Other than technical glitches and some organised chaos, the memorial to Swapan Gupta at Sisir Mancha was a fitting tribute. The audience enjoyed a recorded video of banter by Gupta and some of his trademark songs, such as “Aami tomay joto”.
The ever-dependable Prabuddha Raha (picture) led the tributes with “Tumi kichu diye jao”, an offering that was remarkable in its impressionistic path. He sang “Shudhu jawa asha” sans percussion; it was nuanced and proved why Raha is a cut above the rest. The veteran singer, Gautam Mitra, employed his signature baritone in “Bone jodi phutlo kusum”. A contemporary of Gupta, Mitra’s performance had a tinge of weariness.
Rajashree Bhattacharya layered “Akashe aaj kon choroner” with warmth and texture till she reached the tail end where it lost its depth. She sang “Je kebol paliye beraye” in a catchy, yet simple, style, unveiling the swaggering riffs of the lyrics. The students of Swapan Tori also rendered a few songs, of which “Aaji e anando” passed muster.