The songs we hear no more
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It was the wedding of the granddaughter of famous folk lyricist Abdul Karim, when all the songs that were sung there were Hindi numbers from recent movies. He was the man who wrote the most famous bhawaiyas such as aji bhahahal koriya bajan re dotara or O o more kala re kala, or Oi dekh ghur ghur ghur koriya urali koitore ta. He himself hailed from Cooch Behar, which is home to the bhawaiya songs and he was also the younger brother of legendary artist Abbasuddin. Yet, his family, meaning the younger generation have long forgotten the treasures that brought us pride and glory. Starting with Abbasuddin who paved the way for folk songs to be recorded in the national media, hands were joined in with Jasimuddin who discovered the treasures from Southern Bengal and added to the trousseau. Artists like Abdul Alim and members of the Abbasuddin family carried on the tradition, yet in recent times folk songs have not received their due share of eminence.
The torch has been borne by artists like Rathindranath Roy, Indromohan Rajbongshi, Nina Hamid, Bipul Bhottacharya and others. However, after these names there remains a vacant slot. During long years of folk research and documentation, Mustafa Zaman Abbassi tried to collect folk songs from the original singers of Bangladesh. In his rich presentation on the BTV in programmes like Bhora Nodir Bake and Amar Thikana he has not only tried to provide the Bangladeshis with their correct address, he has made detailed documentation and presentation of unknown composers and tuners whose creative abilities would have otherwise remained undiscovered and unsung. He brought into lime light artists like Aroti Dhor, Banna, Jalal, Meena Borua. He gave breaks to new artists who could have been picked up later and made into national celebrities and icons.
During the 60s when PTV came into being, during my long association with the same, I had witnessed the producers in strategising to uphold the culture of this country by promoting promising artists with focused and planned exposure on the screen and the radio. Producers and planners like Mustafa Monowar, Khaleda Fahmi, Sakina Sarwar,Md. Muzakker, Nawazish Ali Khan, Mustafa Kamal Syed would bring their heads together in search of the new talents and allow them extra mileage for their establishment. In 1973, I remember presenting the Sylhet based group `Bidit Lal and others’ in the premier programmes presented on TV. This programme marked the debut of future stars Subir Nandi, Himangshu Goswami,Akramul Islam and Dulal Bhoumik. In a programme titled `Rangdhonu’ presented from the Transcription Service of Radio Bangladesh, the great artist Farida Perveen was discovered by Shahidul Islam (DG Shilpo Kala Academy).
I have clear recollections of her young self along with her father, discovering the complexities of the star world in Dhaka and flourishing under the able guidance of Mustafa Zaman Abbassi. He is one of the few people who has contributed to both performance, preservation, collection and creation of new generation of singers in Bangladesh. He has spent long hours in tutoring them to learn and present their songs.
This includes artists such as Baby Nazneen whose original field was folk songs. Abbassi’s active pursuit still remains alive, it is only a matter of picking up the best and giving them national celebrity status.
In a similar manner eminent folk researcher Dr. Ashraf Siddiki provides fodder and milk in encouraging artists to bring out the folk treasures of this country. From remote area of Domar, Rangpur to the elitist town hall of New York, he has made elabotrate attempts to popularise our folk heritage. It is only for us to value their contributiona dn carry on the tradition.
From another view point, no matter how hard we have tried to neglect our folk heritage, it is exactly that which has brought us our glory. In a programme in Kolkata Salt Lake Stadium in 1989, celebrated singer Sabina Yasmin started her repertoire with `Allah Megh de pani de’,so does Runa Laila with her `Je jone premer bhab jane na’ . In foreign representations of our country we find singers singing `Nodir Kul nai’, while the original folk singer languishes in poverty of underexposure and defeat. Our programmes on Eid day and other national holidays do not uphold our folk culture , nor do they allow the folk artists to make a mark.
On the 5th anniversary of Channel i, the live show began with my songs, and I purposely chose to present a folk number `Piritir emni reeti janle pirit ke korito’. Even in Pakistan and India which are our closest cultural outlets, the audience requests for chatka songs like `O mui na shonong’ made popular by famous legendary artist Ferdausi Rahman. As I traveled with her to programmes in India ,these are the songs which are requested for again and again. In whole night festivals in Rangpur, Bogura people are willing to face the vagaries of mosquito bites and prickly heat just to enjoy the rich music. Even the star studded `Kasauti Zindegi ki’ cannot attract them to stay at home. These are recent experiences of mine from which I write this article. The power of the folk songs is everlasting and evergripping,and it can bring national cohesion and integrity. So many rich songs, treasures of our country, bhawaiya, chatka and bhatiali wait in the background, they are ours only for the asking. Even Bappi Lahiri of India could not contain himself and chose to plagiarise `Allah Megh De’. If one has the opportunity of watching Kolkata channels, one will find their artists singing some of our famous folk songs by the king of folk songs Abdul Latif `Ailo deya mishale’ while we choose the things theirs.
We have neither witnessed a flourishing folk culture in Bangladesh, neither have we made any effort to cull out the jewels from various remote areas of Bangladesh and encourage their original presentations. The language for which we fought the war, the culture and heritage for which we laid down our lives remained unloved, undiscovered, god forsaken and forlorn. In unearthly hours of BTV presentations at 5.30 pm, we find some obscure artists presenting some folk songs in a most non-enchanting manner. Whereas, in places like Abbasuddin Shongeet Academy, or in Bangladesh Lok Shilpi Porishod the talented folk artists crave for opportunities in the media. The other private channels also do not bother to have special slots for the folk songs which is the pride of the nation. Instead, Bangla songs from other countries, remixes and distorted versions of `Oki gariyal bhai’ fill the screen with display of saris and bodily gyrations inappropriate with the gravity of the songs. No new artists emerge in the realm of folk songs, all artists aspire to sing modern songs, while genuine folk artists lose their flame. Can we boast of our language and traditions when we have actually throttled the voices of our heritage?
The writer, a noted singer and presenter, is also Professor in the Dept of Population- Environment, Independent University, Bangladesh.
by Dr. Nashid Kamal
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