The rapture of classical notes

Pandit Ram Kanai Das

"My interest in Uchchanga Sangeet began even earlier as a young teenager, who listened to the gramophone records, inspired specially by the singing of Ganonda Prashad Goswami from India. I learnt Uchchanga Sangeet from Umesh Candra Rai for 12 years and began performing classical songs myself on the radio in 1967. Those who influenced me further in this line were Indian singers Pandit Orun Bahaduri, Ustad Abu Dawood Khan, Ustad Sadruddin Khan from whom I learnt further."

Asked which genre of music he preferred, Kanai Das said, Palligeeti is a part of me. The others are something I've acquired from others. I enjoy singing folk songs as it's in my blood while Uchchanga Sangeet is something I sing at request. The Alliance Francaise audience tends to go in for classical songs quite often, as I understand. Again, in Uchchanga Sangeet there is a special element, that is, little confinement and you can present your notes to your taste and mood. Other songs, like Nazrulgeeti and Rabindrasangeet have their notations and given words and you cannot experiment with them at will. To me Uchchanga Sangeet appears limitless in its scope, as all classical singers will tell you so that I can present a raag with various renditions. To me, all the four types of songs are very dear and when singing each of the types I feel that it is the best and forget or put aside my penchant for the rest."

Asked if he found it difficult to have made a living as a musician, Kanai Das said, "I have many students whom I teach classical songs to begin with and then, after three years of such basic training, other genres according to the taste and talents of the students. My students include Sumona Aziz, Shanta Nil Dhar, Paromita Dey Mauri (in Rabindrasangeet), Barsha Mojumdar, Anindita Chowdhuri, Sarmila Mojumdar (Uchchanga Sangeet). Meanwhile, my other students like Tripti Chakrabarti is at present studying at Santiniketan and Anomesh Bijoey Chowdhury is in India too".

Shamsul Haque, who played the clarinet during the soiree, learnt the wind instruments from his father Bachchu Mian in Bikrampur. After ten years of training with him I learnt the clarinet from my uncle. I also gathered some knowledge of the trumpet and shehnai from him. He said, "In the flute I play both classical, folk and modern tunes. That night I played raag malkosh and I performed solo."

Asked where he preferred to perform, Haque said, "I enjoy the radio, TV and the stage, having learnt my art from the age of ten. I began with the radio in 1957 and in the TV I accompany from 1974. Apart from the flute I play the tabla and the dhol."

Touching the subject of his students, Haque said, "One of the solo performers of the evening, Mohammed Hassan Ali, was one of my first students and like him I had many others."

Talking about the flute, Haque said, "Ustad Panna Lal Ghosh from Barisal gave it official status in Subcontinent since the days of the British. Of course, years back, the flute was there but it was used mostly for folk music and it was not often included in classical music."

He continued, "I accompany other singers and play solo at the same time as I did at the recent La Galerie soiree. I have played with Mehdi Hassan, Nighat Chima, Suriya Multanighar when they came to Dhaka and Chittagong. I have also accompanied Mina Hamid, Abdul Alim and Ferdousi Rahman."

Asked which genre of music he preferred, Haque said, "I like all but I like classical music most, as I've trained in this most of all." Commenting on his life as a musician, he added, "today I keep myself busy with flute and violin students like Mohammed Hussain, and Salim Chowdhury."

Also performing at the function were Pinu Sen Das, who had taken lessons from Pandit Shree Smar Saha in India. Pinu Das is a regular performer of Bangladesh Radio and BTV, and teaches tabla at Chhayanat and the Azimpur Ladies' Club. Last of all, there was Hassan Ali, another flute player, who has been playing with Bangladesh Betar and BTV as well as for cinemas. He has performed in Pakistan, South Korea, Netherlands and India.