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Songs of independence, songs of inspiration
Robab Rosan
Purba digante surja uthechhe rakta lal - band group Renaissance started its performance with this popular patriotic song with the youths joining in the chorus at an Independence Day concert in the city Wednesday evening.
Artistes of the 'Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra', the radio station that inspired the freedom fighters during the Liberation War in 1971, were honoured at the concert titled 'Amar Sure Swadhin Bangla.'
The concert was organised at the Gulshan Youth Club playground to introduce the newer generation to the patriotic and liberation war songs.
Mobile phone operator GrameenPhone and advertising company Asiatic jointly sponsored the musical soiree, joined by the country's popular band groups.
Youths in the huge crowds enjoyed the patriotic songs by waving their hands and singing with the rhythms. They also burst into chorus with songs like 'Nagar tolo tolo', 'Janatar sangram cholbe', 'Durgam giri kantar moru,' 'Tir hara oi dheuer sagar pari dibo re' and other popular numbers which inspired the freedom loving Bengali nation during the war.
The participating band groups included Miles, Dalchhut, Arthaheen, Artcell, Powersurge, and Black. Besides the patriotic songs, the band groups also sang their popular numbers. The audience of youths, mostly in their teens, enjoyed the remixes of popular old songs. The organisers accorded a warm reception to artistes and other members of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra.
Singers of the wartime radio station, Fakir Alamgir, Bulbul Mahalnabish, Mala Khan, Rupa Khan and Tapan Mahmud presented two songs in chorus.
Actor Asaduzzaman Noor recited from Nurul Diner Sarajibon.
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Ismat Noor's Ektuku Kotha Shuni launched
Cultural Correspondent
Ismat Noor's first solo album Aktuku Kotha Shuni was released recently at a gala presentation function. The young singer Ismat's album contains ten well-known Tagore songs. Eminent singer Runa Laila uncovered its CD at the Officers' Club in Dhaka.
In the tradition of Bangla music the genres of Rabindrasangeet and Nazrulgeeti are rich in profound thought, lyric, melody. Created by Tagore, Rabindrasangeet is every so often light and delicate; it contends with portrayal of diverse themes that delineate philosophical statement, anguish and emanate exuberance. There are songs on rhapsody and ecstasy that are smooth and supple. Again, more often than not one comes across philosophical statement.
Monir Hossain, proprietor of Fahim Music, is of the opinion that Ismat Noor's lilting voice will hearten and raise the spirits of Rabindra Sangeet lovers. It is indeed appropriate to say that these songs go beyond the commonplace or the mundane to the aesthetic and articulate various facets of human emotion, says Monir Hossain who himself is a poet.
The songs of the album are 'Je Aamar Shopnocharini', 'Purono Shai Diner Kotha Bhulbi Kire Hai', 'Tui Fele Eshechish Kare O Mon', 'Sheydin Dujone', 'Aamar Porano Jaha Chay', 'Aktuku Choya Laage Aktuku Kotha Shuni', 'Aamar Mon Mane Naa', 'Ai Maloti Lota Dole', 'Mayabonobiharini Horini' and 'Shokhi Vabona Kahare Koy'. The album's music is directed by Ashraf Hossain and is released by Fahim Music, Banani, Dhaka.
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3-day programme on World Dance Day
Cultural Correspondent
The Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and the Bangladesh Nritya Shilpi Sangstha will jointly organise a three-day programme marking World Dance Day.
The programme will begin on the academy premises in Dhaka on April 27, said the organisers at a briefing at the Shilpakala Academy on Monday.
We have also launched a dance competition in six categories across the country from March 20, said the organisers adding the competition will continue till March 30.
'People aged between 14 and 25 are participating in the competition including Kathalk, Bharatnatyam, Manipuri and folk dance, said the convenor of Bangladesh Nritya Shilpi Sangstha, Amanul Haque. The winners of the district level will compete in the divisional round, to be held from April 2 to April 12.
'The best three contestants from each division will be selected to perform in the final round, to be held in Dhaka on April 28, he added.
The organisers will bring out a procession in the morning on World Dance Day, April 29.
A two-day fair featuring instruments, publications and dance costume will also be held on the premises. Besides, a seminar will be held on April 28. Sixteen sub-committees have been formed to make the festival a success.
Shamim Ara Nipa, Minu Haque, Anisul Islam Hiru, Munmun Ahmed, Saju Ahmed, among others, attended the briefing.
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Reflections on the absent poet
Sivagnanm Jeyasankar
My reflections start with a part of Rabindranath Tagore's poem which is used by the author Anisur Rahman as the concluding piece in the essay titled 'The Shelidah Years of Tagore'.
'Who ever wishes to
May sit in meditation
With eyes closed
To know if the world be true or false.
I, meanwhile,
Shall sit with hungry eyes,
To see the world
While the light lasts.'
This book titled The Absent Poet & Other Essays quite simply reveals glimpses of socio-cultural life in Bangladesh. Though the author mentions the absent poet in the title of the book, the collection of essays in the book contains the temperament of a people's poet. It is very difficult for a people's poet to liberate her/himself from the inborn temperament of poetic protest or resistance. Anisur Rahman, the poet journalist can't also escape from this reality.
Anisur Rahman is simply bringing the socio-cultural reality of the contemporary life of the people of Bangladesh into the palms of the readers. The forty capsules of writings make up a 112-page book with an 'Excuse' from the author instead of a preface, marking the visible evidence of blindness of independent and modern society.
It is not only a story of a particular country. It is the story of all the postcolonial countries. Independence changes only the colour of the rulers but not the conditions of the social situation of the particular countries, which annually celebrate Independence Day as the visible exit of the colonial rulers.
