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Bengal

Melody lovers spoilt for choice this festive season

What is Durga Pujo without some new, melodious Bangla music? Du Chokhe Shrabon, this year’s brand new album of puja songs by Amit Kumar, features five modern Bengali songs by the talented singer and music composer, who earlier gave Bollywood hits like Bade Acche Lagte Hai and Yaad Aa Rahi Hai.

The album was recently launched in the presence of renowned filmmaker Goutam Ghose, musician Tanmoy Bose and Amit Kumar himself at a city bookstore. In the album, Amit has recalled his memories with his beloved mother Ruma Guha Thakurta through a song Maa.

Thakurta played a key role in Amit’s cultural nourishment, besides his legendary father Kishore Kumar. From his mother’s side, Amit inherited the rich legacy of Tagore’s songs and Bengali culture. 

Thakurta was the founder of one of Kolkata’s most popular choir groups – the Calcutta Youth Choir – where Amit performed as an young  percussionist. He and mother live in their Mumbai home, Gourikunj.

The album has been composed by Devjit Roy and released by Channel B Music. Roy has worked with Amit on more than seven albums. “Devjit is the only composer who worked on more than seven albums, including Sagarika which got the Gold Disc in 1999. It sold around two lakh copies. Much before Sagarika, Devjit made me sing in some Bengali movies in the early 90s, but he clicked in Sagarika. He has used my voice texture correctly in this album too. The title song has a semi classical touch. The songs have a wide range of variety,” said Amit.

The album has been produced by Bikash Chakladaar, while the venture has been supported by the Amit Kumar Fan Club. Lyrics have been penned by Sreeraj Mitra, Rajiv Tarun Singha and Devjit Roy himself. Songs like Du Chokhe Shrabon, Hoyto Tomay Pabo Bole, Maa, Chole Aay are worth a mention.

Amit’s journey began in 1973 with songs like Jiniser Dam Bereche and Mone Mone Kato Din. His father made him sing his debut Puja song. Amit went on to sing Puja songs with composers like RD Burman Rocket Mondal, Devjit Roy and many more. A journey of more than 40 years in the Bangla pujor gaan scenario has culminated in his latest offering, Du Chokhe Shrabon.

Another Puja album to be launched by singer Riddhi Bandyopadhyay titled Bondhu, will dwell on the friendship between two immortal poets of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore and Rajanikanta Sen.

All six songs, three each by the two composers, hinge on the theme of submission, a motif in the works of both poets. “Rabindranath and Rajanikanta Sen enjoyed  a quiet friendship. Tagore even came to see the ailing Rajanikanta in hospital in 1910. Rajanikanta had also acted in a play by Tagore, Raja O Rani”, Riddhi told Millennium Post.

Bandyopadhyay recently initiated the installation of a marble statue of Rajanikanta in the city and edited a compilation of writings on the bard. The album will be launched by INRECO.

In addition to these albums, two singers from Assam are all set to release their  albums of new Bangla modern songs, meant for melody lovers, to celebrate the festive season. One is by Chandrima Bhattacharya and the other one by Madhusmita.

All songs of Chandrima's album Aamar Chokher Ghore have been penned by Srijato and composed by Joy Sarkar. INRECO will release it on September 24.

Meanwhile, Madhusmita's album Setu is a bilingual, featuring Bengali and Assamese songs. Notably, her co-singer is none other than Nachiketa Chakraborty, and the one will be launched on  September 23 by  Sony DADC.
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