Thanks, Parabaas, for publishing the heart-rending reminiscences of Brajendranath Mandal - who discovered Shakti's haunting poem `Abani Bari Achho' through his grandson. Shakti would have been overwhelmed by his recognition from such an unexpected source.
Incidentally, Shakti and I were contemporaries in Calcutta in the 1950-60 period - sharing and disputing over politics, literature and other issues, over cups of coffee in College St. Coffee House, or over `Bangla' in Khalashitola, or over glasses of rum in Olympia (now renamed as Olypub) in Park Street. I have written a brief memoir about Shakti, entitled `Shakti, Bari Achho?', which was published by a Bengali little magazine called `Antah-saar', in its Baishakh 1423/May 2016 issue. If you are interested in reading (or reproducing it in Parabaas), you may write to the magazine's editor, Ratnangshu Bargi, at his email address - a....1991@gma.....
Regards,
Sumanta Banerjee (pub. Aug 2017)
Maitreyee Chowdhury (pub. April 2014)
I have been fortunate to listen to Sunilda (Gangopadhdhay) several times. It is amazing how similar are these two baritones!
Rahul Ray, Boston (pub. April 2013)
I keep visiting Parabaas. I recently saw the article Shakti's Singing. The original in Bengali is a favorite of mine, I read it when it came out in a periodical. Adding the soundtrack of Shakti's songs has taken the piece to a new level. As we read Samir Sengupta's moving lines about Shakti's rendition of "mori lo mori amay ..." we can readily hear Shakti sing! This is new age technology at its most touching.
Nandan, Singapore (pub. June 2013)
Rahul Ray, Boston (pub. March 2012)
গুঞ্জন বোস (pub. March 2012)