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Madhuri Chattopadhaay

Madhuri recorded only a few songs for Salil, but each one of them is a gem. Songs like 'Nijere haraaye khunji' and 'Oi je sabuj bono bithika' will never get old. Madhuri did have an unique voice with quite a range. Salil composed 'Oi je sabuj bono bithika' which spans two-and-half octaves and uses fairly tricky jumps from one note to the other. Madhuri hits the notes flawlessly. Salil's love for Beethoven shows up again in the interlude of this superb composition. Careful listeners will immediately recognise a glimpse of Beethoven's 6th Symphony (Pastoral) in the interlude of "oi je sobuj bono beethika". Melodies like these aren't composed these days any more. In fact, Madhuri has recently re-recorded some of her songs from that 'golden age'.

Incidently, I had a tough time trying to get a decent photograph of Madhuri. After years of search, suddenly I found one.

ID	Song Title	Year	Cross-Ref / Variations
MC1	Nijere haraaye khunji	1961	Hnd: JH6
MC2	Ebaar aamaar samoy holo jabaar	1961	Bng: SB2
MC3	Ki aar kohibo balo	1963	-
MC4	Aaji soroter akaashey	1963	-
MC5	Oi je sobuj bono beethika	1967	Hnd: RU3
MC6	Gun gun phaagun shesh holey	1967	Hnd: PJ5 Kan: SW2

Musical Analysis & Trivia

Madhuri Chattopadhaay’s collaboration with Salil Chowdhury resulted in some of the most technically demanding songs in Bengali modern music. "Oi je sobuj bono beethika" is a testament to this, requiring a vocal range spanning two-and-half octaves. The flawless execution of these wide-interval jumps highlights Madhuri's exceptional vocal control and training.

Salil’s appreciation for Western Classical giants is clearly audible in the orchestration of these tracks. The interlude of "Oi je sobuj bono beethika" contains a melodic phrase directly inspired by Beethoven's 6th Symphony (The Pastoral Symphony), blending European symphonic motifs with Bengali melodic sensibilities.

Despite her limited output for Salil, these six songs are considered benchmarks of the 'Salil-Gharana'. The rare archival photograph included on this site was only acquired after a persistent multi-year search, finally giving a face to the voice behind these timeless classics.