Tagore on
Sitar
Rabindrasangeet reimagined through the voice of Sitar strings
The Origin
In 2017, Sayan Ghosh found himself drawn to the challenge of interpreting Tagore's songs on the sitar. A vocalist by training and a lifelong devotee of Rabindrasangeet, he knew the task was anything but simple.
Translating the intricate vocal nuances of these songs to the sitar — with its capacity for five-note glides in a single sweep — demanded both mastery and innovation. Undeterred, he began with the iconic Tumi Robe Nirobe, pouring his heart into every note as he worked to bridge the worlds of voice and string.
Tumi Robe Nirobe — a meditation on presence and absence — became the piece that started everything. A song of longing rendered on an instrument that sustains like no other.
A Mission Takes Shape
"To preserve Tagore's music through the language of strings — and carry it across generations."
By 2019, his passion had grown into a mission. He began to play Tagore's songs more frequently, reimagining Tumi Robe Nirobe and expanding his repertoire to include timeless pieces like Jana Gana Mana, Maharaj Eki Saje, Amar Raat Pohalo, and Chokher Aloy Dekhechilem.
This journey birthed the Tagore on Sitar series — a long-term project dedicated to preserving and celebrating Tagore's music through the evocative language of the sitar.
In February 2022, he launched the first online workshop of its kind — meticulously crafted for musicians eager to explore instrumental renditions of Tagore's songs. Tailored for sitar players yet open to all string instrumentalists, it was a landmark in the pedagogy of Rabindrasangeet on instruments.
The workshop was designed not merely to teach arrangements, but to impart a method — a way of listening to Tagore that transforms how musicians approach the instrument. Special emphasis was placed on meend, the art of gliding mastery that gives the sitar its capacity to sing.
A Global
Community
The response was overwhelming. From four corners of the world, musicians came — united by a shared love for Tagore and the sitar.
Students from India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Bangladesh joined his sessions, each bringing their own passion and curiosity. Through this workshop, Sayan not only shared his love for Tagore but also nurtured a global community of musicians committed to keeping this timeless legacy alive. Great music, given the right vessel, knows no border. The sitar has become that vessel — carrying Tagore's words, his longing, his joy, across oceans and generations.
Listen to the full series
Experience Tagore on Sitar
The complete playlist — every arrangement, every raga, every reimagining of a poet's eternal voice through strings.
Sayan Ghosh
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