The selection of issues and themes clearly exposes the intention of the author's aspirations and expectations for a genuine democratic world for all the people in the country. Rahman sums up in the essay titled 'Humayun Azad's Renewal of Life' and clearly establishes this.
Rahman writes, 'We would like to be ambitious, by following in the footsteps of Humayun Azad, and to take oath at his life's renewal. We expect life's renewal in Bangladesh through the freedom from corruption, razakars and religious fundamentalism. We hope for life's renewal in Bangladesh, for a rebirth of our nation. New dreams, new times, new hopes wait for Bangladesh. That is how we patterned our thoughts. We will follow the beliefs Humayun Azad held dear. He renewed himself and the time he lived in.'
The failure of understanding this simple truth is the cause behind all the issues challenging the lives of human beings on mother Earth. The thought-provoking piece 'Know Thyself - But How?' reveals how we are parading towards a doomsday against the aspiration, 'We dream of a state where our children will grow up and know themselves at home, in school and out in the wider world.'
The role of education and media in shaping up the minds of people, particularly children and youth are vibrant but effectively utilized by the rulers (it may be colonial or postcolonial) to control the people as subjects or the law and order obeying citizens. The rulers, if they white or black or brown needs crowed only for the celebration of monumental independence but not a society with creative power and critical thinking. But the cultural personalities included in the book think differently and waged a life for the creation of a positive world for all.
Anisur Rahman, bringing in issues of the voiceless and marginalized to mainstream media which is the real evidence of presence of a poet in the minds of a staff reporter and journalist.
This book indirectly arouses fundamental questions: to what extent are the art and literary scenes of South Asian countries are familiar to each other? How do the international pages in the print media or news segments in the electronic media portrays South Asians? Who are the sources or providers of the news to the main stream media of South Asian countries? Why the South Asians fails to connect to each other even in the electronic age? What are the elements blocking in the minds of South Asians?
How are we going to link ourselves? What are the roles of mother languages and the electronic media in the interaction process? How to build the consciousness of solidarity and equality? These are few fundamental questions we have to think of in the initial stages. The essay titled 'Language, Politics and Culture' raises important issues for deeper and detailed studies.
The author also mentions that 'In 1998 marking the glorious tragedy of 1952 for our mother language Bengali, UNESCO has shown its empathy for the survival of every language and 'the languages of ethnic minority groups are also vulnerable today. Here literature does not mean only literary text like poetry, fiction and non-fiction but also all works on and about science, technology, philosophy, arts, geography, and history. Here the question of translation is so vital.'
Rahman worried about the lack of initiative for exchanges only between Bangladesh and Sweden. In the essay titled 'Swedish Writers' Journey to Tagore's Land' he claims that 'there was no initiative during the last century after 1913 for literary exchange between these two countries with rich literary heritage. The readers in Sweden are barely familiar with Tagore and his Gitanjali. They are uninitiated into the rich and very developed literature in South Asia.'
The author's consciousness of South Asian context is a positive aspect in this regard. But the important question is why we are missing the consciousness of communicating among ourselves, the South Asians?
The Absent Poet & Other Essays of Anisur Rahman is a key to open up ourselves on our own to reach our realities in order to enrich and enhance ourselves as people of South Asia and beyond.
The Absent Poet & Other Essays
by Anisur Rahman
Publisher: Biddya Prokash
Price: Tk 150
Sivagnanm Jeyasankar is a Sri Lankan poet, teaches at the Department of Fine Arts, Faculty of Arts and Culture, Eastern University Sri Lanka. He is currently on a three-week visit to Bangladesh. E-mail: sjeyasankar@gmail.com
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Jatra festival ends
Cultural Correspondent
A week-long jatra festival ended at the Experimental Theatre Hall of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Sunday staging Nimai Sanyasi by Nityananda Sampraday from Gazipur.
Enthusiastic Dhakaities thronged to the hall on the concluding day to enjoy the jatra, a form of play usually performed in the rural areas of the country.
Seven groups from across the country participated at the festival, organised by the Theatre and Film Department of the academy.
Two groups from Dhaka --Lokonatya Gosthi and Bisheswari Natya Sangstha-- staged Ganga theke Buriganga and Laili Maznu on March 19 and 20. Madhuchhanda Jatra Unit of Narayanganj staged Dui Tukro Bouma, Chaitali Opera from Magura and New Madhuchhanda Jatra Unit from Faridpur staged Meghe Dhaka Tara and Mogal-e-Azam respectively on the following days. The festival kicked off with Sohrab Rustam, a production of Muyuri Jatra Unit of Manikganj.
'With a view to saving this form of play, the academy has organised this festival, said Theatre and Film Department director, Abul Kamal Shafi Ahmed.
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Dutch protest against Islam film
BBC Online
At least 1,000 people have taken part in a demonstration in Amsterdam against the planned release of a film expected to be highly critical of Islam.
Protesters objected to the planned internet release of the film by Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders.
The film is entitled Fitna, an Arabic word used to describe strife or discord, usually religious.
Wilders says the 15-minute film deals with Islamic ideology which he describes as 'the enemy of freedom'.
The planned release, expected before the end of this month, has sparked angry responses in the Muslim world.
Some protesters in central Amsterdam carried signs that said 'Stop the witch hunt against Muslims'.
'We can no longer remain silent. There is a climate of hate and fear in the Netherlands,' said Rene Danen, a spokesman from anti-racism organisation Nederland Bekent Kleur (The Netherlands Shows its Colours), which organised the protest.
The film has already been condemned by several Muslim countries, including Iran and Pakistan.
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