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Baul n Beyond rocks audience
Ariful Islam Mithu
It is undeniable that the band Bangla has added a new dimension to the songs of the philosopher Lalon Shah since its birth in 1999. From then on Bangla has been doing the task of bringing the young band-song lovers and audiences on the globe face to face with the songs and philosophy of Lalon Shah.
The band has been doing fusions—-with the use of modern musical instruments. Curiously, the young generation accepts this kind of fusions positively and Bangla has risen to fame within a short span of time, proving itself to be one of the leading bands of the country.
The latest concert jointly organised by Carnival and Shadhona titled 'Baul 'n' Beyond' at the Banganandhu International Conference Centre on February 21 came as a surprise to Bangladeshi audience.
A US jazz band Jazmin with its members Seth Blumberg, Armando Cepeda, Jessa Charnow and Leo Dombecki and noted Indian new-age artiste and composer Tanmoy Bose and his students Ratul, Bodhi and Bumpy swayed audiences of Dhaka.
This was not just a usual concert in which performers would come on the stage, render songs and leave the stage. Rather it was a musical journey through the philosophy of the bauls.
Before the concert started Anusheh Anadil said to the audience the concert would focus on a question 'who am I?'
The nearly-three-hour concert began with a patriotic song 'Amar bhaier rakte rangano' in chorus with modern instruments.
Rob Fakir, Kangalini Sufia, her daughter Pushpita, Shafi Mandol, Allauddin Bishwash and Bojlu Shah rendered the songs 'Jagat muktite bhullen shahn', 'Helai helai din baye jai', 'Shabder ghare shabda kari' and 'Sab loke koi Lalan Hindu ki jan', which symbolise a quest for identity.
Bangla vocal Anusheh Anadil came on stage and sang 'Eman manab samaj kabe habe srijan', 'Jat gelo jat gelo bole', 'Pakhi pushlam chirakal', 'A boro azab kudroti,' 'Sahaj manush', 'Din duniae malilk mabud ekjona', 'Khapa re' and 'Manush bal monre pakhi'. The programme ended with a popular number of Lanon 'Milon habe kato dine' in chorus.
Regarding fusions of Lalon's songs, Anusheh Anadil said to New Age, 'With the passage of time composition of a song can change for the betterment of the genre's survival. We are doing the works of fusion keeping the original lyrics intact.'
Tanmoy Bose said he had received positive response from the audience in Bangladesh. 'We want to disseminate Lalon's philosophy among common people with this kind of songs', he added.
The concert was supported by Jaago Foundation.
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Children Theatre Federation observes Amar Ekushey
Holiday Report
A six-day cultural programme in observance of International Mother Language Day was organised at the Bangladesh Shishu Academy.
Organised by children's cultural organisation Bangladesh Children Theatre Federation, the programmes on the first day featured plays, dance, song and painting, acting, recitation and film screening and workshop.
Commerce minister Faruk Khan inaugurated the programme Friday morning while Bangladesh Children Theatre Federation chairman Shafuqur Rahman, its general secretary Shafiqul Islam, Pubali Bank former chairman Wahidur Rahman, and poet Mainuddin Kajal were, among others, spoke at the function.
Speaking in the inaugural session, Faruk Khan said, 'This month is very important for us as the incidents which took place in this month in 1952, caused huge change in our life.'
He urged parents to let their children know about the history of the Language Movement and to prepare their children culturally for a prosperous future.'
According to organisers, around 50 cultural organisations from different parts of the country will take part in the six-day programme.
On the first day, Friday, the cultural organisations Kichir Michir, Shormi Smriti Sangeet Pathsala and Phool Pakhi Shishu Mela presented dance performance, song and recitation and theatre groups Paribartan Theatre, Natya Bilas and Kabya Bilas staged plays 'Kono Ek Ma'ke', 'Joker' and 'Sarba Roger Dauai'.
The organisers held a music competition among young children on Rabindra sangeet, Nazrul sangeet, patriotic and folk song and rhyme recitations. The organisers screened children films 'Shovoner Eakattur' directed by Debasish Sarkar and Sharat '71 directed by Morshedul Islam.
The second day's programme began at 3:00pm. Cultural organisations Bhorer Pakhi Nrityakala Kendra, Jantrik Lalitakala Academy, Liza Lalitakala Academy, Arshinagar Baul Sangh presented dance performance, songs and recitations while Kendria Alor Bhubon, Duranto Theatre, Dhaka Rangapith and Kabya Bilash staged plays 'Hature Dakter', 'Jago Bangali Barnachora' and 'Bijoyer Galpa' respectively.
The film screening session held every day at 8:30pm. The second day's films include Kabori Sarwar's 'Ekatturer Michhil', Begum Rashida Zaman's 'Takar Tholi' and Sujata's Chaiti.
On February 21, the programme began at 8:00pm. Selected artistes performed solo song, dance, recitation and acting. A dance competition was held at 3:00pm.
A cultural programme with the participation of members of Magnolia School of Art and Culture, Nobarun Mela, Phool Pakhi Shishu Mela and Antara Sangeet Academy and Dhaka's Baufal Sahitya O Sangskritik Parisad was held at 5:00pm
Invention Cultural Academy's 'Matir Putul', Canon Children Theatre's 'Maharajer Joy Hok' and Khea's Bhul staged in the afternoon while films Chhana O Muktijuddha and Chhutir Kadin was projected in the evening.
