The close companion of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, Acharya Sailajaranjan Majumdar (1901-1976), who had a huge contribution in popularizing Tagore’s songs was remembered at a programme held at the Music and Dance Centre of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Wednesday.
The academy and Chayanika jointly organised the programme titled Rabir Kironey Sailajaranjan to celebrate Majumdar’s 113th birth year anniversary where the Tagore song maestro was recalled through music, documentary screening and discussion sessions participated by the Tagore experts.
The programme began with the evergreen Tagore song Anandoloke mangaloke by the artistes of Chayanika. Artistes of Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Sammilan Parisad entertained the crowd with a chorus performance of Ar deri noy and Mon mor megher o songi.
At the discussion session, information minister Hasanul Haque Inu was present as the chief guest. Besides, professor emeritus Anisuzzaman, Tagore researcher Dr. ABM Nurul Anowar, director of the music and dance department of the academy Sohrab Uddin, and chief of Chayanika SB Biplob were also present as special guests.
Renowned Tagore singer Bulbul Islam presented E udasi howai pothe pothe and Ogo amar chiro ochena in his sober voice. Sajed Akbar, later, pleased the gathering when he presented Ami tomay chai sunabare. Laisa Ahmed Lisa and Semonti Manjuri’s soulful performance of Aji megh kete gechhe and Ami rupey tomay bholabo na created a joyful atmosphere in the hall.
However, the gathering not only enjoyed but also came to now about the intimate bonding between Tagore and Majumdar through the recitation of two letters that Tagore wrote to his friend Majumdar. The recitations were done by Dalia Ahmed and Bhaskar Bandopadhyay.
A documentary titled Rabir Kironey Sailajaranjan, directed by SB Biplob, was screened at the programme.
Sailajaranjan Majumdar was a distinguished exponent and teacher of the songs of Rabindranath. Although he had an aptitude for both vocal and instrumental music from his childhood, he followed his father’s wishes and took in 1924 a master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Calcutta and then acquired a degree in law. In 1932, he accepted an offer from Visva-Bharati to be a lecturer in Chemistry. It was during this time that he found an opportunity of learning Tagore’s songs from the poet himself as well as from his brother Dinendranath Tagore.
-With New Age input
