A musical remembrance of Tagore and Nazrul in Eindhoven: A magical evening of poetry, dance & music

The Indian Heritage and Cultural Foundation organised a cultural evening of remembrance to mark their respects to the poet laureate of India, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). Tagore is India’s National poet, the first Asian and the first non-European to be awarded the Nobel prize for Literature in 1913 for his collection of poems, Gitanjali (Song Offerings). It was also an evening to celebrate the birth anniversary of the national poet of Bangladesh, Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976).

The programme was held in the prestigious Park Theatre in Eindhoven on 25 May 2019 from 17:00 onwards. Renowned Rabindra & Nazrul Sangeet exponents, university scholars, western vocalist, eminent dancers, elocutionist, and instrumentalists from across the country performed in this programme to pay their humble tribute to these two literary stalwarts. They mesmerised the audience with their soulful performances.

This exclusive programme was free and open to the public and was attended by people from all parts of the Netherlands, including Eindhoven. The organisers believe in Tagore’s philosophy of “oneness of humanity” and are committed to celebrating his vast creation that focuses on intercultural understanding.

The programme’s chief guest, Ms Miriam Frosi, City Councillor (CDA, Eindhoven Municipality) who strongly believes in diversity helping in creating a better and intelligent society, spoke about the values of such intercultural events. “I am happy to be a part of this event, and we are enriched by the values of Tagore and Nazrul. A magical evening of poetry, dance and music.” She thanked the organisers for hosting such a programme and spoke of her pleasure to learn about Tagore’s visit to the Netherlands in 1920 and his association with the Dutch utopian thinker and writer, Frederik Willem van Eeden, who translated many of Tagore’s creations in Dutch.

Written by: Chaitali Sengupta