As the Saradha Ponzi scam seems to be closing in around her and the Bharatiya Janata Party grows in popularity in her state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has adopted an unconventional Durga Puja tactic: she's decided to sing her way out of trouble.
This week, Mahul Abrittir, a local band recently released an album that sets to music a series of poems written by the chief minister. The album is titled Mukta Akash (A Sky Decorated with Pearls) is already being played in many Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata.
The band has performing Banerjee's poems for a year on Bengali television shows and at concerts. Apparently, the Trinamool Congress chief is quite a fan of the band. “She came to one of our events and we met her,” said Mahul Abrittir member Shanoli Majumdar.
The chief minister was so encouraging, they asked if they could set her poems to music, to be sung by members of the band.
“She was very excited about the idea and selected 15 of her favourite poems to be turned into an album," said Majumdar. "She even heard the first draft and gave us feedback as to the ones she liked and the ones she didn’t. She even took time out from her busy schedule and sat with us during the final draft.”
Here are some tunes from the album.
Sonar Bangla
Golden Bengal
Maati
Soil
Dhonya
Blessed
Not to be left behind, Kabil Sibal of the Congress on Monday also launched an album titled Raunaq: A Conversation of Mystery and Poetry, which features his lyrics being set to music by AR Rahman. One track has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
It clearly aims to be more high-concept than the West Bengal chief minister's folk pop. According to a press release, Sibal's album "is a conversation of music and poetry that takes you on a journey of varied emotions" for which Rahman "has also played the role of a visual story teller".
Here's the lead track.
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This week, Mahul Abrittir, a local band recently released an album that sets to music a series of poems written by the chief minister. The album is titled Mukta Akash (A Sky Decorated with Pearls) is already being played in many Durga Puja pandals across Kolkata.
The band has performing Banerjee's poems for a year on Bengali television shows and at concerts. Apparently, the Trinamool Congress chief is quite a fan of the band. “She came to one of our events and we met her,” said Mahul Abrittir member Shanoli Majumdar.
The chief minister was so encouraging, they asked if they could set her poems to music, to be sung by members of the band.
“She was very excited about the idea and selected 15 of her favourite poems to be turned into an album," said Majumdar. "She even heard the first draft and gave us feedback as to the ones she liked and the ones she didn’t. She even took time out from her busy schedule and sat with us during the final draft.”
Here are some tunes from the album.
Sonar Bangla
Golden Bengal
Maati
Soil
Dhonya
Blessed
Not to be left behind, Kabil Sibal of the Congress on Monday also launched an album titled Raunaq: A Conversation of Mystery and Poetry, which features his lyrics being set to music by AR Rahman. One track has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar.
It clearly aims to be more high-concept than the West Bengal chief minister's folk pop. According to a press release, Sibal's album "is a conversation of music and poetry that takes you on a journey of varied emotions" for which Rahman "has also played the role of a visual story teller".
Here's the lead track.
