A gamut of rhythms

A Baul performs at the event(top), Abu Bakar Siddique (L) and Gazi Abdul Hakim present a folk number(bottom). PHOTO: STAR

The United Nation Education and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), together with the Centre for Education, Creative and Performing Arts (CECPA) are sponsoring this year's National Music Festival from January 29 to 31, to promote the traditional music of Bangladesh. The festival is being held at the Shaheed Zia Auditorium, in the National Museum.

Dr M Osman Faruk, Minister for Education, inaugurated the programme on January 29. State minister Begum Selima Rahman, Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Wolfgang Vollman, representative of UNESCO, were present as special guests.

In his welcoming speech Azad Rahman, eminent music director and president of CECPA said, "The Music Festival offers a veritable bonanza for music lovers. Classical, light classical, Tagore song, Nazrul song, folk, modern Bangla song-- it's all there at The National Music Festival, a three-day musical feast that brings some of the best practitioners of these genres to Dhaka."

Dr Osman Faruk said, "Western culture has made inroads into Bangladesh. Though this phenomenon was initially welcomed, it is now slowly but surely becoming a threat to the survival of the Bangladeshi culture. The store of folk song abounds in spiritual lyrics of Lalon Shah, Hasan Raja, Romesh Shill and many anonymous lyricists. Bangla music arena is enriched with Jari, Shari, Bhatiali, Murshidi and other types of folk songs. Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Sangeet are Bangalees' precious heritage. Modern music is also practiced widely."

Vollmann asserted that music has some meditative and therapeutic properties--it may regulate some body functions, stimulate the mind--even make us smarter. It is an art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. The traditional music in Bangladesh shares the perspectives of that of the Indian subcontinent. UNESCO, he said, will continue to preserve and develop cultural heritage such as music, art and theatre.

The cultural programme began with a Baul song, Arey O Rangeela Manush Ekhono Keno Holona Hush by Ali Akbar Udash. Next Sufia Monowar gave a rendition of Loko Sangeet, Ei Pritibi Jemni Achey Temni Thiki Robey. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the programme which also featured Farida Parveen, Nashid Kamal, Rozana Ashraf, Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, Abu Bakar Siddique, Chumki Huq, Mridul Kanti Chakrobarti and Abdul Karim Khan.

Yesterday featured classical, light classical songs and instrumental music. This evening will see singers render Tagore's songs, Nazrul's songs and songs of Atulprasad, Dijendralal Roy, Rajanikanta Sen and modern Bangla songs.