UNESO to host cultural programme to commemorate Tagore

The programme is a part of the two-day High-Level Sponsoring Committee (HLSC) for the Reconciled Universal for Rabindranath Tagore,Pablo Neruda and Aime Cesaire.

India and Bangladesh are engaged in joint celebrations to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Tagore and have been organising a host of events across the globe. The UNESCO event will be webcast on their official website tomorrow.

The event will begin with the screening of the official portrait of one of the celebrated poets of the 21st century directed by Satyajit Ray,a great admirer of the man Tagore,his works and vision.

The dramatised sequences in the film of a young Tagore are moving and lyrical and are sure to make the high-profile audience spell-bound at the UNESCO Headquarters.

Then the audience will be treated to recitation of Tagore’s poetry by one of the country’s most celebrated directors Aparna Sen followed by Hindi rendition of Tagore’s poems by Kavitha Krishnamurthy. Krishnamurthy will perform ‘Surya Taaron se’ (Aakash Bhora),’Teri Awaj Pe yadi’ (Jodi Tor Daak Shone),’Tum Kya Ho Bas’ (Tum Kee Keboli) and ‘Man Mera Udta Jaaye’ (Mono Mor Meghaero Shongee)- all Hindi renditions of Tagore’s songs.

The programme will then move on to a violin recital of Tagore’s poems by Dr L Subramaniam who will perform a Ragam,Tanam and Pallavi in Raga Simhendramadhyamam which is one of the 72 parent scales in South Indian classical music.

The silver lining comes when the Bengali rendition of Tagore’s poems will be presented by Shama Rehman from Bangladesh.

This year alone,to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore,Shama has cut five audio albums of Tagore songs on Prem (love),Prokriti (nature),Puja (Devotional),Swadesh (patriotic) and Bichitra (diverse) and to celebrate the 100 years of the publication of Gitanjali,she has cut four audio albums,under UNESCO Reconciled Universal Pogramme.

The event will then move on to ‘Tagore Lounge’ by Bickram Ghosh,one of the top percussionists of our country.

Tagore Lounge is a unique presentation where Tagore’s mellifluous songs blend with Indian Classical Ragas and a riveting modern soundscape relying heavily on masterful rhythms created through a blend of traditional acoustic and electronic instruments.

The programme will come to an end with Bengali rendition of Tagore’s poems by Santanu Roychoudhury.