Trina’s Musical Voyage Across the Uncharted Oceans…

Ruchira in conversation with Dr. Trina Bhattacharya, founder of Gaaner Tori, in the NCR, about her musical journey and more. An exclusive for Different Truths.

This graceful lady with a perpetual smile playing on her lips appears highly satisfied with the way her life has shaped up. Although her growing years were replete with music yet this student of languages (she holds a PG degree in Russian language/ philology) from a Soviet university, did a volte-face a few years ago. Yes, Dr Trina Bhattacharya, who subsequently obtained a Ph.D. in Russian from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi turned a cultural impresario. She is the founder of and master brain behind the New Delhi-based musical troupe Gaaner Tori (musical country boat)– a flagship of Bengali cultural heritage in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Ruchira: Please tell us about yourself how you got attracted to music?

Trina: My musical journey is an ongoing process. Right from my childhood, my parents have been my major source of inspiration. They raised me and my sibling by exposing us to different types of music, especially the songs of Rabindranath Tagore besides Hindustani classical music. There was always a musical atmosphere at home. I enjoyed hearing the brilliant renditions by doyens viz., Suchitra Mitra, Debabrata Biswas, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, Kanika Bandopadhyay… and that is how I got interested in music.

Ruchira: How did the idea of Gaaner Tori come to you?

Trina: As I am a hardcore music lover and have been organising several cultural programmes for Durga Pujas in and around Delhi. On one occasion, I was invited to write a script for a cultural   programme in Kolkata. That was, I think, way back in 2014. After that, I hit upon an interesting idea: to create a musical group to promote Bengali culture (particularly Tagore’s poetry and songs) to the young generation. I shared this idea with five-six close friends and with their support, we created this group called Gaaner Tori in 2015.  

Ruchira: What were the teething problems / roadblocks you faced? 

Trina: I faced some problems. Gaaner Tori is like my own child, and it was indeed an uphill task to get the group registered formally. Moreover it was a tough job opening a bank account for the group.  But somehow, I managed all these tasks and now Gaaner Tori is one of the registered groups in Delhi. 

However, I must mention here that through my ordeals, trials and tribulations, it was Tagore’s songs, which helped me retain my courage, confidence and equanimity, and overcome all obstacles and forge ahead in life. 

Ruchira: Details regarding number of members, training, rules, and regulations basic eligibility, etc.

Trina: We started the group with eight members but gradually the members increased with every passing day. We have a group of young kids also and they also participate in various programmes. There is no prerequisite of being musically trained to join the group. The basic criteria is that the individual should be passionate about music and promoting Bengali culture.  They must comply with the rules and regulations of the group. A stipulated amount is to be paid as fee at the time of entry. And two, a new entrant is not permitted to quit before the completion of one year. We have an eight-member executive committee which looks after the administration. Each of these members is well-versed in music. A noted economist and bureaucrat Dr Amitava Mukherjee is a magnanimous patron of Gaaner Tori. I must mention here that in 2016 we had organised a musical class by the renowned singer Susmita Goswami. It was Dr Mukherjee who had sponsored the programme.

Ruchira: How about the funding of Gaaner Tori?

Trina: The bulk of the funding comes from the members themselves with occasional funding from companies like GAIL, IGL, etc.

Ruchira: Do the artists get any remuneration?

Trina: Yes, the artists from Kolkata who have performed in our myriad programmes get their remunerations.

Ruchira: How many functions are conducted in a year on an average?

Trina: We have been conducting four to five functions in a year. Every year Gaaner Tori holds its annual programme, which draws eminent artists from all over Bengal as well as talented people from the National Capital Region (NCR). 

Ruchira: Please mention some eminent artists associated with you and some of GT’s stellar performances.

Trina: The eminent artists include Shamik Pal, Sumana Chakravarty, Soumi Bhattacharya, Parthasarathi Ekalabya, Aditi Gupta, Somali Mukherjee, Saikat Sekhareswar Ray, Sispiya Banerjee and Prabuddha Raha among many. A noted elocution artist, Samiran Sanyal is also a part of our bandwagon.  Before the onset of the pandemic, we had been presenting various stage e.g., Barshoboron (Bengali New Year), Rabindra Jayanti (Tagore’s birth anniversary), 22e Shrabon (Tagore’s death anniversary) in addition to stage shows during Durga Puja, rounding it off with Bijaya Dasami (Dusshera) functions. Other groups also invite us to perform in their cultural programmes. From time to time, we have performed on important occasions at India International Centre, and Muktodhara auditorium (Gole Market) in the NCR. We also shared the stage with various local artists in Kolkata, in 2019.  

Ruchira: Motto of Gaaner Tori

Trina: The motto of Gaaner Tori is to promote Bengali arts and cultural heritage especially (the Bengali language) to the young generations who are born and brought up in Delhi or outside Bengal.

Ruchira: Which genres of music do you dabble in?

Trina: Our group mainly focuses on Rabindrasangeet (Tagore songs) but we are also foraying into other genres of Bengali vocal music e.g., adhunik/ modern, folk not forgetting the lyrics penned by other legendary poets (Nazrulgeeti, Rajanikanta, Dwijendrageeti, Atulprasad.)

Ruchira: What is music to you?

Trina: Music is my life. I grew up in and have spent a major part  of my life in Kolkata which is a cultural hub. I found myself surrounded by music all  the time. Like I said I there was a musical ambience at home; it was inseparable from my daily life. Apart from Rabindra Sangeet, my father introduced us (me and my brother) to a medley of music. Frankly with music I have really enjoyed life to the hilt. Music is not beyond or below life, it is life itself. 

Ruchira: Awards, accolades, and citations won so far.

Trina: We received a memento from the Bengal Association of New Delhi and from a group named Jharnadhara for our participation.

Ruchira: Some upcoming events? 

Trina: After a forced hiatus of two years (due to pandemic) we have bounced back with a bevy of cultural activities. Lately we performed at Basant Utsav /Spring Festival in association with   South Delhi’s Chittaranjan Bhawan on 20th March 2022. We also performed during the inauguration of the Bengali Book Fair, which concluded recently in New Delhi.     

In a few weeks’ time, we envisage to pay a grand gala tribute to the departed musical luminaries – Lata Mangeshkar, Sandhya Mukherjee, and Bappi Lahiri in our annual programme.  The venue of the event will be Bipin Chandra Pal Auditorium, located in C R Park, New Delhi. But prior    to that, a musical welcome to the Bengali New Year (15^th April) at (Kalibari) Chittaranjan Park and Rabindra Jayanti (early May) are on the anvil.   

Photos sourced by the author