Shilpakala pays tribute to Subir Nandi

Cultural Correspondent
Friends and colleagues from the music industry paid tribute to recently demised Ekushey Padak winning singer Subir Nandi at a programme held on Wednesday at National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised the tribute programme where state minister for cultural affairs KM Khalid was present as the chief guest.
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy director general Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the event.
Eminent singers, lyricists, composers including Syed Abdul Hadi, Sabina Yasmin, Rafiqul Alam, Akramul Islam, Abida Sultana, Andrew Kishore and others recalled their memories with Subir and spoke on the works and achievements of the singer, who died at a hospital in Singapore on May 7.
‘With the death of Subir Nandi, we have lost a great singer of our country. He, however, will live through his songs,’ said KM Khalid adding that Nandi’s songs will be duly preserved.
‘I have many fond memories with Subir da. The first playback we sang was in Chhutir Ghonta back in 1980. From then on, we have rendered many playbacks in duet,’ said Sabina Yasmin.
‘We hope that all songs rendered by Subir Nandi will be preserved and promoted,’ added Yasmin.
‘Subir Nandi had a God gifted voice and the ability to sing from heart; which made his renditions unique. He was also a man of dignity,’ said Syed Abdul Hadi.
Singer Rafiqul Alam, who had been a family friend of Nandi since the 1970s, also evaluated Nandi as a singer for whom music was prayer.
‘Since 1973, Subir was a good friend of mine. A very decent and elegant man, Subir was devoted to music totally. I have not seen any other singer so engaged in music,’ said Alam.
Born in 1953 in Sylhet, Subir Nandi had sung 2,000 playback songs including many fan-favourite ones. The singer won National Film Award in Best Male Playback Singer category five times, for Mahanayak (1984), Shuvoda (1986), Srabon Megher Din (1999), Megher Pore Megh (2004) and Mohua Shundori (2015).
He received Ekushey Padak, Bangladesh’s second-highest civilian award, earlier this year.