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Bengal

Collector's archive boasts of Tagore's songs in his own voice

Listening to Rabindranath's duet Tomar shurer dhara that got cancelled as the poet laughed at the end when the recording was on is an overwhelming experience.

The Bard's duet was with Rama Mazumdar, daughter of his friend Srishchandra Mazumdar, alias Nutu. Roma was raised in Santiniketan and later got married to artist Suren Kar. Tagore cut the record on April 11, 1932. The record that got "rejected" was collected by Surajlal Mukhopadhyay, the famous record collector in June 1980. Mukhopadhyay's archive maintained by his in-law Amit Guha has a collection of around 75,000 records.

Tagore's sister-in-law whose name was not printed on the cover of the record had translated his famous Bengali song Mor bina othe kon shure baje and sung it in Gujarati in the mid 1930s. Hindusthan Record had publish a solo song sung by Rabindranath — Amar Paran Loye ki khela (record number H 49). The song in those days was known as Rabibabur gaan and not as Rabindra Sangeet.

Along with songs, Tagore was also interested in reciting poems and had cut nearly 20 records. Hindusthan Records, whose owner Chandi Charan Saha popularly known as C C Saha, was one of Tagore's closest associates and he cut a record Chotto Birpurusher Kahini (Mone koro jano bidesh ghure) in 1932.

On the label of the record is written Bengali recitation by Dr Rabindra Nath Tagore (record number H 342). Tagore was present in the HMV studio when Gahar Jan was cutting one of his songs despite ill health. In early 1930s, Tagore had recited his famous poem Hriday amar nachere ajike moyurer moto nache re and Hindusthan Records brought it out for public (record no H 49).

Columbia Records published Tagore's recitation after his death in 1941 Hey more sandhya. It also brought out Bharat Tirtha, a recitation by Tagore. The poet had recited both his poems in All India Radio shortly before World War II broke out in 1939. Again, Hindusthan Records brought out his recitation Juhlan (record no H 812).

The poet liked his poem Sonartari whose famous lines are Gagane garaje megh nahi borosha and recited it which Hindusthan Records published. His Master's Voice had published Tagore's famous recitation Krishnakali. Tagore had cut a song Amar sesh paraner kori which HMV published. This song was made popular by Debabrata Biswas.

Few people know that Narendranath Dutta had sung Tagore's composition Satya Magala Premamayo tumi in the house of Pradhan Acaharya of Brahmo Samaj to celebrate the 57th Maghotsav.
Again, during the marriage of Lilabati Devi, daughter of Rajnarayan Basu with Krishnakumar Mitra, Tagore had composed a couple of songs and Swamiji had sung them along with Sundarimohan Das, Andha Chunilal and Kedarnath Chattopadhyay. Two of these songs were Dui Hridayer Nodi and Subhodine Esecho dohe.
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