“Probably, this is my last CD. It does not mean that I will stop singing. I said this is my last CD, not my last album. Nowadays, releasing albums in the form CD are gradually being decreased. CDs are becoming obsolete now as online digital format has taken over”, eminent Rabindra Sangeet exponent and researcher Dr Chanchal Khan said at the launching ceremony of his eighth solo Rabindra Sangeet album titled ‘Maharaj’. The launching programme of the CD was held at the premises of Channel i on Saturday evening, where Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor was present as the chief guest. Rabindra researcher Ahmed Rafiq, novelist Selina Hossain and cultural personality Mofidul Haque and Sadi Mahmud, among others, were present as special guests at the programme.

The album features ten Tagore songs, such as `Pothik Poran Chol Chol’, `Rakho Rakho Rakho Re’, `Labonno Purno Pran’, `Amar Mon Kemon Kore’, `Mone Holo Jeno Periyiye Elem’, `Tumi Epar Opar Koro Kego’, `Mono Mondiro Shundori’, `Amar Milon Lagi’ and the title song `Maharaj Eki Shaje’.

The songs of the album were recorded at famous JMD studio in Kolkata, while music direction has been done by renowned music director Rahul Chattergy.

Asaduzzaman Noor said, “The singing style of Chanchal Khan is different and unique, which easily is distinguishable from his fellow singers. I like to enjoy Rabindra Sangeet in his voice. He has come up with Rabindranath Tagore’s thought about Maharaj through his album. In fact, Rabindranath himself is a Maharaj in our life. Rabindranath played a vital role as a Maharaj in the various social movements, also contributed immensely to our Liberation War through his songs. His songs inspired us.”

Chanchal Khan said about the album, “The album is on the thoughts of Tagore based on the concept of ‘Maharaj’, which signifies sometimes the god, the mother nature and the love affection. But to me, Togore himself is a Maharaj, because it needs a great heart to understand all of these with sensitivity.”

To note, Chanchal Khan has released eight albums so far, one of which was in 1995 with the support of the Visva-Bharati Music Board. HMV (Sa Re Ga Ma) released another album in 2016. Khan has also directed two documentaries. One of these was in Bangla, titled ‘Bangladeshey Rabindranath’ and it was released on Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary. The other one, in English, was released in 2015. Titled ‘Timeless Gitanjali’, it was funded by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. l

Photo l courtesy