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creativeBangladesh is a blog-zine (blog+magazine) that publishes a FEATURE STORY focusing on an aspect of Bangladeshi art, design or, culture.
It is Edited and Curated by Bangladeshi-New Yorker, LABIBA ALI.
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Labiba Ali
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In honor of ABBASUDDIN’s 108th birthday, creativeBangladesh pays tribute to this great legend of Bangla folk singing. For this feature, I have dug out my old collection of some of Abbasuddin’s popular songs to share with you. While listening to these songs take note of the lyrics – some talk about love and heartache while others talk about the villagers’ relationship with the river and nature. Also, listen to the do-tara (string instrument) and ban-shi (flute) playing in the background. I hope listening to these rare old recordings, you will go back to the roots of Bangla culture, to gram Bangla, and to village philosophy, which is the backbone of our heritage. - Labiba / creativeBangladesh
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ABBASUDDIN AHMED (Bangla: আব্বাসউদ্দিন) popularly known by his first name, was a Bangla folk singer. He was born at Balarampur in Tufanganj subdivision in the district of Cooch Behar. His father, Zafar Ali Ahmed, was a lawyer at the Tufanganj Sub-divisional Court.
Abbasuddin’s interest in music grew through attendance at cultural functions at school and college. He was self-taught, except for a brief period when he learnt music from Ustad Jamiruddin Khan in Kolkata and Ustad Kader Buksh in Murshidabad. He sang different types of songs such as folk songs, modern songs, patriotic songs, Islamic songs, and Urdu songs. But Abbasuddin became renowned mainly as a singer of folk songs.
Track: ALLAH MEGH DE, PANI DE
Vocal: Abbasuddin Ahmed
Track: SONA BONDHU RE
Vocal: Abbasuddin Ahmed
Initially, he became famous for bhawaiya, Ksirol, Chatka in Rangpur, and Cooch Behar. He became increasingly popular with his rendition of jaari, sari, bhatiyali, murshidi, bichchhedi (songs of estrangement), marsiya, dehatattwa, and pala gaan, especially when these were made into gramophone records. No other singer could surpass his emotional, full-throated rendition of folk songs. He also sang songs on Islamic themes composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jasimuddin and Golam Mostafa.
In Kolkata, Abbasuddin made a number of gramophone records with His Master’s Voice (HMV) as well as with Megaphone, Twin and Regal. By singing at various functions in villages, towns and cities as well as by recording his songs, Abbasuddin made music acceptable and popular in conservative Bengali Muslim society.
Track: NAO CHARIA DE
Vocal: Abbasuddin Ahmed
Track: PRANA SAKHIRE OI SON KADAMBATALEY
Vocal: Abbasuddin Ahmed
Abbasuddin stayed in Kolkata from 1931 to 1947. Initially, he worked temporarily as a clerk in the DPI office and then in the Department of Irrigation in a permanent post. When A. K. Fazlul Huq was Chief Minister, Abbasuddin was given a government job as a recording expert. In the 1940s, Abbasuddin’s songs played a significant role in raising the Muslim public opinion in favour of the Pakistan movement. In 1947, after partition, he joined the Department of Information and Broadcasting as an additional song organiser. As a representative of Pakistan, he participated at the South East Asia Conference in Manila in 1955, at the International Folk Music Conference in Germany in 1956 and at the Bengali Cultural Conference in Rangoon in 1957.
Track: TORA KE KE JABI LO JAL ANTE
Vocal: Abbasuddin Ahmed
Track: O DHEU KHELE RE
Vocal: Abbasuddin Ahmed
Abbasuddin wrote an account of his life as a singer in Amar Shilpi Jibaner Katha (1960). For his invaluable contribution to music he was posthumously honored with the Pride of Performance Award in 1960, Shilpakala Academy Award in 1979 (posthumously) and Swadhinata Dibas Puraskar in 1981 (posthumously). His eldest son, Justice Mustafa Kamal is a former Chief Justice of Bangladesh and former Chairman of the Law Commission. His daughter, Ferdousi Rahman, his youngest son, Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, and his granddaughters, Nashid Kamal and Samira Abbasi, are also renowned singers. His great grand daughter Armeen Musa is also an upcoming artist in Bangla music.
-source, Wikipedia
[above image: Abbasuddin with daughter, Ferdousi Rahman. photo source: The Daily Star.]
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CREDITS:
image: all photographs are from varous sources in the internet.
graphic design & layout: Labiba Ali for creativeBangladesh.
