Interview with Bhawaiya artist Shafiul Alam Raza
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Regional folk songs have a pride of place in Bangladesh. However, though the genre is widely appreciated, such songs do not share the magnitude of popularity as other genres.
Take the case of ‘Bhawaiya,’ a genre indigenous to north Bengal, mostly popularised by the folk maestro Abbasuddin. This genre is certainly not getting its rightful due today.
This is exactly the point where artiste Shafiul Alam Raza steps in. A regular artiste of Bangladesh Betar (radio) and Bangladesh Television, Raza is fast becoming a familiar name to ‘Bhawaiya’ enthusiasts in the country. Recently he had his second solo performance at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA).
In his words, “Most people are under the impression that songs like “Oki gariyal bhai,” “Baukumtha batash jemon” and a few others define the repertoire of the ‘Bhawaiya’ genre. However, in the rural areas of north Bengal, so many songs that the local artistes and Bauls sing are yet to receive exposure. Personally, I feel an inclination to bring these numbers before city audiences.”
And Raza practices what he preaches. Along with popular music, he always tries to present new, lesser-known ‘Bhawaiya’ songs. At the major cultural events in the city, such as ‘Pahela Baishakh,’ ‘Bashonto Utshab,’ ‘Ekushey February’ and ‘Bijoy Dibosh,’ Raja performs ‘Bhawaiya’ songs exclusively written for the occasion.
Born in Chilmari of Kurigram district, known as the hub of the genre, Raza was understandably fascinated by these songs. Since childhood, he was an avid listener of Rangpur Betar; he sought to learn his favourite songs and as it happened most of these were ‘Bhawaiya.’
“I don’t clearly know the reason for my interest. Maybe having grown up in that area, I was irresistibly drawn to ‘Bhawaiya’ songs,” said the artiste.
Though he didn’t receive formal education in music, this didn’t prevent him from receiving several prizes at competitions in his school. As it happened, at an Upazilla competition where he bagged the first prize, he met his music guru, Nurul Islam Zahid. A singer, composer and music teacher, Zahid has written over 3,000 ‘Bhawaiya’ songs. Zahid was a major source of inspiration for the young Raza, though the latter could not receive practical training from Zahid at that time. Years later, Raza managed to contact the artiste once more; since then, he has been among Zahid’s talented disciples.
However, when Raza came to the capital, he could not continue his musical pursuit. He joined the daily Jugantor as a crime reporter and showed immense potential in this field. His achievement as a reporter fetched him awards from TIB, Democracy Watch, UNESCO and more. However, his passion for music led him to change his beat and today he has carved a niche in cultural journalism. After winning a nationwide talent hunt organised by Bengal Foundation in 2006, he was able to make an entry once more in the musical world, this time, with more confidence and determination. While his potential as a folk singer gained him recognition, he decided to concentrate on ‘Bhawaiya.’
“I thought that as an artiste from the land of Bhawaiya, why not work to popularise the genre? Every time I get a chance to perform, I turn the spotlight on the genre, which is warmly received by the audience. This wide support fires my dream to re-introduce the powerful Bhawaiya tunes not only within the country but abroad as well.”
Now Raza is set for a visit to Pakistan this month to participate in an official cultural tour organised by BSA. His first album of ‘Bhawaiya’ songs is in the pipeline. The album will be released under the banner of Sangeeta.
Courtesy to Nahidul Haq,
Nadia Sarwat & the daily star
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