Alliance Française de Dhaka hosted “Tagore’s French Encounter - An Evening of Tagore Songs” on Friday, 18 September, bringing together music and cultural reflection around Rabindranath Tagore’s enduring engagement with French literature, art and culture.

Held at the Auditorium Nouvelle Vague, Alliance Française de Dhaka, the evening featured a selection of Tagore songs performed by Sanchita Rakhi, accompanied by Ashikul Abir on esraj, Gautam Kumar Sarkar on tabla, Koushik Ahmed Antar on keyboard, and Md Nashir Uddin on guitar. Dhruba Jyoti, co-researcher of the programme, served as moderator and contributed to the reflections accompanying the musical presentation.

The programme explored the cultural connections between Tagore and France, highlighting his encounters with French literature and artistic circles and the role these encounters played within his wider intellectual and creative journey.

Reflecting on the significance of the programme, Mr François Chambraud, Director of Alliance Française de Dhaka, said:

“Tagore’s relationship with France spanned for decades. Paris was a major capital of the art and he met many artists who played a significant role in his development as a multifaceted artist. This show aims at showing the wealth of this cultural dialogue.”

Through Tagore’s timeless songs and the accompanying discussion, the evening offered audiences an opportunity to revisit the poet’s international cultural encounters while celebrating the continuing dialogue between Bengali and French cultural traditions.