MUMBAIi: -Rabindra Sangeet is possibly only one form of music, which is named after a human being. Named after Laureate Sir Rabindranath Tagore, Rabindra Sangeet is played in every Bengali household and is a vital part of a Bengali child’s growing up years. This form of music has been a part of Bengali culture for over a century now. However, with the passage of times, this form of music found its foothold across the world and developed a cult following too.
A compilation of his literary work of over 2500 compositions, is called Gitabitan, literally meaning – A garden of poems, is a major source of content for Rabindra Sangeet. The polymath was known to be a connoisseur of Indian classical music, understanding the nuances and nitty-gritty of Raagas. Thus, Rabindra Sangeet is heavily influenced by Indian classical music. For example, Swami Vivekananda composed a song, Ganer Thala in Rabindra Sangeet Style and based it on the Raag Jaijaiwanti. However, it also has influences of Carnatic music and obvious and strong streaks of Bengali folk music. Also, the hints of Western music cannot be ignored. Rabindra Sangeet is played in many churches in Kolkata too.
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The central part of Rabindra Sangeet is emotion. Tagore’s literary work ranged from happiness to pathos of a poor man and a rich man alike. Thus, in the vast library of Rabindra Sangeet, there is a song composed for possibly every human emotion and feelings. However, for non-Bengalis, this form of music might be difficult to understand due to the language barrier. The emotion of the song stays unmistakable though.
This form of music has inspired many classical musicians like Ustad Vilayat Khan, Sarod legend Buddhadev Dasgupta among many others. The form has integrated in Pop music too and Bollywood songs.
Even today, many Bengali artistes perform Rabindra Sangeet at their concerts. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa has formed a digital repository of Rabindra Sangeet.