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Muna is a dear friend, whom I met two years ago at a mutual friend’s concert. I am amazed at her repertoire of talents – not only does she have a degree in dance, she proficiently plays the piano, paints, and is a certified Chartered Accountant! I don’t know how she manages to work gruelling hours for Corporate America (PwC to be precise) and organize wonderful fundraising events for Adhunika, a Bangladeshi women’s organization that she is part of. She is a role model for many of us and a celebration of Bangladeshi womanhood. I am very honored to have Muna share her journey with us today. I hope you will be inspired as much as I have been! - Labiba / creativeBangladesh
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‘NAACHER BHUBONE’ : In the world of Dance - Muna Shams
Although I hail from Bangladesh by ethnicity, I was born, bred and fed in the United Arab Emirates. As I try to bring back memories for this feature, the most distinct facet of my growing years was – we led a content, comfortable, and care-free life. Well, quite different from the four cell phones I juggle with these days!
Ma worked hard to discipline us. Dad was a physician with the Ministry of Health (and of course, bailed us out from Ma’s censure)! They shared a vision to not only educate us, but also engage my younger sister and me in varied extracurricular activities. We were encouraged to paint, write poetry, take up chess and the recorder in school, sing, dance, participate in elocution contests, play the piano and much more. And the quintessential bit was – they were equally enthusiastic and committed in the process. Ma, having studied music, would come running from the kitchen if I incorrectly played a Rabindra Sangeet on the piano. Dad, with his editorial streak, would spend nights drafting elaborate Bengali essays on various topics for me to study; Ma and I would, of course, later rewrite them in simpler, less grueling prose, much to his disappointment and my delight! (Bangla was a second language in school, our study of which, they pursued with a passion!)
First solo performance – Classical dance.
Tagore dance.
Track: Anandadhara Bohichhe Bhubone, set to Raag Malkauns
Artists: Srikant Acharya & Rajib Chakraborty
Lyrics: Rabindranath Tagore
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As both parents were considerably involved in the Bangladeshi cultural scene, I grew to develop a strong affection towards music. Commenced learning Bharatnatyam, Tagore and Bengali Folk dances at an early age, giving my first solo performance at the age of six. One evening, Ma and I attended a show at the Indian Ladies Association in Sharjah. It was there that I decided on the genre of classical dance I was to concentrate on. Six to eight elegant dancers, in magenta silk lehengas performed the most graceful piece I had ever witnessed! The ‘bol’ or the diction of the singers was crisp yet melodious. A dance form – so expressive, yet rhythmic and feisty at the same time! We reached out to the teacher, Dr. Kshama Munshi (interestingly, I recall now, I had been taking Hindi lessons from her at that point in time) and I immediately enrolled to be trained in Kathak. I was blessed with a solid base in this north Indian classical dance form, from a disciple of the renowned Pandit Birju Maharaj, for the next five years.
Kathak – Classical dance.
Track: Danse du Bonheur
Album: The Best of Shakti, with Zakir Hussain and others
Composer: John McLaughlin and Lakshminarayana Shankar
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Kathak is derived from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story, and katthaka in Sanskrit means ‘he who tells a story’. A Kathak performance follows a progression in tempo from slow to fast, ending with a dramatic climax. A short dance composition is known as a tukra, a longer one as a toda. A popular tukra type is the chakradhar, showcasing signature spins or visually exciting swift pirouettes, which are my personal favorites! Other compositions include the Vandana – opening/an invocation to the gods; Thaat – first composition ending in a statuesque standing pose; Aamad – from the Persian word meaning ‘entry’, the first introduction of spoken rhythmic pattern or bol to the performance; Salaami – a salutation to the audience in the Muslim style; Kavitta toda - a poem set on a time-cycle; Gat - from the word for ‘gait, walk’ showing abstract visually beautiful gaits or scenes from daily life and Tatkar, amongst others – a footwork composition consisting of a long set of bols, ending dramatically on tihai (beats repeated thrice and ending on the first beat of the time-cycle). Aside from the above, the traditional expressive or abhinaya pieces are the bhajan, ghazal or thumri.
A few years down the line, I beheld another performance which presented me with an opportunity to refine and enhance the Kathak dance form that I was currently studying and also to educate myself with Tagore’s works. I thus, came under the guidance of Smt. Ketaki Hazra, or Hazra Aunty, as I lovingly address her. My first role was as Arjun, the male lead in Tagore’s dance drama, Chitrangada. Expressive dancing had not been my forte and I had never performed with live singers/musicians until then. Humbled with the honour of being cast, took the role to heart, chopped off my locks and curled them to a bob! When the tandav nritya or strenuous, vigorous dancing, symbolizing the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction would tire me out, the elders ensured that generous portions of milk and almonds re-energized us! The troupe rehearsed day and night with ample ardor. Dubai has yet to witness a dance drama as memorable as the one Hazra Aunty held in 1994!
