Tributes to Salil Chowdhury by children’s choir

Legendary music composer, poet and political thinker Salil Chowdhury’s popularity is not confined to Bengal or Mumbai. Not many people are aware of his extensive work in cinema in the South of Vindhyas, or the public adoration for his versatile music, songs and background score. As the maestro turned 100, Hyderabad offered its own tributes in the form of songs, sung by a group of young performers. Recently, to celebrate his legacy, a group of children, aged between 8 and 13 years, presented a heartfelt musical tribute – “Surer Salil” by performing his timeless tunes at Lamakan under the banner of ‘Ichhedana’. The songs found resonance in their tender hearts even though they were all born nearly two decades after his demise.

The songs performed by the children’s choir touched upon various phases and facets of the maestro’s life and his enchanting music. The performance began with “Sarata Desh Jure Amar Gharbari” and ended with “O Alor Pothojatri.” Songs like “Amay Proshno Kore Neel Dhrubatara” and “Shono Kono Ekdin” were reminders of a composer who had introduced a unique soundscape to Indian film music, straddling effortlessly between the world of folk music and Western orchestra. At a time when songs for children were fewer, Chowdhury had composed iconic songs like “Bulbul Pakhi Moyna Tiye,” “Saat Bhai Champa”, and “O Sona Byang, O Kola Byang.” As the choir belted out these songs, the adults in the audience were transported to their own childhoods. However, an evening dedicated to Salil Chowdhury would be incomplete without the songs written and composed by the maestro for IPTA, including “Sedin Ar koto Durey, Dhitang Dhitang Bole and Pothe Ebar Naamo Sathi.”

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Directed by Satarupa Roy Kar, the musical programme was anchored by Piyali Chakraborty, who introduced each song with its background in great detail, particularly to the non-Bengali speakers among the audience. The children – Arkapravo, Satrajit, Bisaj, Abir, Arighno, Trishaan, Aarchi, Aurna, Nimisha, Riyanshi and Lisia performed 11 songs in total. Young musicians, Arkopravo and Satrajit, played the guitar and the keyboard, supported by mentors Souvik Deb and Sauvraj Chakraborty.