GUWAHATI, Dec 30 � The melody of Assam�s State Anthem O� Mor Aponar Desh has its origin in the tune of a song sung by German boatmen. The tune of the song was finalised between 1921 and 1930. This has been revealed by anthropologist Rajib Hari Kaushik, who is conducting a research on the song for the past seven years since 2007.
Kaushik has also undertaken a venture to make a 28-minute documentary film on the anthem. The film is titled Esho Bacharia Asamor Jatiya Sangeet. He is also going to publish his 400-page thesis on the song. To make the film, he will travel to Germany to meet its boatmen and musicians.
Talking to this correspondent, Kaushik, who was honoured by the Asam Sahitya Sabha at its 2011 Dergaon session for his research on the song, said that he interviewed 23 people to prepare an 82-minute experimental documentary film on the song, which was first sung at a function at Tezpur in 1928.
Kaushik has also prepared an audio CD containing the choral rendition of the song under different music directors between 1928 and 2012. This CD contains also the historic renditions of the song done in 1928, 1937 and 1968.
The research conducted by Kaushik led to the tracing of the travel route of the song�s tune. The tune of the song travelled from Germany via Kolkata, Shillong, Tezpur, Golaghat and Guwahati.
Around 250 people have directly or indirectly extended support to Kaushik in his research and among them, mention may be made of reputed flautist Dipak Sarma, German musician Ralf Kumphusis, NRI Dr Dilip Kumar Dutta, Mumbai-based journalist Sabita Goswami, music director of the Shillong Chamber Choir Neil, Syed Sadullah of Dibrugarh, Mridul Kakati, Prabodh Sarma of Guwahati, filmmaker Gautam Bora, music director Ratan Das, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra vice president Ratna Ojah, musician Nanda Banerjee, Ananta Goswami of Jorhat and Umananda Duorah of Moranhat, Kaushik said.
The song was first presented by a troupe of five singers with support from the instrumentalists of the Ban Theatre orchestra, at a function of the Assam Chatra Sanmilan held on October 27 and 28, 1928 at Tezpur. The song was presented in the open air at the Tezpur Church Field without the support of microphone and loudspeakers.
In the venture to set the song to tune, Indreswar Barthakur and music master Kumud Sarma led the artistes. The artistes who rendered the song included Indreswar Barthakur (then 42), Prafulla Chandra Barua (then 29), Kumud Chandra Sarma (then 29), Kamala Prasad Agarwala (then 22) and Bishnu Prasad Rava (then 20). The instrumentalists, who played with the song, included Phatik Chandra Sarma, Pradip Narayan Singha, Debendra Nath Chaliha, Gahan Chandra Goswami, Bisay Ram Mahajan, Bisay Ram Medhi, Rajani Kanta Das, Mahendra Bora, Girish Chnadra Das, among others, Kaushik said.
Kaushik submitted the notations of the song sung in various manners to the experts at a seminar held by the Asam Sahitya Sabha as per the suggestion of the State�s Cultural Affairs Department.
The seminar presided over by Asam Sahitya Sabha vice president Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi, got the notation of the song finalised by a team of experts comprising Kula Barua, Nanda Banerjee, Anupam Choudhury, Kirtikamal Bhuyan, Bidyut Kumar Mishra, Dr Hitesh Baruah, Kamal Chandra Kataki, Dilip Kumar Sarma and Naren Hazarika.
The finalised notation of the song has already been submitted to the State Government�s committee constituted for the purpose of finalising the notation.