Music Review – Jodi Bandhu Hao, Subhomita

Books and Music. I often choose them both based on interest. And, at times, by intuition. When recently one of the Landmark outlets in Chennai was being closed down, they sold books and music at throw away prices. Like a woman on the throes of labor, trying to empty her womb in a hurry and feel the relief, they gave away books and music for a fraction of what they were really worth.
 

Having had my fill of the books from the sale, I turned my attention to music. With all popular and classical ones having been sold out, the shelves were populated by CDs of unknown and lesser known artists. Damaged packs, unintelligible fonts and unheard of names - these were amongst the ones for sale. Suddenly I saw a couple of CDs of Rabindra Sangeet. Having been fascinated by a man, who is one of the architects of Bengali Renaissance, I always wanted to go through his works, though I couldn't still read a single letter of the Bengali alphabet.
 

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With 5 CDs being given away for a paltry Rs.50, I had picked two of Rabindra Sangeet, one of a Bengali movie 'Naukadubi' and then one of a Hindustani singer with whom I had interacted personally. I was looking for the last piece that could make my 5-for-50 puzzle complete. And, then I laid my eyes on 'Jodi Bandhu Hao'.
 

Never in my life had I heard even the name Subhomita, that of the singer. Having decided to learn Bengali, I decided to pick this CD nevertheless, driven by the cover design, the radiant photo of the artist, and the possibilities of having found something worthy on sheer serendipity.
 

Man, wasn’t I justified?! It turned out that this music CD will remain one of my most cherished music collections. Being unable to decipher the meaning still, I decided to simply focus on the music and the voice. The music is of the kind that will remind you of the lush green farms of Bengal, glistening under the rays of the setting Sun, the flowing waters of the Ganges, the kids running around in joy and gay abandon. With the music composed mostly with the Indian classical instruments, the music elevates one to an altogether different emotional level.
 

And, the singer, Subhomita. There are innumerable voices that I have heard and enjoyed. But here is a voice that can carry you around on a journey deep inside the soul. She has the gift of conveying the emotions and the spirit of the song through her voice. The bliss, the pain, the joy, love, happiness - her voice conveys the mood of the songs in a pristine manner. When I learn Bengali and start comprehending the lyrics of these songs, I wouldn't be surprised if they happened to convey the same emotions that I am feeling as I am listening to the songs now.
 

Melodious music and a soulful voice - if these are the two things that you look for in a music album, if you're a person that believes in the ability of music to transcend the barriers of language and convey the meaning clearly still, if you're a person that agrees that the humans were able to communicate and comprehend properly even before the advent of languages, then listen to this music album. You won't be disappointed.