September 19, 2026 09:24 am (IST)
Follow us:
There can't be any tampering with Rabindrasangeet 'sur' : Sumitra Sen
Kolkata, May 22 (IBNS) Legendary Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen feels there can be no tampering with the 'sur' of Tagore songs.
"There can't be any tampering with the 'sur' in Tagore songs but music can be improvised a bit in a limited way," Sen told IBNS after being felicitated by leading jewellery brand P C Chandra last weekend.
"Music can never drown the words of any Rabindra Sangeet. There should rather be a perfect symmetry between 'sur' and 'bhab'. The instrumentation has to be done in that way," Sen, one of the doyens of Tagore school of music and whose name is uttered in the same breath with Suchitra Mitra and Ritu Guha and Dwijen Bandyopadhyay, said.
Appreciating the new generation of Tagore singers, she said "The credit goes to them to take forward the tradition of Rabindra sangeet."
Sumitra would not, however, single out any particular singer of the next generation among them.
"Accepting the honour in presence of my singer daughters Srabani Sen and Indrani Sen make me doubly happy. This is a proud moment for my family," she said.
Srabani, a popular Rabindra Sangeet singer among present generation, and Indrani regaled the select audience with timeless numbers ranging from Tomar Khola Haowa to Purano Sei Diner Katha (duet) to one of the most famous Tagore songs of Sumitra 'Megh Bolechhe Jabo jabo.'
"Yes it's one of the rare moments. With Maa sitting in the audience and we - the two sisters - singing her favourite brand of music," Indrani said.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Latest Headlines
‘We are carrying a legacy’: Iman Chakraborty’s Parampara brings over 150 young musicians together
Tue, Sep 08 2026
Pt. Prodyut Mukherjee and Abhijeeth Bhattacharjee present One World Fusion 2026: a grand Independence Day celebration in Hyderabad
Thu, Sep 03 2026
When the Body Becomes a Temple: The Ramnami Samaj's Century-Old Rebellion Now Inspires Kolkata's Durga Puja
Thu, Sep 03 2026
Tata Steel celebrates the legacy of Sir Dorabji Tata with immersive sports exhibition in Kolkata
Tue, Sep 01 2026
34 years later, ‘Holud Pakhi’ gets a Gen Z twist as 40 students recreate Cactus’ cult anthem
Tue, Sep 01 2026
From Ramnami tattoos to a global app: Chaltabagan's 'Nishan' takes Durga Puja beyond Kolkata
Mon, Aug 31 2026