Arnob is one of the most prominent singers who “rejuvenated” Tagore’s songs among the new generation with his mastery in fusion music. His experimentations on the timeless tracks of Tagore such as “Noyon Tomare” and “Majhe Majhe Tobo Dekha Pai” simply moved the youngsters and also, the elderly audience rediscovered the romance of Tagore in a new dimension.
Arnob made a distinct position in the music industry for bringing up a fresh taste of traditional music with his own interpretation of fusing eastern and western music and in his latest album “Adheko Ghume,” the multi-talented musician presented Tagore with piano. Arnob, who grew up in Shantiniketan and had the opportunity to play the piano in Uttarayan where Tagore used to live, recalls his memory of Shantiniketan in an exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribune on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the legend.
Tell us about some unforgettable moment from your memory of Shantiniketan?
Well, it’s a long memory of 17 years. At Shantiniketan I did not only learn music and fine arts, it was all about growing up in the atmosphere where Tagore himself belonged. The foundation at Shantiniketan set my ideology and lifestyle. I learnt to see the world with the specs of Tagore.
How did the platform help you to grow up as a versatile artiste?
Shantiniketan was a conservative institution. We were not allowed to listen to any Hindi or English music. We had the permission to watch the TV once a week on Sunday which was confined to only a specific Bangla show featuring film songs. But, that atmosphere actually nourished our original creativity. We saw live performances of legends like Ustad Ravi Shankar and many other artistes of different field of arts and that were great sources of inspiration to me. My interest in art, music, dance, animation and few more got structures with the encouragement and help of the teachers like Abhik Da and Brotin Da.
Do you remember the first Tagore song you learned?
Yes, it was “Adheko Ghume Noyono Chume.”
Was it challenging for you to bring out Tagore’s songs in your own way?
My first project of fusing Tagore songs with western musical arrangement was an unreleased album titled “Notun Kore Pabo Boley” completed in 2002. The album featured 10 songs with key board works and sung by my mates of Shantiniketan. That time, the copyright law on Tagore’s music was still on and as I was prepared the album without the permission of the authority of Visva Bharati, the vice chancellor sent a notice forbidding me to release the album. However, we sold 100 copies of the album without any official announcement.
How is the scenario now after releasing “Adheko Ghume?”
I have overheard some criticisms, it happens to everybody. But no one directly offended me. Even the orthodox Tagore singers appreciated my work.
Do you think you have created a fresh audience of Tagore’s songs?
Yes I do. Many young music lovers told me that they found interest in Tagore’s songs only after listening to my tracks. The album “Adheko Ghume” was sold around 25000 copies which is much more than any regular album of Tagore’s songs.
How do you imagine Tagore as a person of the 21st century?
Tagore took all the best resources of arts around him in his time and presented those in his own way. Today, while the access to the whole world is more available, he would take the best extracts from all the existing fields of arts from all around the world.
