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SHUMAN SHAMS' SOLO PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW HELD AT ZAINUL
'Ekush means not bowing down'
Asad Ullah Khan
With the aim of upholding the spirit of Amar Ekushey by showing a person in the foreground and a graphite 'Ekush mane matha nata na kara' a quotation from the poet Abu Fazal's behind the person, Shumon Shams arranged an eight-day photography exhibition at Zainul Gallery of Faculty of Fine Art of Dhaka University.
The exhibition, which begun on February 1, drew the attention of a large crowd. By displaying 35 images the photographer has also uphold the natural beauty of Bangladesh, portraits and other subjects.
In a photograph Shumon showed a raven standing on a row in blur and a half moon in the raven's behind. Blue sky in the background created a mystic mood and impressed visitors. The photographer used raven as a symbol in different positions and perspectives.
Being inspired by the line of Abul Fazal's poem, 'Ekush mane matha nata na kara' (Ekush means not bowing down), the photographer said that every year artists write the line on walls in different colours but life of the people who dwell by the wall is still unchanged.
He displayed a landscape which was simply in black and white. Shuman said he loved that work because he found a deep relation with music. 'If you look at the photo you can find the graph which is similar to the graph of an editing board of a studio that inspires me to put it on display in the exhibition,' said Shumon.
There was also a photograph which gave the viewers an abstract feeling. The photographer took the picture from the dump of engine oil and pasted his portrait into it. Everybody was intrigued trying to discover the actual meaning of the photograph but many of them failed.
According to the photographer, he has immense attraction for film making. 'I always plan making films and consider photography as the primary stage of reaching my ultimate goal,' said Shumon.
In the exhibition every photo showed in different angle. There is no similarity in the photos. He loves the nature a lot so there are huge amount of photos which represent the nature.
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Pawns of states and super states
S. Jeyasankar
How many people have to be getting killed?
Before they were called as "liberated"?!
How many places people have to be vacated?
Before they were called as "displaced"?!
How many check points and detention camps have to be passed?
Before they reach their destinations?
How many shells and bombs have to be faced?
Before they live in "peace and harmony"?!
How much amount of harassment and humiliation have to be tolerated?
Before they are being relieved from labeling as "terrorists"
How much amount of torture and interrogation have to be experienced?
Before they were called as "innocents"?
How much to be deaf and dumb?
Before they are being tagged as "democrats"
How much of sufferings people must undergo?
Before the policy makers and diplomats
are being satisfied?
And how much the minorities have to lose?
For the best interests of "Nations" and "Super Nations"!!!
How much, how much and how much of it??!!
S.Jeyasankar, a Sri Lankan poet,
teaches Drama and Dramatics
at the Easter University in Sri Lanka.
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Slumdog sweeps to Bafta success
BBC
British movie Slumdog Millionaire enjoyed a stunning night at the British Academy Film Awards in London, winning seven prizes including best film.
In a good night for UK talent, Kate Winslet won best actress for The Reader-effectively beating herself, as she was also up for Revolutionary Road.
The late Heath Ledger was named best supporting actor for playing The Joker in Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight.
The Wrestler star Mickey Rourke took home the best actor trophy.
As he collected his award, he made the audience laugh by swearing during his acceptance speech.
He then dedicated his award to late actor Richard Harris, adding: 'It's such a pleasure to be back here, out of the darkness.'
It is the second time Winslet has won a Bafta, having previously been named best supporting actress for Sense and Sensibility in 1995.
Her latest victory comes hot on the heels of a double win at January's Golden Globes.
As she collected her Bafta, Winslet paid tribute to the late producers Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack, who both worked on the film.
'You are much missed today, and you will be much missed for many years to come, and this is for you. Thank you. Thank you,' she said.
She also thanked her friends and her parents, who were with her at the ceremony.
However, the actress said she could not look at them for fear of bursting into tears.
Penelope Cruz said she was 'honoured and grateful' to be named best supporting actress for her role as Maria Elena in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Danny Boyle, who directed Slumdog Millionaire, was named best director.
