| Told by | Prof. Sukanti Dutta |
| Obtained by | Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee |
| Date | 29th December, 2016 |
| Place | Paikpara |
| About the speaker | Academician, Musician, Music Connoisseur |
| Tags | 1975, Rabindra Sadan, Begum Akhtar, Vishmadev Chattopadhyay, Nikhil Banerjee, Patdeep, Alap, Jor, Jhala, Acoustics, Sitar, Ali Akbar Khan, Darbari Kanada, Classical Music, Swapan Chowdhury, Uthan, Tabla, Kani |
| Language | Bengali, English |
Prof. Sukanti Dutta speaks :
Verbatim:
1975 ?, ???? ???????? ????, ???? ???????? ?????? ???????? ????, ?? ???????? ???????????? ?? ????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ??????????, ??????? ????? ???????? ????????????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?????????? ???, ???????? ???????????? ???, ???? ????????????? ???, ????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???????? ????????, ???? ?????? ???, ?????? ????? ???? ???????? ?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ?????? ????, ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????????, ?? ????? ???? ????? ???????????,
???? ???? ????? ??? ???, ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ????????? ?????, ???? ???????, ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??? ????, ?? ??????????? ??? ????, ???? ????, ?? ??? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ?? ???????????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ??? ???? ?? ????, ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ??, ?? ????? ??????? ???, ?????? ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ????? ??????? ????, ??????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????????? ???? ???????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ???????????? ??? ??????, ?? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ??? ????? ????????, ??? ??? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?????, ??? ?????? ???? ?????????, ??? ?? ????????? ?? ??????????????? ???? ???? ????? ???????, ??? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ????, ??? ??? ????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ?????? ?????? ?????????, ?????? ?? ???????? ?? ???? ????, ??? ????? ???????? ???? ?? ???????? ???? ???????????? ????? ????? ??????, ??????????? ???????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??????, ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ??????? ??? ??? ????????????????? ?????????, ?? ???? ???? ??? ????????? ???? ???? ????????????????? ???, ??? ???? ??, ???? ?? ????????? ???????? ???? ??, ????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????, ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ?????????? ????? ?? ??????????? ????, ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ???????? ?????, ?? ????? ????? ???? ?? ????????? ??? ??????, ???? ?????? ???, ??????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ???????? ????, ????, ???? ???? ???? ?????? ??????????? ????? ??????? ????? ????, ??? ???? ????? ?? ???????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ????????, ??????????? ????, ?? ????? ????? ???? ?? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????, ??? ?? ???????, ???? ???? ???? ?????????? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??????, ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ???????????? ????? ????, ??? ??? ???????? ??????, ???? ???? ???????? ?? ??????? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?????????? ?????????????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?????????? ??, ??? ?? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ?????????? ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????, ??? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ??, ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ????? ??, ??????? ????? ????? ?????????? ?? ????? ???? ???????, ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ????????? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ???? ???????
Verbatim: Ms. Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Translation:
In 1975, there was a programme in remembrance of Begum Akhtar in Rabindra Sadan. Nikhil Banerjee and Vismadeb Chattopadhyay were to perform consecutively. People were a bit baffled to hear that an instrument would be played before the vocal. But later I heard that Nikhil Banerjee himself requested it, as Vismadeb was a very senior musician and he should complete the programme. As it was a tribute to Begum Akhtar, Nikhil Banerjee played raga Patdeep. I remembered two things clearly, one was that it took fifty-two or fifty- three minutes to complete the raga with alaap, jod and jhala and it was bewitching. It was like hypnotism and I remined fixed through the performance with my legs one upon another. Afterwards I couldn’t move my legs but the heavenly tune was still there after the music was over. At that time Rabindra Sadan had one of the best aquistics and his sitar had the best tone and quality. Apart from the technical brilliance the performance was superb. The loftiness or transcendence through music was quite rare. I experienced it four times, I think. Once with Ali Akbar Khan’s Darbari Kanara made this magic. But, this performance in 1978 or 79 it was unique. It was so uplifting one can not express it in words. We use the term transfiguration in literature but transcendence is the best word to express it.
Afterwards I went out for a stroll to relieve the cramp on my legs and also to move away from the performance of Swapan Choudhury who started the tabla with gusto. With full respect to him, he should think about the atmosphere created by the earlier performance and chose his piece well. Anyway, I suddenly spotted a person crying helplessly outside. I thought of some misfortune must had befallen him. But he was also inside and experienced the music which had shaken our soul. Nikhil Banerjee had taken the experience of music to another level and no one could come close to that. This was one of my unique experiences.
Translation by: Rajeswary Ganguly Banerjee
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University.