Music festival to mark Baul Shah Abdul Karim’s 94th birth anniversary

A two-day music festival marking the 94th birth anniversary of the living legend Baul Shah Abdul Karim begins today at Ujandhal under Dirai upazilla of Sunamganj, according to a press release. The festival has been held annually during the first week of April for the last 10 years. The river Kalni, which flows in front of the small village Ujan Dhol has influenced Shah Karim’s life seriously since his childhood.

Shah Abdul Karim is the living legend of Bangladesh.He was born in 1916 in Sunamganj, Bangladesh in a very poor peasant family. He was barely literate. He got his musical lessons from Ustad Karam uddin and Rashid uddin.

Baul Shah Abdul Karim has authored about 1500 songs and 6 song books. Bangla Academy translated 10 songs of him into English. He wrote and sang songs for all the important political and cultural movements of Bangladesh, like The Kagmari congregation, the 1954 election, the 1969 mass uprising, the 1970 election, and the revolution against the military junta in 1990. Some of his popular numbers are, “Agey Ki Sundar din Kataitam”, “Gramer Naojoan”, “Hindu Mussalman”, “Bandhey Maya Lagaichhey”, “Piriti Shikhaichhey”, “Tomra Kunjo Sajao Go”, “Aj Amar Prannonath Ashibey”, “Gari Choley Na Choley Na”, and many more numbers.

He was honored with the highest national award of Bangladesh, the ‘Ekushey Padak’ in 2001.