As Arjun in Tagore’s rendition of ‘Chitrangada’.
Track: Shokhi Bhabona Kahare Bole
Artist: V Balsara
Genre: Rabindra-Sangeet
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Over the years, we performed extensively on Rabindra Nritya Natyas, or dance dramas narrated via prose, song and dance. What intrigued me as I matured into my teens and adult hood, was observing the striking portrayal of women and/or their bold emancipation in Tagore’s works. In Chitrangada – being the only child of the King of Manipur and heir to the throne, Chitringada dresses like a man and is the protector of the land. When she meets Arjun, she falls for him but believes he will never love her the way she is. She requests for a blessing from Madan, the sage (or ‘Love God’ as I like referring to him!) and transforms herself into a beautiful ladylike woman, whom Arjun falls in love with. Later Arjun is impressed by the story of a woman warrior who seems to be his equal when it comes to fighting and longs to meet her. Chitrangada eventually reveals her true self to Arjun. No longer in love with her just for her beauty, Arjun marries Chitrangada. In Shyama – a court dancer by the same name falls in love with a foreign merchant who is falsely imprisoned and faces execution, unless Shyama accepts an admirer’s offer to take the merchant’s place. She ultimately does and in due course loses the foreign merchant’s love and respect. In Chandalika – a girl is ostracized by the society and does not understand the consequences of her birth into a family which is regarded as ‘untouchable‘. Even her shadow is considered inauspicious. A Buddhist monk meets her and asks to pour him some water to drink. She refuses claiming that as a low-caste person she is not supposed to do so. But he insists and takes water from her hands. The event has a lasting impact on her.
The late Bela Arnab, Dean of the Kathak Department at the Rabindrabharati University, Kolkata, India and Keshab Mukerjee, Professor, Percussion at the same University began to visit Dubai to grace our annual live performances. Some unforgettable performances we worked on together were renditions of Wajid Ali Shah and his Court of Dancers, the Ramayana and Tagore’s Bhanushinger Padabali.
As Ravan in an extract from ‘Ramayana’ composed in Kathak.
An opportunity to perform alongside Hariharan, the Indian playback singer, more popularly, one of the Colonial Cousins pioneering Indian fusion music, generated lots of excitement at home! He was releasing his latest album, Kaash, in Dubai and his ghazals, or Urdu poetry, was to be composed to Kathak dance. That was the first time I met Adnan Sami, Pakistani singer, musician, composer, who was also performing at the same show. Recall being absolutely smitten back stage by the talented, down to earth singers!
My last performance in Dubai, prior to moving to New York, was part of the UN World Dance Day celebrations held for the first time in the Emirates in May 2005. Tripti Bhupen, Dubai based Indian classical danseuse and a group of international dancers came together with a program called ‘The Dance of Life’ and ‘Divine Ecstasy’. The program included five styles of Indian dance namely Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathak and Mohini Attam with a glimpse of Manipuri, featuring seven dancers. I did what I felt I could do best – I represented Kathak.
-MUNA SHAMS, 2009
Rajasthani folk dance.
Muna Shams is a professional Chartered Accountant from United Kingdom and a Business Graduate from the University of Wollongong, Australia. She has trained in Piano from the Royal School of Music, London and earned her Bachelor of Music degree in ‘Kathak’ from the Surbharati Sangeet Parishad, All India Board of Art & Music, Kolkata, India in 2001. Muna has been residing in New York since October 2005.
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CREDITS:
image: all photographs are from MUNA SHAMS’ family album.
graphic design & layout: Labiba Ali for creativeBangladesh.
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Track: SCARLET/RONG/PROBASHI
Band: AFTERART
Lyrics: EESHITA AZAD
Music: SAJIB AZAD & SOHINI ALAM
all copyrights reserved
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I first heard Sohini in Boston at an AMRA KOJON concert for Pahela Baishakh. I don’t remember the exact name of the song she sung, but I will never forget the raw passion of her voice. Her voice transplanted me to rural Bengal, to the baul folk songs, to the boat races on the mighty Padma. It awoke emotions and a feeling of being close to the land. I hope when you hear her songs today, you will also embark on your own emotional journey. Sohini – thank you for sharing your music and thoughts with us! – Labiba / creativeBangladesh
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ON MUSIC - Sohini Alam
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, mainly because my mother, Hiron Alam, was an accomplished vocalist and music teacher. We used to sit together at home in London, while she taught me how to let my voice go as far and loud as it would. Sometimes, my recollections of those times are sweet. At other times, I remember how weary I was of her patience in holding one note down on the harmonium while waiting for me to get it pitch perfect.
