March 20, 2026 05:16 am (IST)
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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.
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