The rains are late this year, but I’m not complaining. The monsoons is my favourite season. Tagore’s lyrics rendered beautifully by Jayati Chakraborty. Get a big screen,. Good speakers. Sit back and enjoy.
It was on the 5th August 2018 that I was picked up from my flat. It led to torture, remand, over 100 days in jail and eventually bail on the 6th attempt.
What do I remember of my incarceration? One of my endearing memories is during a power cut (which happens regularly in this high security (KPI) location), when I would hear one of the prisoners sing a song both Rahnuma and I are very fond of. A Baul song composed by Ukil Munshi on the death of his beloved. The song “Shona Chand Pakhi” was made famous by the bard Bari Siddique. Songs are always difficult to translate, but here is a crude attempt:
My tender moon my tender bird Do you slumber as I call, You and I, entwined we were Forevermore and all
Why must you, so quiet stay Open your eyes, my gentle one So quiet you are as I call today Its my call, don’t slumber on
Bulbul, Parakeet, Mynah So many names to you I call You broke the chains and left me Where do I stay where do I fall?
This love of ours, as I call and you sleep Sun and moon witness in the sky Suddenly you leave me all alone I am left with the question why?
At the end of 1956, generally conceded to be the cultural birth year of rock ‘n’ roll, the best-selling album in America was not?Elvis Presley?or?Elvis, it was Harry Belafonte’s?Calypso. Belafonte was one of America’s most popular entertainers of the mid-twentieth century and parlayed his commercial success into civil rights activism. Calypso music had come from Trinidad and Tobago, with roots in West African Kaiso music and the migration of French planters and their slaves from Martinique and Dominica: Continue reading “Harry Belafonte – "Banana Boat Song (Day O)" – 1956”
Jabbar Bhandari was a freedom fighter. He fought with Kader (Tiger) Siddiqui in Tangail. ?He now makes a living as a Baul Singer.
A Freedom Fighter Sings of 1971 from Shahidul Alam on Vimeo.
He had also conducted operations in Kaderpur and Haluaghat. Now much of his time is spent around Suhrwardy Uddyan where the deed of surrender was signed in 1971. ?I found him slowly walking along the photographic exhibition on 1971 we had orgasised. He would stop and peer intently at each photograph. I asked him what he was looking at. ?I am looking at myself he said. It is me you have photographed.? ?I asked him what he thought of Bangladesh now. Whether he still dreamt of the Bangladesh he had fought for. ?He replied wistfully, ?It?s good we are free.? Then he paused and said. ?Sometimes I dream. Sometimes I don?t.?
I have never seen him since.
THIS IS IT. OITIJ-JO IS HERE.
A WORLD CLASS VENUE AT THE HEART OF LONDON, SERIES OF WORLD CLASS EXHIBITS, WORLD CLASS ARTISTS AND EMERGING TALENT.
COME AND EXPLORE BANGLA CREATIVITY WITH US THIS WEEKEND!
includes free exhibitions and tickets start from ?5.00! Continue reading “Bangladesh extravaganza in London”
EXHIBITIONS | FASHION | WORKSHOPS | ADDA | MUSIC
An unmissable chance to discover and explore the rich culture and creativity of Bangladesh and its new directions. From 22nd to 24th February at the Bargehouse London SE1 9PH
?Bharat Ratna? M.S. Subbulakshmi?(1916-2004): hailed as the voice of the Nation and as the Nightingale of the country, MS was the icon of Carnatic and devotional music. Her voice and songs won appreciation from several people ranging from Mahatma Gandhi and Rajaji to Pt Nehru and Sarojini Naidu and others. In her younger days she also acted in several Tamil films like Sevasadanam, Meera, Savitri and Shakuntala. She took Indian classical music to different corners of the world including to the UN General Assembly in 1966.
Launched in 2008, the?Songlines Music Awards?celebrate and acknowledge the myriad of musical talent across the world that has been featured in?Songlines?magazine. For details of winners to date, check out the links above, and see below for highlights of our recent?Songlines Music Awards 2012?winners’ concert at The Barbican.
Please look up the Bangladeshi led band Lokkhi Terra?http://www.shahidulnews.com/lokkhi-terra-and-the-che-guevaras-rickshaw-diaries. Lokkhi Terra is developing the theme tune for the upcoming Chobi Mela VII. Please circulate this message and get others to vote
“go to??*9. Best Group?and select?
Voting for the 2013 Awards is now open in four categories: Best Artist, Best Group, Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Newcomer – for more details on these,?click here. Eligible artists are those who had albums reviewed in?Songlines?during 2012 (from issues #82 – #89 inclusive).
The top four in each category from the public vote gives us the final nominations, which will be published in?Songlines?#91 (April/May 2013). The?Songlines?editorial team will then select the winners which will be announced in?Songlines?#92 (June 2013). A compilation album featuring all 16 nominated artists, will be released on Monday March 18, 2013.
All voters will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win one of three pairs of tickets to WOMAD Charlton Park (July 25-28 2013), plus we have 10 runner’s up prizes of the?Songlines Music Awards 2012?CD featuring all of last year’s winners and nominees.
Don’t delay – have your say and be part of the?Songlines Music Awards?now. The deadline for voting is midnight (GMT) on Thursday, January 31, 2013.
Please Retweet #music #Bangladesh #lokkhiterra #chobimela
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