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The Dogar brothers perform in Dhaka
Dyuti Monishita
The famous Dagar brothers gave yet another spectecular performance on the stage of the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city's Segun Bagicha area on Tuesday. 'Being able to perform in Dhaka makes us feel blessed,' said the younger brother before performing. 'Our elders came here to perform years before. That is why coming to Bangladesh and performing specially in Dhaka is very special for us.'
The young Dagar Brothers performed a duet called Raga Kambujhi, which is known as the Dagar family specialisation and is also considered one of the most difficult forms of dhrupad music.
Among the audience, a lot of dignitaries and foreign diplomats were seen. The chief guest for the show was the minister for information and cultural affairs, Abul Kamal Azad who arrived over half an hour late. While the audience impatiently waited for the concert to start the minister got on stage to give a speech. And by the time the brothers started performing, many seemed not to be able to get into the mood to listen to such a spiritual music and be transported to the state of mind desired.
Nafeesuddin and Aneesuddin Dagar are two brothers from the famous Dagar family, and are popularly referred to as the 'Young Dagar Brothers'. The Dagar family claims that they have been dhrupad singers and veena players for twenty straight generations. These youngsters were born in Delhi and started their intial training under the keen supervision of their father Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar and their celebrated uncles Ustad N Zariruddin Dagar and Ustad N Faiyazuddin Dagar, known all over the world as the Dagar Brothers.
Although the young brothers started their career not too long ago, they received recognition after their concert in Pune which was held in 2004. The Dagar family has managed to keep this ever so difficult tradition of Dagarvani for centuries. Dhrupad is the most ancient style of Hindustani classical music that has survived until today in its original form. The dhrupad tradition is a major heritage of Indian culture.
The language of dhrupad changed from Sanskrit Brij Bhasha some time between the 12th and the 16th century. About six centuries ago, dhrupad came to be patronised by the royal courts and its complex rendering was intended for highly sophisticated royal audiences. The compositions later became more secular. Some were written in praise of the emperors, others elaborated on music itself. However the pristine nature of dhrupad survived and even today we hear this majestic form of music performed like it was more than 500 years ago in the royal courts of the emperors and kings of India.
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Manna Dey, Hoimonty to perform
in Bangladesh
Cultural Correspondent
Two noted Indian singers -- Manna Dey and Hoimonty Shukla -- will perform in Banglacdesh in the third week of this month.
The singers will perform three shows, two in Dhaka and one in Cox's Bazar, said the organisers at a briefing at the Dhaka Reporters Unity on Tuesday.
The first show will be held at Sheraton Hotel on February 16 while the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre will host the second show on February 17, they said, adding that the final show would be held at the Hotel Sea Palace in Cox'sBazar.
The singers are expected to come in Bangladesh on February 15, they said.
Half of the proceeds from the net profit will be donated to the development of the two villages in Comilla, they said.
Embrasure Films and Priyonti Edit and Effects will jointly organise the shows.
Executives of the two organisations Abdul Mannan Talukdar and Monwar Hossain Pathan and ATN Bangla's executiveas M Shamsul Huda and Tashik Ahmed attended the breifing.
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Maria Modig's book on grandchildren
Anisur Rahman in Stockholm
It is all in the eyes of Maria Modig, eminent Swedish writer who has had a passionate look at insights of a child's sound growth in her book Att vara med barnbarn (To be with Grand Children).
Maria Modig is now a grandmother. This is a collection of tips, observations and reflections to be with children and accompanying them by parents, grandparents and other relatives too. She has gained her three-phase experiences over the way of thinking of a child. A grandparent can connect his/her own childhood, childhood of his/her own child, and thirdly in his/her own grandchild.
Why had she attempted to write such a book? Her answer was: "To understand what life is about. I wrote this book for grandchildren."
Stockholm-based publishing company Hjalmarson & Hogberg launched the book last week. In the 200-page book in Swedish, Maria presented a good many tips, reflections and observations for helping a child's sound growth beyond lands and cultures. It is a useful book for grandparents, parents and other relatives who are luckily in touch with children. The book deals with minds of children, dreams all around them, their future, child philosophy as well as child psychology.
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