Poems recalling Tagore

Bengal Foundation organised a recitation programme titled 'Ebong Rabindranath' performed by Laila Afroz and Hasan Arif at the Bengal Shilpalay recently.

The background of the stage was a big sky framed with clay and two banners carrying the inscriptions 'Ebong Rabondranath' and 'Bengal Foundation'. There were flowers on the stage and many paintings on the wall of the small auditorium.

The artistes were wearing traditional Bangali dress as Laila was in a white and orange coloured saree and Hasan was wearing a white panjabee.

The programme started with Rabindranath Tagore's poem Karno Kunti Sangbad, with a solemn music being played on violin in the background. Laila's voice was pleasing as she was acting as Karno's loving mother with the son being played by Hasan. The colour of the background sky was changing with the mood of the poem. When there was grief in the poem the colour was gray and when Kunti showed love to her son Karno the colour was bright blue.

Hasan Arif explained that they will recite poems by and on Rabindranath, and that is why the title was 'Ebong Rabindranath'. He recited a comic poem Makal that earned great applause from the audience. Shangsharer Chalchitro composed by Swapnomoy Karmokar was recited with a tune of Ektara and flute in the background. It was a poem about a boy who talked about his mother who was very fond of Tagore.

The duo recited a series of anti-war poems that included Rabindranath Tumi Shono by Harunur Rashid and Bangladesh by Sohrab Hasan, both written during the Liberation War. Recitation of Bajubandh Khuley Khuley Jay by Abu Taher protested against the wars taking place in Bosnia, Iraq and the rest of the Middle East.

The recitation featured a very interesting characteristic. The poems had some lines from Tagore's songs and Afroz sang those lines with her melodious voice and a pensive tune of violin followed.

Saree by Shubodh Sharkar was a poem on violence against women, Duhshwapney Akdin by Shamsur Rahman was about the disorder of the society and Bangeshwarby Manish Ghatok was a poem on agitation against the British regime. The sky in the back-ground was dark black at these moments.

There was also a recitation of some poems of love like Aruna by Dawood Haidar and Aruna, Tumi Bhalo Theko by Mohammad Samad. A poem of a Santal lover was recited by Afroz with the rhythm of tabla and the audience's clapping with the rhythm enhanced the enjoyment.

There was a poem about a family that denies the Bangali culture and to this the audience laughed heartily. There were some other amusing poems like Governmenter Taka by Nirmalendu Gun, Kharap by Ramen Rayhan, Bangla Na Engreji by Shubodh Sarkar. Bhalobasha 1975 by Nurul Huda was a poem recited in the manner ofputhipath by Afroz. They concluded the programme by the Tagore-song Diner Sheshe.