What Rabindra Sangeet means to Fahmida Nabi
“Like billions of Bengali children, my initiation into singing includes Amar sonar Bangla. Needless to say, as a nation our introduction to Tagore, or to be more precise Rabindra Sangeet, happens effortlessly,” says Fahmida Nabi.
Fahmida, a popular voice in the adhunik genre, recorded an album of Rabindra Sangeet titled Amar Bela Je Jaye. Released last year — under the banner of Impress Audio Vision Ltd — on the occasion of Tagore’s death anniversary, the album was much admired by music connoisseurs as well as average listeners.
This album follows the trend of “personal interpretation” of Tagore songs — a style quite often under fire. “Pundits” have laid down the law: Rabindra Sangeet must be rendered in a certain way. Artistes trying to experiment or break free from the tradition have been ostracised in the past.
“Is Rabindranath anyone’s personal property?” — asks Fahmida. “I’m a former student of philosophy and Socrates continues to inspire me, likewise Rabindranath’s creations will never cease to move me because our parents have instilled his values, his words and tunes in us when we were young,” says the artiste.
Fahmida goes over childhood memories: “I remember, early in the morning, my father (renowned adhunik singer Mahmudunnabi) would often hum one particular song — Ei monihaar amaye nahi shajey…
“He’d say, ‘Like knowledge, music should never have doors.’ Both are meant to broaden our creative horizons, not confine us with limitations.”
Hitting the issue that her renditions of Rabindra Sangeet have an unmistakable feel of adhunik songs, Fahmida reasons, “What exactly is ‘adhunik’? ‘Adhunik’ means contemporary. Can any ‘Tagore exponent’ say that Rabindranath’s creations are not contemporary? I consider his songs and literature enigmatic, phenomenally timeless.
“There was a point when I decided that under the circumstances I can’t continue singing and I did take a hiatus. I took up teaching, a profession I’ve always admired. Then one day, perhaps used in some TV play, I heard the song Jodi tor daak shuney keu na aashey…and that did it for me. I decided to resume my singing career and to my surprise I found well wishers and unbound support.”
“Prior to Amar Bela Je Jaye, I didn’t formally sing Rabindra Sangeet because I was apprehensive about how the Tagore exponents might react. But I’m over that apprehension now,” says the seemingly confident artiste.
According to Fahmida, “I try to articulate the way I envision Rabindranath’s songs.”
Case in point, the opening track (of Amar Bela Je Jaye), Tumi kon kanon-er phool. Fahmida’s wispy vocals effortlessly glide through the notes, breathing life to each word. The way she utters “Tomaye kothaye dekhechhi…”exudes desperation, yearning. It’s like poetry in motion.
Fahmida’s rendition of Amaro poran-o jaha chaye envisions a rainy evening, a melancholy admirer and her unconditional love. The vision is quite surreal, yet subtle and relatable.
“I get a sense of solitude in the songs. Even when the song is about love and two individuals are concerned, I feel that Rabindranath invariably goes back to the past, then presents a vision of what could be,” Fahmida explains, “Kobiguru was and remains the greatest motivator of all. The idea is to keep the past sealed within, embrace the grief of unrequited dreams and let that ignite a creative flame within.
“What’s said is obvious but the unique trait of Rabindra Sangeet is what’s left unsaid. And it is the ‘unsaid’ that I try to emphasise on when singing Tagore songs.”
Source: The Daily Star
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