The organisers held a two-day workshop on Ekushey's songs on February 22 and 23.
The six-day programme concluded on February 24 through prize giving ceremony and cultural events at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy's National Theatre Hall.
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Photos highlight urban changes
Rifat Munim
The ongoing 18-day photography exhibition titled 'Urban Changes' at Goethe-Institut Bangladesh records the changes that major cities in India have gone through over the years. Yet it is apt to remind someone of the changing faces of a metropolis, be it Dhaka or Mumbai.
The exhibition organised by Goethe-Institut Bangladesh remains open everyday from 10:00am to 7:00pm and continued till February 25.
A total of 37 photographs are put on display in the exhibition, featuring the works of Alefiya Akbarlly of Sri Lanka, Jagath Dheerasekara, Vivek M and Mahesh Shantaram of India, Sohail Abdullah of Pakistan and Clare Arni of England.
The photographs are the result of a photo workshop organised by Goethe-Institut Mumbai and conducted by German photographer Andrea Künzig in Mumbai. Under the direction of Andrea Künzig, the photographers focused on the development of urban and rural structures in India in the era of globalisation.
The photographs capture various aspects of the important Indian cities especially Mumbai and Bangalore.
Alefiya Akbarally's 11 photographs show the lives of the washers who live and work in a highly crowded area. Her works demonstrate how space is getting diminished and becoming one of the most traded commodities of city life.
Photographs of Clare Arni reveal the lives of a section of people like the silk dyers and weavers in Mumbai and Banglaore, whose professions are presently under a serious threat from rapid urbanisation. The works of Vivek M present the miseries of the have-nots in Mumbai, who are compelled to choose the dumping areas littered with tonnes of garbage as their only means of livelihood.
Sohail Abdullah has selected the deserted walls of Mumbai to symbolise the walls as the witness of history while Mahesh Shantaram, formerly a doctor by profession, shows the lives of some people living in a neighbourhood.
Jagath Dheerasekara's works draw on the Sugarcane juice industry in Mumbai, which see thousands of seasonal workers travelling from one state to another trying to meet both ends together.
It is really interesting to note that the photographers have captured not the bustling city life, but the lives and professions of the poor people and have showed how their life is badly affected by the unplanned urbanisation of India, a fact which also applies to all the major cities in South Asia, including Dhaka.
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Workshop on classical jazz ends
Rifat Munim
The three-day workshop on classical jazz dance organised by World Dance Alliance-Bangladesh ended on February 18 with an enthralling dance programme at the training building of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Young participants of the workshop performed at the dance programme directed by eminent Indian classical jazz artistes Ronie Shambik Ghose and his wife Mitul Sengupta. The dance duo also conducted the workshop.
The programme began with Mitul Sengupta's two prolonged dance numbers, the first one presenting the pure form of classical jazz as was practised by pioneers like Jack Cole and Luigi, and the second one featuring the influence of Indian Kathak on classical jazz.
Mitul Sengupta, along with Ronie Shambik Ghose, is known as the only artistes in India, who seriously practise and promote this form. Little wonder that her highly skilful moves and twists of bodies creating a sense of exotic vibes took the audience by surprise.
When she rendered her second performance, the audience came to realise that classical jazz has a lot in common with our Indian classical dance forms, especially the Uday Shankar style of Indian Kathak.
But the most amazing part of the performance came when the workshop participants rendered several group dance numbers.
Trainees who were almost stumbling two days ago while keeping pace with the trainers mesmerised the audience with their well measured moves and hardly failed to synchronise with each other.
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Kamal Lohani, the World Dance Alliance-Bangladesh chair Lubna Marium, creation and presentation head Sharmila Banerjee, research and documentation head Tamanna Rahman, World Dance Alliance-India's West Bengal secretary Suman Sarawgi and noted dance artiste Munmun Ahmed were, among others, present at the programme.
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Parshi Bari on RTV
Cultural Correspondent
Private television RTV will telecast the first episode of the drama serial 'Parshi Bari' at 9:25pm Saturday.
Scripted by Shahin Zaman and directed by Al Hasen, the drama tells a story of two families in the countryside. Young Shamim falls in love with a girl called Jhumur in the neighbourhood and at one stage Shamim goes to his father with the proposal of marriage but Shamim's father Aziz turns down the proposal as in the past Aziz was in love with Jhumur's mother in their childhood.
Angry Shamim leaves the place and sets out for an unknown destination and finally lands in a city. Later, Shamin gets involved in a crooked business and gradually plunges into the criminal world.
The cast includes Mosharraf Karim, Kochi Khondokar, Sayka Ahmed, Sohel Khan, AKM Hasan, Momo, Nova, Mishu, Rifat Chowdhury and Ahsanul Haque Minu.
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Owen Wilson signs for new Woody Allen film
Reuters/Bdnews24.com, Los Angeles
Owen Wilson is attached to star in the new Woody Allen movie that will shoot this summer.
As with all the writer-director's film work, Allen is keeping the untitled feature's story line and characters hush-hush, and it's not clear how big Wilson's role is.
In November, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, mentioned that Allen had seduced her into taking a role in the film, though the writer-director's camp would not confirm.
Wilson's recent pictures include 'Marley and Me' and Wes Anderson's animated 'Fantastic Mr Fox.' The actor also voiced the title role in the Fox comedy 'Marmaduke,' which hits theatres in June.
Allen's next film, 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,' stars Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto and Lucy Punch.
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