Notun Kore Pabo Bole

Here's an old review of one of my most favourite albums to be released in Bangladesh, wrote this last year:

Sahana’ke notun kore peye: A personal review of Sahana Bajpaie’s album “Notun kore pabo bole”

This album, being by a very dear friend and fellow music lover Sahana Bajpaie, was one of my most awaited. Singing bits and pieces myself, the vocalist is who I scrutinise the most in a song, thereby having very rare favourites. But I remember the first few times I heard Sahana sing, I didn’t want it to end, maybe it was due to the fact that she had a flavour of the Rabindra Sangeets that I had grown up listening to, or maybe the opposite, that her way of singing them was more her own.

Her way of allowing the lyrics to have their space but swaying them in her own passionate way with the melodies is what made me fall in love with this beautiful voice, and it was the day she sang Majhe Majhe at 1am at a home jam session was where the tears in my eyes announced her my favourite female singer.

Amar Nishitho Raate’r Baadol Dhara was a single that got released a couple of years ago, a song with one of the highest plays one many people’s playlist including my younger sister, my metalhead drummer friend and my mother’s. It gave off that vibe that I loved, of making the song her own with harmonies, guitars, percussion, (as opposed to the traditional instruments used in such songs), but keeping Tagore’s shorolipi intact.

The more I followed her voice around I discovered many sides to her rewaz, the “alladi” placing of words, the passionate meditation of her singing, and also her raw approach to keep in absolute tune. This album is a mesh of these, showing off her different approaches to singing, adorning the beautiful lyrics and playing side by side with Arnob’s new approach to Rabindra Sangeet production.

The album opens with my favourite sound, of chords on a piano introducing Arnob on his esraj, which I later find out will play a dominant role with Sahana’s voice on the tracks. Oije Jhor’er Meghe, the first song sets the mood for the album to rest on the playlist. The song bounces of the piano track, with a notable little solo on the esraj.

The 2^nd track Mor Bhabonare, bringing in the more traditional tabla, as well as the more western classical string elements.



In such a manner Arnob treads around the melodies and words of Tagore with various sounds from all parts of the world. With little electronic intros, fading in and out harmonies at the perfect but random places, vinyl strings, a light beat enriching the vocals (Eto din je boshe chilam), funky harmonium use (Tomar khola hawa) and very traditional flute, esraj and tabla movements meshed with many other elements in Tumi Kon Pothe Je ele, Kon Puraton (a duet with Arnob) ,he sets the audience for a new ride in Rabindra Sangeet listening.

Phoole phoole, was the song I felt was the sweetest and most naturally done, with Arnob slowly placing instrument after instrument throughout the track and Sahana’s soft placing of the words onto the melody.

The tiny flaws my scrutinising ear caught aside, my criticism to the album initially was that the music was slightly subtle with its display; ironically Tomare Koriyachi Jibone’r Dhrubotaara the song which gave Arnob the least space and Sahana the full spotlight was the one which struck me the most. It may be Tagore’s loving words or Sahana’s loving way of singing them or the moving esraj solo, but this song brought me closest to tears.

One of my favourite musicians from the group Frou frou once said “Music is useless unless it make’s a total stranger break down and cry”, and although I do agree to that statement, I think it means a lot more when it does that to a friend.

Tagore’s genius is not wasted in this generation with the talents of Arnob and Sahana, respecting and loving his songs. To put it simply, this album is a keeper, which will immerse old Tagore fan’s into his world with a new perspective, and bring new listeners to appreciate his beauty from where they stand.

Sahana's Myspace;