With the weekend coming, time to focus on something different and explore the lighter side. Sahana Bajpaie, as some of you know, has recently released an album on Rabindra Sangeet. Last time we checked, the cds were flying off the shelves and the buyers were mostly of younger kind who do not typically pick Tagore when it comes to their music taste. So what made the difference this time around? Well partly its Sahana’s singing and partly it is musical composition around the songs by Ornob. Both gives a very trendy brush up to the old man’s song. Here is one of the songs from the album. Click here to listen or download.

Feedback’s Maqsud tried something similar 8 years ago. At that time, he said he wanted to make Rabindra Sangeet played in the dance floor of clubs in 2010 and that was his attempt of updating the songs. Novel idea but poor execution. But even outrageous was the reaction he got. Out came the knives of the Tagore fundamentalists. Pages after page were written by Wahidul Huq, Sanjida Khatun and the similar leading Rabindra gurus saying that this shows extreme disrespect towards the great poet and these should immediately stop. Bechara Maqsud was virtually banned from doing any further show in BTV after that.

None of that happened this time around thankfully — perhaps its because of Sahana’s Shantinikentoni background. But the grumblings can be heard in private gatherings while discussing her music. “This is not real Rabindra Shangeet”, “Rabindra Sangeet should not be dilulated by the bands” etc etc. Yes, its the age old fight between traditionalists vs the experimentalists. No matter what the traditionalists say, however, who would have thought only 10 years ago that there would be Lalon giti sung in front of 85000 people in Germany along with the likes of U2’s Bono? If you don’t believe it, click on the link to see it.

I have no problem in spelling it out. Had it not been for the band Bangla — a group by twenty and thirtysomethings, Lalon Geeti would have never been popular among the urban youth. Similarly, I think Sahana is doing for Rabindra Sangeet what Ahnusheh and Bangla band did for Lalon Giti in Bangladesh — gave it a rebirth among the new generation.

Here is a bit more on Sahana and Ornob

Here is a video interview and hear it in her own words.

It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think about these experiements to make the traditional music popular among the younger generation? Good, bad or plain and simply ugly? At some stage of the debate, we will try to get Sahana’s view on any criticism.