Iman Chakraborty was in Hyderabad for a performance on the occasion of Basant Panchami organised by Bangiya Sanskritik Sangha.
Says Iman, “I had the opportunity to learn Hindustani classical music and folk songs from different regions of India. I mainly sing Rabindra sangeet and folk songs of India, but also have a repertoire of old and new songs. I am open to a certain level of freshness in the existing format of singing in terms of accompaniments on the instruments and the presentation of the songs.
“In this world of fast music, I can only say Yeh mitti ka gaana hai (These are songs of the soil, about her music) — it has that flavour of the common man and is appreciated all over the world. Folk songs were always appreciated and will continue to have a place in the hearts of all people worldwide.”
“I enjoy singing the songs composed by legend Late Bhupen Hazarika. He was so deeply influenced by the song of Paul Robeson Ole Man River that it came into being as Bistirno Parore in Assamese, Bistirno Dupare in Bengali and Ganga Behti Ho Kyun in Hindi. Instead of the Mississippi river, the song is dedicated to the Brahmaputra river in the Assamese version and the Ganges river in the Bengali and Hindi versions. And I don’t have to explain about the doyen Rabindranath Tagore. There is so much meaning and message in each song to learn about. All these songs revolve around different aspects of human existence,” says Iman.
The writer is a musician, creator of ‘Jaywant Guitar’ and a freelance photographer
