Steel City singer translates Rabindra Sangeet in Bhojpuri

JAMSHEDPUR: Bhojpuri singer and lyricist Rajendra Sah “Raj” has translated 11 Rabindra Sangeet songs into Bhojpuri and released and album of the songs. Said to be the first translation of Rabindra Sangeet in Bhojpuri, the album — titled “Jaagat Betal Raina Ari” (Friend, I remained awake all through the night) is close to the feeling and nostalgia that Rabindra Sangeet evokes.
A seasoned Bhojpuri artist, Raj took help of Rupa Haldar, an alumni of Rabindra Bharati University, and late Manju Bose, a noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent, for the translation. “It took a lot of time and effort to translate each word of Rabindra Sangeet into the rustic Bhojpuri dialect as our focus was on finding appropriate words that evoke feelings and nostalgia like Rabindranath Tagore’s original songs,” said Raj, who also produced the album. The music is composed by Kolkata-based Abhijeet group.
“The thought behind translating it in Bhojpuri was to make the community read the iconic verses in their own language and appreciate the philosophy of the Noble laureate,” said Raj, who holds a Sangeet Vibhakar degree from Kolkata University.
A disciple of Samar Sinha Jana, who was trained in Rabindra Sangeet by Late Guru Shantideb Ghosh and Konika Bandyopadhyay, Raj said a section of the Bhojpuri community that endorses soulful music will acknowledge the effort . “In the backdrop of the fact that contemporary Bhojpuri songs are not in good taste, the melodious Rabindra Sangeet album will definitely herald a new beginning in Bhojpuri as far as rich, melodious and soothing music is concerned,” said Raj.
A resident of Pursudih, located in the periphery of the Steel City, Raj said he holds Tagore in high esteem. Raj’s dream album will be released at Antarrashtriya Bhojpuri Mahotsava here on Sunday. “I am sure Gurudev’s rich literary work will find many more followers after the album is released,” said the 50-year-old, who owns a petrol pump and a cinema hall.
A seasoned Bhojpuri artist, Raj took help of Rupa Haldar, an alumni of Rabindra Bharati University, and late Manju Bose, a noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent, for the translation