In pictures: Spotlight on the music of Bengal at World Music Day celebrations

An evening of melody, innovation and a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore — World Music Day, this year, saw many musical minds come together to celebrate in harmony. The event, organised by Banglanatak dot com, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, on June 21, also saw Debojyoti Mishra perform for the special occasion. The concert was held at the Ashutosh Birth Centenary Hall of Indian Museum, Kolkata

The programme began with a brief introduction by Amitava Bhattacharya, a founding member of Banglanatak dot com — an organisation dedicated to nurturing and promoting Bengal’s rich cultural heritage

The musical part of the evening began with a performance by the teachers and students of Visva-Bharati, who got together to stage Rabindranath Tagore’s dance-drama, ‘Chitrangada’

Matsutaro Yamasaki, the deputy consul general of Japan, was among the dignitaries who attended the music concert. Before leaving the auditorium, he bowed and greeted the audience — a gesture that deeply moved the attendees. (Right) Debashis Sen, former chairman and managing director of Hidco and current founder director and CEO of New Bengal Consulting Pvt Ltd., also graced the event

Debojyoti Mishra enthralled the audience with a spontaneous violin performance. He was onstage, as a member of the team, playing the violin, giving ‘taal’ and cheering on the performers

From Bhawaiya songs to Lalon geeti, self-composed Jeebanmukhi gaan, Baul music to Kabir Suman and SD Burman’s songs — the evening showcased a wonderful blend of diverse genres of Bengali music and its dialects. Some of the prominent musicians who performed included Nazrul Islam (with his own Bhawaiya compositions), Joy Shankar (associated with the music band Dohar), Sumana Chowdhury, Arghakamal Chattopadhyay, Manaswita Thakur and Deepmoy Das

The melodious thunder of the ‘dhamsa’ and ‘madol’, played by ace musician Pranesh Shome, added magic to the ambience. The audience also requested solo acts by Shome multiple times during the concert

Adding to the unforgettable experience was a ‘doha’ (rhyming couplet) by Kabir, titled ‘Mati Kahe Kumbhar Se’, performed by (left) Dipannita Acharya, one of the oldest members of Banglanatak dot com, and a Caribbean song performed by (right) eminent musician Ranjan Prasad. Joining Dipannita in her performance was her son on guitar — a young musician ready to carry forward his mother’s legacy. (Below) Arpan Thakur Chakrabarty, another popular member of Banglanatak dot com, cheered on the budding musician as he played alongside him

The coming together of all the performers for the finale of the evening was led by Debalina Bhowmick — another long-term member of Banglanatak dot com. The audience joined musicians, singing and dancing to celebrate the final hours of World Music Day, as the team sang ‘Mayajaaley Bandi Hoye Aar Kotokaal Thakibo’