Iman … weaving Tagore into the warp, weft of her life
‘Tumi Jake Bhalobasho’ fame to sing live in Kuwait DAI
WBy Chaitali B. Roy
hen ‘Praktan’, a poignant film delineating sensitive relationships released in 2016, it presented a new singing sensation whose soulfully rendered ‘Tumi Jake Bhalobasho’ remained on the consciousness and lips of millions of Bengali speaking people for a long time. The film not only performed splendidly at the usually sedate box office in Tollywood, but it also shot the singer — Iman Chakraborty into national prominence.
Her debut song bagged her the much coveted ‘National Award’ for best playback singing, an elusive milestone, a much-nurtured dream for many artists. In fact, she is among a select few to have won a national award for their debut song in India. “Frankly speaking, the National Award is something I never expected. I never gave it much thought, and so it is a huge thing in my life,” says the singer who will perform live in Kuwait at a concert organized by Jadavpur University Alumni Association and Shree Guru Productions on Thursday, Sept 14 at the Indian Embassy Auditorium.
An accomplished young singer, Iman Chakraborty has marked out a unique place for herself with her distinct rendition of Rabindra Sangeet, which are songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian Nobel Laureate. Iman’s performance and interpretation is marked by occasional experiments with instrument and rendition.
Most practitioners and admirers of Rabindra Sangeet are fiercely protective of traditionalist practice, with variations drawing severe censure, but Iman Chakraborty has not only impressed the pundits but also won over a large audience in the Bengali speaking world. “For me, Tagore is not just an inspiration or an influence. He is integrally interwoven into my life and in my whole being. He has the same influence on me as a parent on his/ her child, and so his songs, his poetry and his work in its entirety is something I worship, love and practice,” shares the singer who tries to bring out her personal understanding of Tagore’s songs thus giving a different shade to her rendition while keeping its authenticity and originality intact.
Magic
Tagore created magic with his words. His large and varied repertoire has a song for every season and every reason which makes it universal. Iman believes that to render the songs of Tagore an artist needs a deep understanding of his life and values. Few singers today try to plumb the depths of Tagore’s music and philosophy. Iman has tried to retain their originality while presenting the songs in their full glory.
Iman’s repertoire also includes other forms of music besides Rabindra Sangeet. She is particularly known for her command over folk songs. Initiated into learning music by her mother Krishna, she trained in the Hindustani classical tradition. When Saregama, a leading Indian music company released her first album, it marked the beginning of her musical journey as a professional.
Continuing to speak of Tagore and interpreting his songs as an artist, Iman says, “Tagore was far ahead of his time. He was progressive and humanistic in his thinking. He disliked restrictions and limitations because of which he continues to be relevant and contemporary even after 150 years of his death. Unfortunately, those who sing his songs try to control and rein him in. Perhaps that is not the right thing to do,” muses the singer for whom Tagore’s work is central to the warp and weft of her life. “To sing his songs one has to understand him better,” she says. “Tagore has spoken in favour of several issues like women’s empowerment and education, the importance of child psychology and widow remarriage. He rose above music. Her versatility, husky soulfulness and attractive stage presence won her a large fan base in India and the diaspora. “I prefer doing stage shows to recording music. There are many essential details to recording music, but there is a certain spontaneity in stage performances. Singing ‘live’ on stage is a different experience. The audience gives you immediate feedback, and you interact with them directly. It is a special feeling communicating with them and feeling their response.”
It has been a long journey for a small town girl, but Iman Chakraborty has travelled the path well bolstered by her talent and selfbelief. When asked what marks her out from the singers of her generation, she says, “I do not think I am different in any way. In fact, I would say I am still learning. In fact, there is no end to learning.” Iman will sing live in Kuwait at a show organized by Jadavpur University Alumna Association and Sree Guru Production on Thursday, Sept 14 at the Indian Embassy Auditorium.
A Docent is a volunteer who teaches visitors about art in the museum’s galleries. Docents create meaningful experiences with museum visitors as they explore the world through works of art. They inspire and nurture discovery by encouraging visitors to look more deeply into artworks, and they help to enrich the lives of others by connecting people to art and the museum.
Anyone with an interest in art and, more important, a willingness to share that interest with others. Of course, there is training involved and we do ask that all our Docents volunteer at least three hours per month at the Amricani Cultural Centre.
An information meeting for the next class of Docents will be held on Saturday, Sept 30, 10-12 am, at the Amricani Cultural Centre. At the meeting, participants will be briefed on the role of Docents in the DAI and set the training schedule for the autumn sessions.
The training, approximately 12-15 hours, covers the following subjects: Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah The al-Sabah Collection What is a museum? Story of Amricani Conservation and The al-Sabah Collection Islamic Art History Introduction to pre-Islamic art Introduction to Harvard University Project Zero Thinking Routines
Introduction to Splendors from the Ancient East exhibition and associated exhibitions
Introduction to Verses from the Holy Quran on Works of Art exhibition
Guided walk through Splendors from the Ancient East exhibitions
Guided walk through Verses from the Holy Quran on Works of Art exhibition
For more information or to sign up for the Sept 30 meeting, please email education@darmuseum.org. kw.