Written by Abira Bhowmick<\/p>\r\n
Tagore once wrote: “\u098f\u09a4 \u09b2\u09bf\u0996\u09c7\u099b\u09bf \u099c\u09c0\u09ac\u09a8\u09c7 \u09af\u09c7 \u09b2\u099c\u09cd\u099c\u09be \u09b9\u09df \u0986\u09ae\u09be\u09b0\u0964 …\u09a4\u09ac\u09c7 \u09b8\u09ac\u099a\u09c7\u09df\u09c7 \u09b8\u09cd\u09a5\u09be\u09df\u09c0 \u09b9\u09ac\u09c7 \u0986\u09ae\u09be\u09b0 \u0997\u09be\u09a8, \u098f\u099f\u09be \u099c\u09cb\u09b0 \u0995\u09b0\u09c7 \u09ac\u09b2\u09a4\u09c7 \u09aa\u09be\u09b0\u09bf\u0964 \u09ac\u09bf\u09b6\u09c7\u09b7 \u0995\u09b0\u09c7 \u09ac\u09be\u0999\u09be\u09b2\u09bf\u09b0\u09be…\u09af\u09c1\u0997\u09c7 \u09af\u09c1\u0997\u09c7 \u098f\u0987 \u0997\u09be\u09a8 \u09a4\u09be\u09a6\u09c7\u09b0 \u0997\u09be\u0987\u09a4\u09c7 \u09b9\u09ac\u09c7\u0987” (\u201cI have written so much in life\u00a0 that I feel ashamed\u2026However, I can say confidently, my songs will remain for eternity.\u00a0 Especially for Bengalis\u2026throughout the ages, they must continue to sing these songs.\u201d)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Yet, before the canonization of Rabindrasangeet, there was a notable absence of a\u00a0 comprehensive assessment of the Bard’s remarkable mastery of melody and lyrics. Despite the\u00a0 high regard held by many for Tagore, diverse opinions regarding his musical compositions\u00a0 have always existed. During the 1900s, the dominance of the Hindustani Classical singing\u00a0 tradition extended its influence over the entire landscape of Indian music, including Bengal.\u00a0 Professional vocalists from Lucknow, Varanasi, and other regions frequently travelled to\u00a0 Bengal, further shaping the musical milieu. Consequently, the contemporary influence on\u00a0 Tagore’s songs resulted in artistes deviating significantly from the original compositions and\u00a0 positioning them as a mere offshoot of Hindustani music.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
One such instance can be traced back to 1904 when Dwijendranath Bagchi recorded \u201c\u0995\u09c7\u09a8 \u09af\u09be\u09ae\u09bf\u09a8\u09c0 \u09a8\u09be \u09af\u09c7\u09a4\u09c7 \u099c\u09be\u0997\u09be\u09b2\u09c7\u09a8\u09be\u201d (\u201cWhy did you not awaken me before the night perished\u201d). Noted by scholars as the first song of Tagore to be commercially recorded and marketed, Bagchi\u00a0 performed the song entirely differently from what Tagore intended, changing the notation,\u00a0 lyrics, and even omitting certain stanzas.\u00a0In 1905, Manadasundari recorded “\u09ae\u09be\u099d\u09c7 \u09ae\u09be\u099d\u09c7 \u09a4\u09ac\u09c7 \u09a6\u09c7\u0996\u09be \u09aa\u09be\u0987” (\u201cI envisage you every now and\u00a0 then\u201d) which, although composed in Raga Kafi, was sung in Sindhu Raga, taking complete\u00a0 artistic liberty to modify the original creation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The same year Purnakumari Dasi recorded “\u0986\u09ae\u09bf \u09a4\u09cb\u09ae\u09be\u0995\u09c7 \u099c\u09be\u09a8\u09bf, \u0986\u09ae\u09bf \u099c\u09be\u09a8\u09bf” (\u201cI know you, I do\u201d) as\u00a0 \u201c\u09a4\u09cb\u09ae\u09be\u09df \u099a\u09bf\u09a8\u09bf \u0997\u09cb \u099a\u09bf\u09a8\u09bf \u09a4\u09cb\u09ae\u09be\u09b0\u09c7 \u0993\u0997\u09cb \u09ac\u09bf\u09a6\u09c7\u09b6\u09bf\u09a8\u09c0\u201d. Apart from the change in the opening verse,\u00a0 she also made several other alterations, infusing her interpretation into the composition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Despite the distortions, Tagore had limited recourse to take action without any copyright\u00a0 restrictions. At that time, these songs were labelled as \u201cRabibabur gaan\u201d, a shocking\u00a0 devaluation of Tagore’s intended artistic expression, rendering him a commercialized\u00a0 entertainer than a poet. The early recordings lacked the exquisite poetic beauty that later\u00a0 became synonymous with Rabindrasangeet. Tagore’s name was conspicuously absent as a\u00a0 credited lyricist on record labels, highlighting a lack of recognition for his profound\u00a0 contribution.