Back then, I itched to get out of music lessons. I used to slink out of classical lessons at every opportunity. Even after my mother died and my aunts took over my musical training in Bangladesh, I slipped away as often as I could get away with it. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the sessions with my family when my grandfather, aunts, uncle and cousins would gather to make music together. My maternal grandfather was the reason any of us did any music at all. I used to listen to him playing the harmonium and singing ragas, and he was superb. All his children were musically blessed, but the youngest of my aunts was able to venture furthest into music as a career.
From childhood, I learned all kinds of songs, but my family being all about Nazrul Sangeet, I learned the most about that particular kind of music. I used to accompany my aunts to the Nazrul Institute, and we learned from the amazing Shudhin Das and Sohrab Hossain. At the time, I didn’t really grasp how fortunate I was just to be there. Of course, I only got to go because the two legends were teaching already well-known artistes in the genre. My aunts were two such artistes, and I was their “chaperone”.
When my aunt, Jannat Ara, passed away, I lost my second music teacher. She had specialised exclusively in Nazrul Sangeet, and she taught me many of the ghazals and classical Nazrul songs that I sing to this day. My youngest aunt, Ferdous Ara, kept teaching me despite my resistance. Training was made easier because we all lived in the same house for as long as I lived in Bangladesh. I was lucky to have had more than the usual dose of musical training despite my efforts to sabotage it all, simply because of birth and circumstance. I don’t take it lightly any more.
My musical inspiration comes from many places. In addition to the Bengali music at home, I grew up listening to The Beatles, Elvis and Hemanta on my father’s record player. Then came U2 and Queen on TV in the UK. After I moved to Bangladesh, my cousin, Ahir Alam, introduced me to the Doors. Then came Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam and so many more exceptional bands. I remember being entranced by the extraordinary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at an age when my friends had no idea who he was and did not understand my fascination with Qawwali music. That changed when the video for the Afreen Afreen remix came out. Suddenly, everyone was asking if I’d heard of him.
Track: AMAR PROTIBAADER BHASHA
Band: KHIYO
Lyrics & music: SALIL CHOWDHURY
all copyrights reserved
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As a child, I was never given a microphone when performing on stage because I was so loud. The older I got, the more I realised that my vocals were nothing like the generally accepted high-pitched South Asian style. There is a tendency to give women songs that are “meant” for women. It is a difficult attitude to change in the Indian subcontinent, but change is certainly taking place.
I spent a long time away from music while I pursued my Bachelors and Masters degrees in the US. The only music I did then was during annual International Student programmes. After graduation, I moved to Boston and began singing with a group called Amra Kojon, led by the incomparable Mohitosh Talukder Taposh. With AK and Taps, I started singing again, and after moving back to London, I continued to sing with Drishtipat Creative. I checked out the Bangladeshi music scene in London and did a few shows on TV before deciding that I needed to work with a group of musicians on a regular basis to create the kind of sound I hear in my head when I sing certain songs.
Track: KAAR BANSHORI BAJEY
Band: KHIYO
Lyrics & music: KAZI NAZRUL ISLAM
all copyrights reserved
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Eventually, I met some truly gifted people, and as a result, I ended up singing with three different bands. Kishon Khan’s project, Lokkhi Terra, combines Afro-Cuban music with Bengali songs and features some fine musicians on instruments like trombone, piano and congas. AfterArt, with Sajib Azad is an electro-acoustic project while Khiyo is a purely acoustic band. Khiyo features the outstanding Oliver Weeks and Ben Hillyard of Moushumi Bhowmick’s band, Parapar, as well as a sarod player I cannot rate highly enough: Soumik Datta.
I have incredible friends who come to my gigs and support my music. I have a family that gave me support and training that I did not want but needed. I know that now. I’m in full-time work mainly because I love my job. I manage a centre that assists disadvantaged youth, and my staff is brilliant. My day-job also means that I have the freedom to work only on musical projects that appeal to me. While this means that making music takes more time than usual, when the work is finally done, I think I can happily say that the wait was worth it.
Track: NISHI RAAT
Band: KHIYO
Movie: PRITHIBI AMARE CHAI
Cover of a song from an old Bangla movie starring Uttam Kumar and Mala Sinha and sung by Geeta Dutt.
all copyrights reserved
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- SOHINI ALAM, 2009
To hear more songs from SOHINI ALAM and her bands, please visit the following:
www.myspace.com/sohinialam
www.myspace.com/khiyoband
www.myspace.com/afterartband
Also, for more information on the band KHIYO, please visit their facebook fanpage at www.facebook.com/khiyoband.
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CREDITS:
image: #1, 4, & 5 – Arif Hafiz. #2 – SOHINI ALAM, family album. #3 - Alice Forbess.
graphic design & layout: Labiba Ali for creativeBangladesh.
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