Our Talents
Abbasuddin Ahmed (1901-1959), a brilliant folk singer, was born at Balarampur in Tufanganj subdivision in the district of Cooch Behar on 27 October 1901. His interest in music dated back to his early days in school and college when he used to attend cultural functions. Largely self-taught, he took music lessons for a brief period from Ustad Jamiruddin Khan in Kolkata.
In 1930 Abbasuddin's inspiring Islamic songs became a household name in Muslim families. He was the first to record the Islamic song O mon Romzan er oi Rozar sheshey elo khushir Eid of Kazi Nazrul Islam. It was in this decade that young men and women of the society began to hum tunes of recorded songs. He also sang songs by Jasimuddin and Golam Mostafa.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Initially, he became famous for bhawaiya and chatka in Rangpur and Cooch Behar. He became increasingly popular with his rendition of jari, sari, bhatiyali, murshidi, bichchhedi, marsiya, dehatattwa and pala gaan. His emotional rendition of folk songs on gramophone records propelled him to popularity.
Folk song is a part of our rural culture and arouses sentiments of the commoners with its simple yet powerful lyrics. Abbasuddin's renditions were full of enthusiasm, wit and passion.
In Kolkata, Abbasuddin made a number of gramophone records with His Master's Voice as well as with Megaphone, Twin and Regal. By singing at various functions in villages and cities as well as by recording his songs.
In the 1940s, Abbasuddin's songs played a significant role in raising the Muslim public opinion in favour of the Pakistan movement. In 1947, after .Partition, he joined the Department of Information and Broadcasting as an additional song organiser. He represented Pakistan and participated at the South East Asia Conference in Manila in 1955, at the International Folk Music Conference in Germany in 1956 and at the Bengali Cultural Conference in Rangoon in 1957.
Abbasuddin wrote an account of his life as a singer in Amar Shilpi Jiboner Kotha. For his invaluable contribution to music he was posthumously honoured with the Pride of Performance Award in 1960, Shilpakala Academy Award in 1979 and Swadhinata Purashkar in 1981. Abbasuddin Ahmed died on 30 December 1959.
The celebrated singer surely instilled the passion for music in his daughter, the eminent singers Ferdousi Rahman and his son Mustafa Zaman Abbasi.
Abdul Ahad renowned exponent of Tagore songs and music director, was born in Rajshahi (1920-1994). Showing great interest in music from early life, he took lessons in classical music from Ustad Bali and Ustad Manju Sahib while at college. He took part in the 1936 All-Bengal Music Competition and stood first in thumri and ghazal. Ahad was also the first Bangalee Muslim to take admission in Shantiniketan in 1938.
After four years at Shantiniketan, in 1941 he joined His Master's Voice in Kolkata where famous artistes like Pankaj Mallik and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay recorded Tagore songs under his direction. He was also music director for feature films such as Dukkhe Jader Jibon Gora, Asiya, Nabarun and Dur Hyay Sukh Ka Gaon.
Abdul Ahad helped organise and develop the music world of Bangladesh by producing music programmes for Radio Pakistan, Dhaka for about two decades since 1947. A gifted composer Ahad composed a large number of Bangla songs as well as Urdu ghazals. Patriotic songs like O amar Bangla ma tor akul kora, sung by Sabina Yasmin and Amaro deshero matir gondhey, modern songs like Tomar aguney porano ei duti chokhey, sung by Shahnaz Rahmatullah, Onek brishti jhorey tumi eley, written by Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal and sung by Runa Laila, and many other songs reached unprecedented popularity.
Abdul Ahad published a number of books on music. Nabo Diganter Gaan is a collection of his compositions, while Sindhu Desher Sangeet is a collection of songs in translation.
The government of Pakistan decorated him with the hishest awards for his contribution to music in 1962 and 1969. The Bangladesh government awarded him Swadhinata Purashkar in 1978.