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New tunes of Rabindra Sangeet
UNIQUE STYLE: Sinjini Acharya Mazundar
Sinjini Acharya Mazumdar is a Rabindra Sangeet exponent who wants to popularise the genre among non-Bengali listeners, in India and abroad. Currently a teacher at Santiniketan, she is also keen on introducing the youth to the compositions. She has created a performing style that is novel, untried and interactive.
Sinjini gave a performance recently at the India International Centre, inculcating her musical innovations, and became an instant crowd puller. In an interview, to Subhra Mazumdar she speaks on Rabindra Sangeet and her musical training .
You are a popular exponent of Rabindra Sangeet today. How did your musical training equip you for this role?
Actually it was my musical training at Santiniketan that made the difference. Though as a child I learnt Western classical, I learnt serious Hindustani classical music for 14 years under Guru Mohan Singh Khangura of Santiniketan’s Music Department. And for the last 20 years, I have been learning Rabindra Sangeet from Swastika Mukhopadhyaya, again from Santiniketan. This variety of learning trained me to develop a good base.
But how did it make you a better Rabindra Sangeet singer?
Quite early in my training I was made aware of the two streams of music and their characters. Classical music was basically sur pradhan (melody intensive) and Rabindra Sangeet was basically bani pradhan (verbal intensive) and as an exponent I have to make a conscious reproduction of the strengths of classical training in singing good Rabindra Sangeet. Then again, the entire atmosphere of Santiniketan makes one sing authentic Rabindra Sangeet.
Rabindra Sangeet, Santiniketan style, is a rather exclusive form of rendition. Do you conform to this requirement?
Yes, the singing is open-throated and spontaneous. Though the Vishwabharati Board has laid down precedents for its singing, this does not amount to rejection of all other innovations or styles of singing Rabindra Sangeet. There are senior artistes in the music world who have carved out a name for themselves in this sphere. Suchitra Mitra for instance, who is not from Santiniketan, has begun to speak of her music as a genre.
On stage you stand before the audience, clap hands, converse and sway to the rhythm, even inviting listeners to join you on stage and dance. Why?
Today, young people are used to interactive music sessions and Tagore is excellent for this type of mood enhancement. Besides, when I am singing before non-Bengali crowds, the mood of the music and the invitation to join in makes audiences more receptive. I have performed before audiences in Kerala, the U.S., and elsewhere and have found the response good .
Is this why you have begun to sing the Western folk numbers on which Tagore based his own creations?
Precisely. I have researched on them. Then I have sung the original and then in the Bengali Tagorean version alongside.
How can you get authentic by singing a Western song in an Indian trained voice?
Yes, I agree that is a problem, but I am on the lookout for a soprano trained voice to accompany me.
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Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
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