The pulse, smell and flavour of rural life - Monpura soundtrack review

The pulse, smell and flavour of rural life

by Faizul Khan Tanim

This nine-song soundtrack compilation poignantly paints an emotional canvas of the free-spirited romantic rural life. The music essentially captures the sound, smell, taste, love, treachery and simplicity of rural Bengal and listening to the CD, you will be able to feel the fragrance of immense green and the splash of river water.

The film apparently is set in a backwater ountryside – an island called Monpura, where a shy, nervous and humble man called Shonai is a character who only experiences betrayal in life for his modest attitude and genuine love for a fisherman’s daughter Pori.

The main theme music for the film is a flute-influenced piece that lurks on the film with mournful and melancholy sound - to perfectly capture the solemn and earnest gaffes of the countryside that surrounds Shonai and Pori.

Their tough life is aptly illustrated in the songs Nidhua Pathare 1, 2 and 3, Jao Pakhi Bolo Tarey 1 and 2, the immortal Shonar Moina Pakhi, Agey Jodi Jantam, and Shonai Hai Haire.

Kudos to the fantastic musicians – the overall music arrangement and direction by Ornob while the song composition and lyrics of Jao Pakhi Bolo Tarey and Agey Jodi Jantam was fabulously done by the very talented Krishnokoli. The duets she sang with Chandana Majumder and Chanchal Chowdhury is heavy with voices that will penetrate your senses.

Momtaz singing Agey Jodi Jantam, with a range of emotions and musical acumen, that narrates the story of the love struck Pori, sounds brilliant. It is not only the voice but the music is so intense that it creates an environment from where it is very difficult to come out.

Although the musical arrang-ement of the song Shonar Moina Pakhi could not have been any better, most fans believe that the vocal notes in the song could have been prolonged at some points, for example during the chorus, to capture that warm folk-ish ripples of emotion ones, Ornob is best at.

The amazing mixture of the songs is a distinct genre that consists of both eastern and western instruments, elegantly tracing their roots to traditional folk. Moreover, when noted actor Fazlur Rahman Babu sings Nidhua Pathare 1 & 3 and Shonai Hai Haire, you can feel a sombre chill climb up your spine and your heart feels the pain of a fictional character Shonai, whom you have never met before.