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The devastating harm to the integrity of \u201cRabindrik\u201d ethos due to these audacious recordings\u00a0 continued until the poet resorted to legal measures. Dr. Purnendubikash Sarkar noted that on\u00a0 March 10, 1915, Tagore\u2019s solicitor, Khagendranath Chatterjee, wrote a letter to the\u00a0 Gramophone Company claiming royalty for a song composed by the poet. Subsequently,\u00a0 Rabindranath Tagore became the first songwriter in India to receive a royalty.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Further, on October 5, 1926, an agreement was signed which made obtaining the poet\u2019s explicit\u00a0 approval obligatory for any recording of Rabindrasangeet. This contract played a pivotal role\u00a0 in upholding the true visage of Tagore’s music, untainted by commercial interests and\u00a0 misrepresentation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Between 1926 and 1928, Tagore personally recorded numerous songs and recitations, such as\u00a0 \u201cKrishnakali\u201d and \u201cKarnakunti Sambad\u201d, perhaps to showcase the intended renditions of his\u00a0 compositions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
But the term \u201cRabindrasangeet\u201d was yet to gain popularity. It is believed on December 27,\u00a0 1931, Dhurjatiprasad Mukhopadhyay wrote an essay titled “\u09b0\u09ac\u09c0\u09a8\u09cd\u09a6\u09cd\u09b0\u09a8\u09be\u09a5\u09c7\u09b0 \u09b8\u0982\u0997\u09c0\u09a4” (Rabindranath\u2019s Music) for Tagore’s 70th birth anniversary, in which the term\u00a0 \u201cRabindrasangeet\u201d was used for the first time. In January 1935, Kanak Das\u2019s recording\u00a0 P11792, featuring “\u09ae\u09a8\u09c7 \u09b0\u09ac\u09c7 \u0995\u09bf\u09a8\u09be \u09b0\u09ac\u09c7 \u0986\u09ae\u09be\u09b0\u09c7” (\u201cWhether or not I remain in your\u00a0 recollection\u201d) and “\u0995\u09be\u099b\u09c7 \u09af\u09ac\u09c7 \u099b\u09bf\u09b2 \u09aa\u09be\u09b6\u09c7 \u09b9\u09b2 \u09a8\u09be \u09af\u09be\u0993\u09df\u09be” (\u201cWhen you were near, I couldn\u2019t\u00a0 reach you\u201d) first used \u201cRabindrasangeet\u201d on the label.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Starting from this juncture, Rabindrasangeet became a genre, essential in shaping the musical\u00a0 and cultural fabric of Bengal. Renowned artistes such as Amala Das, Suchitra Mitra, among\u00a0 others, emerged as the torchbearers. Tagore\u2019s melodic compositions transcended boundaries,\u00a0 offering vitality and life not just to a nation or community, but to the core of human experience\u00a0 itself.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Written by Abira Bhowmick Tagore once wrote: “\u098f\u09a4 \u09b2\u09bf\u0996\u09c7\u099b\u09bf \u099c\u09c0\u09ac\u09a8\u09c7<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":246,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rabindra-sangeet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2284,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219\/revisions\/2284"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brainwareuniversity.ac.in\/celebrating-tagore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}