CHENNAI: Bengalis in the city are looking forward to Rabindra-Nazrul Shondhya, an evening dedicated to commemorate two of the most celebrated poets of Bengal — Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam.
During the programme, which is a joint initiative by the members of T Nagar Bengal Association and South Madras Cultural Association, compositions of the two poets will be recited. While both the poets share their date of birth in May, celebrations here are organised only in July as most Bengalis go to their native places for summer vacations. “In June, we plan and rehearse for the programme,” says Rinku Roy, one of the organisers.
While Rabindranath Tagore gained worldwide fame as a Nobel laureate, Kazi Nazrul Islam is a prolific writer with numerous poems on themes of devotion, patriotism, revolution and love to his credit.
Speaking about the distinct style of their music, Rinku Roy, who has studied their works closely, says “While there were many direct disciples for Rabindranath Tagore, who passed on his compositions in his exact tune to the next generation, it was not the case with Nazrul. As a result, many classical artistes added their own touch to Nazrul’s compositions. So, there is a prevalent notion that Nazrul geeti is difficult to sing without classical training.”