Rabindrasangeet Vichitra: Rabindra Sangeet Miscellany

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The word of the songs of Rabindranath Tagore is eternally thrilling and enchanting. It brings forth a vast panorama of human life and experience encapsulating joy and sorrow, love and languishment, pleasure and pain, union and detachment besides a look beyond.

This English translation of Santidev Ghosh's Rabindrasangeet Vichitra makes an in-depth study of the music of Rabindranath Tagore. Analysing the influence of foreign culture and music on Bengali life in general and on Tagore's songs in particular, it discusses at length his songs of moving emotions and the pattern of speaking. Further delineating a few characteristics of division of words in Tagore's songs, it also reviews the influence of Bengali songs on him. An assessment of Rabindrasangeet from the perspective of the audience and a comparative study of Tagore and Pandit Bhatkhande make part of the discussion as well.

Santidev Ghosh, the son of Kalimohan, a close associate of Rabindranath Tagore in the setting up the Rural Reconstruction Unit at Visva Bharati, and Monorama Devi, was born on 24 Baisakh 1317 (May 07, 1910) in Chandpur in the erstwhile East Pakistan.

Santidev had his school education at the Santiniketan Ashrama Vidyalaya which Tagore had founded in 1901. This is where he acquired proficiency in music, dance and acting under the direct guidance of the Poet himself and Dinendranath. As Tagore's emissary. he visited Sri Lanka, Burma and Indonesia to learn music and dance of neighbouring countries.

Santidev joined Visva-Bharati in 1930 as a teacher. He married Smt. Ila Ghosh in 1946. Later he became Professor and Head of the Department of Rabindra Music and Dance at Sangit-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati. He also served as the Principal of the institute between 1964-68 and 1971-73.

Santidev was appointed a member of the Advisory Board of Akashvani, Calcutta in 1948 and served as a member of the Publication Committee of the Sangeet-Natak Academy. New Delhi (1956-60). He was the President of the Music Section of Prabasi Bango Sahitya Sammelan and Assam Sahitya Sammelan (1964). The prolific singer widely travelled in India and abroad. He visited the United Kingdom, Japan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the former USSR in order to acquaint himself with the culture and traditions of those countries and also propagating ideals of Rabindranath.

Santidev has to his credit quite a few authentic publications on the subject Music and Dance. They include Rabindra Sangeet (Tagore Music). Java O Balir Nrityageet (Music and Dance of Java and Bali), Rupakar Nandalal (Artist Nandalal), Bharatiya Gramin Sanskriti (Folk Culture in India), Rabindranather Sikshadarshe Sangit O Nritya (Music and Dance in Rabindranath's Educational Philosophy), Gurudev Rabindranath O Adhunik Bharatiya Nritya (Gurudev Rabindranath and Dances of Modern India). Rabindra Sangeet, Vichitra (Rabindra Sangeet Miscellany), Nrityakala O Rabindranath (The Art of Dance in the Eyes of Rabindranath) and Jiboner Dhrubatara (The Polestar of Life), his autobiography.

Santidev's proficiency in the fields of Music and Dance has been richly rewarded. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1985, Deshikottama by Visva-Bharati in the same year. He also received Honorary D. Litt. from Burdwan and Rabindra Bharati Universities in 1991 and 1990 respectively. West Bengal Government honoured him with the Allauddin Puraskar (1997) and Tamraphalak (1981). He was also a recipient of the Ananda Puraskar and Rathindra Puraskar. He was honoured with a Special Medal from Russia on Tagore's Birth Centenary in 1961. He also served as a Fellow, Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi and Rabindra Tattvacharya at the Tagore Research Institute, Kolkata.

Santidev died on 1 December 1999.

To sit at the feet of a great master is in itself a rare chance. To sit at the feet of a great scholar in Rabindrasangeet like Santidev Ghosh is, indeed, more than good fortune and a blessing.

Notwithstanding the unusual ukase in the arena of Rabindra- sangeet that even now runs riot and, more often than not, tarnishes the image of Rabindranath Tagore as a incomparable contributor to the world of music, Santidev, like a lone but uncompromising crusader, has taken up the arduous task of shattering a lot of vicissitudes and disillusions about Rabindranath and his songs.

Santi-Da, as we endearingly and respectfully call him, is an enkindling institution by himself. Prior to his visit to Japan on an invitation to participate in the Bharat Utsav (Festival of India) as an exponent of Rabindrasangeet, he assigned to the present translator the task of translating his "Rabindra Pravartita Nritya" (Desh, Vinodan 1987)- "Dance as introduced by Rabindranath"- which he read out in the Bharat Utsav in Japan. In fact, it is the everflowing fountain of inspiration of Santi-Da with which the present translator is abundantly blessed.

Words fail to express my endless gratitude to Santi-Da who has from time to time inspired me with suggestions and criticisms to improve the work.

I do not want to belittle by mere mentioning the generosity of Sri Prabhat Kumar Pal, my friend and colleague, who has always inspired me to complete my work.

I am grateful to my student, Smt. Subhra Seal, a former employee of the Rabindra-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, who has taken all the interest in supplying me with The Visva-Bharati Quarterly for the English rendering of Tagore's "Amar Sonar Bangla, Ami tomay bhalobasi" by Amiya Chakraborty, which is quoted in the Appendix. I cannot but recall and owe my endless indebtedness and inspiration that Pranati Chakrabarti, my wife, has always provided me, leaving aside her personal interest for my excellence in the work. Now that she is my inmost endearing partner in tears of bereavement for life beyond life, I serenely listen to her soft-spoken loving and living words within myself: 'Beside you am I forever, march on!" How can I repay her, and where?.

**Contents and Sample Pages**