Reflections on Tagore
Amreeta Sen

Rabindranath Tagore: The Singer and His Song
By Reba Som.
Penguin/Viking.
Pages 291. Rs 599.

THERE was once a shy and lonely boy who lived more than a century ago in Bengal. Born into a highly talented family with 14 siblings, most of whom were remarkably gifted in some way or the other, this youngster was, however, almost always alone, left in the care and tyranny of servants. This irked him, while the discipline of school life suffocated him. But paradoxically, he was happiest when left alone for he was never lonely. He, as this author, points out was essentially an observer of life.

Into this rather lonely childhood danced in "a beautiful princess from a wondrous land, to the accompaniment of shenai music—a new bride, full of youthful beauty, wearing thin gold bangles on slender brown wrists", so wrote Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, in 1940, a year before his death. This "princess" was Kadambari Devi, wife of Rabi’s older brother, Jyotirindranath. Rabi’s Natun Bouthan came into his life when he was only seven, and she a bewildered child-bride of nine. She died early, this beloved playmate and companion of the poet’s formative years, but she in essence created and shaped the genius that was Rabindranath. He never forgot her.

Tagore was famed for his poetry, but it his songs, as he himself once remarked, that have made him immortal. Theirs was also a musical family, where Western songs and Brahmo influence united in a medley with kirtan, baulgeeti and classical ragas. His music was spontaneous, yet underlined with deep pathos or sometimes it rang with unrestrained joy, holding up a mirror to life.

Reba Som paints a delightful cameo of the poet’s father’s friend, Srikantha babu, who would make periodic appearances in the Jorasanko home with a hookah in one hand and the sitar in the other. They would sing popular Hindi songs, dancing in and out of rooms in an outburst of merriment and spontaneity .The old man would weave wildly to the young boy’s tuneful piping. Tagore’s father was however more amused than impressed with his son’s musical skills.

Throughout his life, Tagore was vastly intrigued by the spiritual power in music, especially the classical ragas. He could almost visualise each of them separately and in music and song, he recognised his jeevan devata—the Divine Being to whom he was bound for all times.

England came and went, so did marriage, death, overwhelming sorrow and tremendous fame. In between all of this, Tagore experimented with forms of music, with the setting up of a school that gave a sense of wide-open skies and freedom to its students, with the twin tugs of patriotism and creation.

The different seasons brought out different facets in Tagore’s music—he found in nature, writes the author, "a continuous and ever-present spiritual presence, which was held in balance and harmony". The celebration of the seasons through song and dance became an annual feature among Tagore’s students in Shantiniketan.

Spring (basanta), radiant and evergreen was to him the King of Seasons and monsoon (varsha), cloaked with the beauty of clouds, the crown of silver-gold lightning, shining on her dark tresses, the beautiful Queen. The other seasons tripped in between, laughing and scattering their offerings. They brought music alive for the poet and he poured out his feelings in mystic lyrics:

Death was a shadow dancing bleakly behind the poet’s music. Came Geetanjali, which crowned him Nobel Laureate, Geetobitan, a collection of his songs, came his poems, his novels and stories. Genius applauded and recognised, crowned him with the starburst of glory but Death always kept pace. First his mother, Sarada Debi, then so tragically Natun Bouthan, later his wife, Mrinalini, his daughters, Bela and Renuka, his youngest son, Samindranath `85 death was a constant presence and the poet came to realise that life was strung from exquisite but momentary joys and deeper sorrows ...

Victoria Ocampo, whom he met and loved in the twilight of his life, was instrumental in uncovering another facet of Tagore, his painting. It was she who inspired him to bring his "doodles" as he called them to the light of the day in an exhibition at the prestigious Gallerie Pigalle in Paris and the world discovered Tagore, the painter.

And yet, in his paintings was the image of a pensive, oval-faced woman with large soulful eyes ...

We should be glad that Reba Som discovered Tagore’s music anew in a little deserted chapel in Rome while she was accompanying her diplomat husband in their numerous sojourns around the world. A trained Rabindrasangeet singer herself and author of numerous books `85 that little chapel laid the roots for a remarkable insight into Tagore’s life woven and interlaid in his response to music ... .

A curious co-incidence, the compact disc, exclusive with this book, contains all my favourite Tagore songs `85 that is a remarkable co-incidence ... but still ... .

And a little boy scatters wildflowers in the monsoon rain and sings `85 a young girl laughs `85 and the years vanish ... dewdrops in time ... .

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