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Rekha Bhardwaj, Soumyojit Das and Sourendro Mullick At The Launch Of 'Bongo Shongo' In Mumbai
Posted On: 29 April 2019It was an evening that left many music lovers wanting for more. After all, it’s not every day that you get to hear a soulful singer Rekha Bharadwaj rendering a Rabindra Sangeet.
Mumbaikars were treated to this amazing show featuring the Sufi playback songster along with musicians Soumyojit Das and Sourendro Mullick.
On April 19, music lovers witnessed Bongo Shongo’s Tagore & We concert at the Tata Theatre, NCPA. For the first time in the city, Rekha presented Rabindra Nath Tagore’s music, fusing popular Tagore numbers with Indian ragaas, Sufi and Ghazals.
Having had Bengali influences in her formative years, she was introduced to Tagore through the inimitable 'Kabuliwala’. Some of her favourite Rabindra Sangeet melodies include Ekla Cholo Re and Aaj Jysotna Raate.
Rekha said, “Once I start singing his songs, I just can’t stop. Sourendro and Soumyojit have changed the perspective of Tagore’s music for me and have explained all the deeper meanings of his words.”
Soumyojit, a vocal student of Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty wowed the audience with his rendition of Thillana accompanied by Sourendro, a piano student of the late Pandit V Balsara, Martin Keubert (Germany) and Late Ustad Villayat Khan. The program ended with a Bharavi presentation of ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ by the trio.
Raadha Kundu and Devneeta Law, founders of Bongo Shongo, said, “Our initiative aims to expose audiences to Bengali culture outside Bengal. The idea is to have periodic cultural events that have no specific club affiliation or any specific religious connotation.”