding, Kobi Guru Rabindranath Tagore, as a composer, had infused different influences of Eastern folk, waltz, and sometimes even Carnatic ragas with his innate sense of soothing melodies. As a poet, he expressed love, romance, surrender and even anguish as a spiritual connection with the Almighty. One can find different layers and interpretations in his poetry. As I grew up and was mature enough to understand the depth of his thoughts and creations, I fell more in love with Rabindra Sangeet. I have recorded over 50 Tagore songs and hope to record more in the coming years.

Kaushiki Chakraborty

Rabindra Sangeet is poetry-based. So those who understand Bengali poetry will understand the depth, beauty and profoundness of Rabindranath Tagore’s writing. I was introduced to them in my childhood, but I understood their meaning and depth over the years. When you listen to those songs, there’s an evident meaning and then multiple layers of hidden messages that can only be unraveled if you have an understanding of his poetry. Any composition becomes beautiful when the lyrics and tune are nicely balanced. Tagore’s understanding of Indian classical ragas was so incredible that all his compositions expressed the ragas and the mood. I come from a Bengali family and my mum had a great understanding of Rabindra sangeet since childhood. So, she and my naani learnt Rabindra sangeet and I got to imbibe the same from my mum. She would explain the meaning and depth of Tagore songs to me. Some of my most favourite Rabindra sangeet compositions are Tomar Duar Kholar Dhwani, Maharajo Eki Saje, Ami Tomaro Songe Bedhechi Amaro Pran and Tumi Robe Nirobe.

Dr Palash Sen

As a child brought up in Jammu, my leaning was more towards North Indian languages than Bengali. So, Rabindra Sangeet to me meant people singing sad songs, because I didn’t understand it. As I grew up, I understood its nuances. Rabindra sangeet is legendary because the writing is one of its kind. The poetry and compositions are so unique that no one can even come close to it. Tagore aka Kobi guru could express the most intense emotions so simply. My favourite song by him is Akash Bhora, which talks about the beauty of Nature and how we should take care of it. It amazes me how he highlighted the importance of preserving Nature so many years ago, something that people talk about now. What a genius!

Akriti Kakar

Every time I hear any piece of Rabindra Sangeet, it calms me down. The sheer richness of it is so attractive. Yet the tunes set by Tagore are a benchmark of emotion and expression to perfection. Such life lessons said so simply. Even if you don’t understand Bengali, the Hindi and English adaptations are so soothing. When I started learning music, my first guru, Byomkesh Banerjee ji, taught me Rabindra Sangeet. As a kid, some of the first Tagore songs that I was taught were Amar Mukti Aaloy Aaloy and Boro Asha. They always remind me of my guru.

Madhubanti Bagchi

To me, Rabindra Sangeet is not just music, it’s a way of thinking, feeling and being. It’s deeply philosophical, and I’ve grown up surrounded by it — not just the songs, but also the literature of Rabindranath Tagore. It’s been an integral part of the culture I was raised in. So naturally, it shaped my mindset, aesthetics and music. Whatever I create or perform today carries that influence. Rabindra Sangeet has a unique melodic and emotional depth. The kind of notes, phrasing, and mood Tagore’s compositions evoke become a form of riyaaz. I believe that for many singers, especially those interested in expression and nuance, practising Rabindra Sangeet can be a powerful part of their vocal and emotional training. A couple of my favourite Rabindra Sangeet compositions would be Chhaya Ghanaichhe Bone Bone and Jakhon Eshéchhile. They carry such delicate emotion and haunting beauty.

Arko Pravo Mukherjee

Rabindra Sangeet is ingrained in my formative education because of exposure from an early age. We had a teacher to introduce Tagore’s philosophy to us. It has been highly influential in my understanding of the literary aspect of songwriting. Another remarkable thing to learn from Tagore’s work is the relevance of his ideas across cultures and society. All his songs resonate so deeply, but if I must pick one of his compositions that’s my favourite, it would be Tumi Robe Nirobe.