Run-through
Suchitra Sen’s 1971 performance of Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Krishnakoli Ami Tarei Boli’ is commemorated for its lyrical charm and singing grace. The tune, an ode to dusky appeal, embodies Tagore’s romanticism and pantheism. Sen’s intimate and luminescent voice, with minimalist instrumentation, enables the tune’s extensive words to resonate strongly.
Suchitra Sen’s 1971 performance of Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Krishnakoli Ami Tarei Boli, ‘( Her I Call Dark Bud) is a glowing, sparkling confluence of lyrical euphoria in the existence of appeal and singing grace. The tune, an ode to dusky charm -of nature-a woman-unfolds with Tagore’s signature mix of romanticism and pantheism.
‘Krishnakoli’ here is a sign of peaceful appeal, of the unmentioned beauty that lies all over, if you have the eyes to see. The words, tender and dragonfly lively in colloquial Bengali-‘Meghla diney dekhechhilam maathey/ Kalo meyr kalo horin chokh’ (I saw her on the meadow on a cloudy day./ Dark lady’s dark doe-eyes).
Sen is spellbinding with her voice that is both intimate and luminescent. She does not subdue the tune, however populates it. There’s a shimmer in her voice-a peaceful self-confidence, a subtle vibrato-that raises the tune from simple appreciation to rapture.
The track seems like a moonlit walk through a fall’s sunset: aromatic, melancholic and loaded with whispered discoveries. Paired with the minimalist instrumentation, Sen’s voice permits Tagore’s words to breathe, to sparkle.
(Disclaimer: The viewpoints revealed in this column are that of the author. The realities and viewpoints revealed here do not show the views of www.economictimes.com.)