Abdul Latif: In remembrance of a musical maestro
His musical talent flowered during the 1950s and 1960s, the time that saw the rise of the Bangalee nation. He simultaneously performed folk music, gono sangeet (people's songs) and regional songs.
Abdul Latif was born in 1927 at a small village called Raipasha, about four miles from the Barisal town. After his primary education in his birthplace, he went to Kolkata. In early 1948, he came back to Dhaka and started working in Radio Pakistan as a staff artiste. It was in this period that Abdul Latif started writing songs. His first written song, Shymal baran meyeti, became very popular for its simple lyrics and superb melody. He wrote more than 1500 songs and some of them became very famous.
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Abdul Latif's name is especially linked with the Language Movement of 1952. He set Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury's Amar bhaiyer raktey rangano to tune first in 1953. However, later Altaf Mahmud's tune was adopted as the song of Ekushey. Abdul Latif's songs like Ora amar mukher kotha kaira nitey chaay, Dhakar rasta roktey rangaili, Daam diye kinechhi Bangla, Shona shona shona and many others generated immense inspiration among the Bangalees at different times, especially during the Liberation War.
His publications include Duare Aishachhe Palki from Bangladesh Folklore Parishad, Bhashar Gaan, Desher Gaan from Bangla Academy and Dilrobab from Islamic Foundation.
He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 1979 and the Swadhinota Padak in 2002.
In a message Information Minister M Shamsul Islam and State Minister for Cultural Affairs Begum Selima Rahman condoled the death of the eminent singer.
The Culture Desk of The Daily Star condoles at the passing away of the musical maestro.