Remembering Tagore in Dubai

Dubai - Noble Poetry Club revisits the works of Rabindranath Tagore leaving the Indian community nostalgic

Fusion was the theme of the evening at an event to celebrate the life and works of Rabindranath Tagore at the Indian Consulate yesterday. It was a true fusion of different languages, music, dance forms, and poetry.
It is worth noting that 150 years back there were many poets but none as influential as Tagore and this was the evening to celebrate his literary achievements. Noble Poetry Club, a young group of performers, walked us through the highlights of Tagore's life and his camaraderie with illustrious figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein.
For the benefit of those who didn't understand the language, the troupe presented his works in a unique music and dance format. You didn't need to know Bengali to feel his words. The dancers presenting the Indian dance forms were graceful and it was a visual treat to watch them adapt the classical moves to the words of Tagore.
The evening was peppered with interesting quotes by Tagore. One that struck with us was, "Depth of friendship does not depend on the length of acquaintance."
Tagore's most known compositions definitely have to be the National Anthems of two countries - India and Bangladesh. The highlight of the evening was when two singers rendered portions of the anthem in the most soulful way. Many present seemed amazed by the revelation that he had also penned the Sri Lankan National anthem.
Can an evening remembering Tagore be complete without his iconic song 'Ekla Chalo Re'? The song was used frequently during India's Independence movement and continues to inspire generations even today. Just as the lights on the stage went out, Amitabh Bachchan's voice singing 'Ekla Chalo Re' filled the auditorium with dancers taking over, much to our delight.
Next, it was time to hear some Rabindra Sangeet, the songs written and composed by Tagore himself. Based on Hindustani Classical and Folk music of Bengal, these tunes are close to every Bengali in India and Bangladesh. As the singers began singing 'Eso Shyamolo Sundaro', many from the audience joined them in humming the melodies.
Tagore, in his poem 'Mind Without Fear' had envisioned how he wanted India to be. He wished for a world not fragmented by religion, caste, creed and colour. These lines came alive as members of the Noble Poetry Club presented them in different languages including Arabic, Russian, Serbian and Hindi.
It was a perfect evening for introducing the audience to the multi-talented artist, who aroused this level of fervor, through his poetry, paintings and musical compositions. As the evening ended, we heard somebody croon 'Ekla Chalo Re' and mentally noted that Rabindranath Tagore's words have been heard!

• UAE
• Dubai