Tagore’s Gitanjali – A Musical Pilgrimage by Santhosh Kana
Santhosh Kana, a Post Graduate Teacher of English at Kendriya Vidyalaya, has presented an innovative adaptation of Tagore’s Gitanjali in English by reciting selected eighteen poems with the accompaniment of mesmerizing Sitar Music.
Mr. Kana along with his team worked on this project for the last four to five years. He researched on the appropriate ragas to be used for each poem, and captured its spirit and essence. His team includes the famous Sitar player from Kerala, Mr. Paulson and Mr. Anandu Pai to look after the music production.
Shri Kana has narrated the poems in a meditative manner which takes us into the depth of Tagore’s poetry and philosophy. Beautiful visuals from the idyllic Santiniketan, deeply integral to the essence of each poem, have also been included. Mr. Kana worked in Bengal many years ago and has also travelled and worked throughout the country and abroad. His genuine love and passion for Bengali literature, music, films and Tagore is enviably special.
Kana, who was honoured with the Best Teacher Regional Incentive Award in 2018, says,
“Tagore’s graceful presence has always been there in my creative and personal journey. I have named this project a Musical Pilgrimage because, for me, it is an inner journey of self-discovery. I believe that a good reader makes a book come alive. Reading is also a creative activity. Literature and music can change lives. This is my humble tribute to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and my token of love for Bengal.”
He has published three books (two in Malayalam and one in English) and acted in two South Indian films. His YouTube channel has been popular as it has qualitative content on culture, education and music. He has been a resource person for many teacher training courses.
“This project of Sri Kana is a therapy”, commented Sri Mukherjee, Assistant Professor at Santiniketan. The launch event of the project was organized on 21st August at Arthshila, Shantiniketan, attended by Tagore scholars, professors and art lovers.
Later, Shri Kana was invited to many departments of the university to talk about his dream project on Gitanjali.
Responding to the overwhelming welcome and appreciation, Shri Kana said,
“This is a divine plan with Gurudev’s blessings”.
This project was released on Mr. Kana’s YouTube channel, Santhosh Kana, on the 7th of September, 2024.
