Music of Bangladesh - Page 2

I've heard of Runa Laila...I have even been to some Bengali concerts...but most of the basics I don't really know them..thanks for posting them!!!

My mom's favorite singer is Mahmudunnabi (Samina Chowdhury's father). So, basically I grew up listening to his songs which my mom used to sing all the time, who, by the way, is a very good singer. Here is a site that has some of Mahmudunnabi's songs you can play : http://www.my-bangladesh.com/my-music.php?singer=7#

Edited by Kanta80 - 17 years ago

Runa Laila was ranked as the third best female singer in Pakistan (after Madam Noor Jehan and Mala). She was Bengali origin and born in Karachi, where she started her singing career from TV programme's.
She was introduced in film Ham Dono in 1966 by Nashaad and her first song Un ki nazron se mohabbat ka jo pegham mila... was a superhit song. She was a darling of the Karachi media and was promoted very efficiently against Madam Noor Jehan's dominance.
Runa Laila reached the peak of her film career when great musician Nisar Bazmi composed some super hit songs for her in films like Aasra, Anjuman, Tehzeeb, Anmol and Umrao Jan Ada.
Runa Laila also gained successes in Punjabi film music and sung some superhit songs as:

- Mahiya we, Bangla pawa de eithe...
(Film: Jagg Beeti (1968), music: Chishti)
- Zara thehar ja we chori chori jan waleyo...
(Film: Yamla Jutt (1969), music M. Ashraf)
- Leylpurun mangwaya, Jhumka Chanda da..
(Film: Bhole Shah 1970, music: Chishti)
- Do dil ik duje kolun door ho geye...
(Film: Zaildar (1972, music Chishti)

Runa Laila left Pakistan in 1974 but she will be remembered as a big Pakistani female singer.
Runa Laila had an elder sister Deena Laila and at the starting of their career in singing in mid 60's, both sisters used to sing almost together in functions and stage and also some song they sang for PTV.
Deena Laila could not get the same fame as Runa and got married in Makhdoom familyin Sindh, with brother of Makhdoom Fahim (PPPP fame). Deena died in early days of her marriage, leaving a son behind. (thanks to Mr. Mohammed Ayub Qureshi)

Listen to Runa Laila
from muziq.net
from Urdulyrics.com
Sindhi music from Sindhmusic.com
Bengali songs from my-bangladesh.com

Edited by Qwest - 17 years ago

Syed Abdul Hadi : A Bridge between the Modernism & Tradition

By Anis Ahmed Washington 05-June-2005

Interview with Syed Abdul Hadi 
Interview with Syed Abdul Hadi 

Syed Abdul Hadi is a renowned singer from Bangladesh. During his visit to the USA , in an exclusive interview with VOA Hadi , who has been singing Bangla Modern Songs over four decades, says that the secret of his popularity in these days  is his adaptability to the modern way of singing. He ,however,says that there has to be a balance between the modern trend and the heritage of Bangla song.

Edited by Kanta80 - 17 years ago

SYED ABDUL HADI
An accomplished artiste in
adhunik Bangla song

Except Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, a good number of lyricists, music composers and singers emerged in the early twentieth century.
   The period is also being considered as the Renaissance of modern Bangla songs. They brought the Bangla songs at the zenith point of popularity.
   Syed Abdul Hadi, a consummate artiste in the world of modern Bangla song in Bangladesh and its background history in this part of Bengal, says that just after the creation of Pakistan, in the 1950s, a different stream of Bangla songs developed in the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, with the help of radio.
   It developed a concrete shape and earned popularity during the 1960s simultaneously with another wing of Bangla songs in West Bengal. Fortunately, got a good number of artistes in music from mid 1960s to late 1970s
   According to him, after the Liberation War in 1971, Bangla songs became more powerful and popular.
   The liberation of the country opened all the windows and set a more distinguished style in modern Bangla songs.
   But, since after the 1970s, modern Bangla songs fell into decadence.
   'I will use the term 'decadence', because, day by day we are taking ourselves away from the tradition of Bangla songs, which is based on melody and beautiful lyrics,' said Hadi.
   'It may have many causes. During the 1980s and 1990s, we have seen a lot of changes in the world.
   The entertainment aspect of music becomes more important to the listeners. The artistic element of music becomes of less precedence to them.
   For this reason, music is facing a crisis in the whole world,' he added.
   'Amid this situation, I must say that there are some good works being done silently. But its number is very few.
   I also believe that nothing can be gained by looking back. We have to look forward. Some destruction may occur to create something new.
   I am not a pessimist and I am hopeful for the bright future of modern Bangla music.'
   'It is true that we are not getting good music in present days, but we should be optimistic.
   I hope good works will emerge out from the inferior quality of music that has taken over the present day.
   The radio, television and the cassette companies should play a positive role in the field.'
   'Unfortunately cassette companies treat the business of music as though they are dealing with raw materials or ordinary grocery items and not with an art.
   Pointing out at the initiatives of Gramophone Company in Kolkata, who worked for the development of good music, Hadi further said that the company has played a vital role in popularising modern Bangla music.
   The audio companies in our country should keep in mind the role of the Gramophone Company in running their business.'
   When asked about the lack of good lyricists and music composers, Hadi said, 'We are fortunate that we had good poets, who used to write, sing and compose music.
   There were also a good number of lyricists. Now, we are facing the problem. But I do not think that we have crisis of good lyricists and music composers.
   We can get good lyrics and tunes from them but the cassette producers only want 'hit' songs. The producers are not much interested in quality music; they look for quick profit only.'
   'Just to make a song popular, many of the lyricists use slang words.
   A song is full of obscene language which may create huge popularity among the audience, some of who obviously like that kind of language.
   It is seen there in every society with every age. But as a result our music is being destroyed. We should be aware of this problem.
   The electronic media have to take initiatives to improve this situation. The cassette companies should keep in mind that music is an art.'
   Answering a question on the role of the film industry in this field Hadi said that during their time in 1960s and 1970s, the film industry was one of the important medium in the development of music. 'During that time we got good films along with good songs.
   The present situation of film industry is known to all. Music industry has also been affected by the obscenity in films.'
   'During our time, if a singer did not find success in playback music in a film, s/he was not successful as a singer.
   Now, the film industry is not contributing in the same manner.'
   In reply to a question on the role of music composers he said, 'Music composers are preoccupied with cassette companies.
   In past years, the music composers used compose good music, with the intention of reaching it out to the audience.
   Now they first think of popularising a song and along with it financial success.
   To meet the demand of producers they (the music composers) do not strive for quality.'
   'We will create new dimensions based on the tradition of modern Bangla song.
   The mixture of folk style in music can be considered as a new dimension of Bangla music, but the genre should not be considered as the modern Bangla song.
   Band music is a different branch of Bangla songs. We have got some quality songs from some noted band groups in the country. In fact, we should work together to promote good music.'
   'For quick profit, music companies are destroying the melody of Bangla songs.
   They are imitating others in composing a song. We need proper marketing for good songs.
   As we have demand of good songs in market, the cassette companies are remaking or reproducing the old songs.
   They are taking few initiatives in producing cassettes of good songs. The audio industry should wait to get market for quality cassettes.
   But they do not wait for this.'
   'As an artiste I want to sing new songs.
   Why should I sing old songs? The cassette companies can re-release new albums of senior artistes with new lyrics.
   Senior artistes with their experience can present good albums.'
   'When people ask me to sing, the first thing I do is read the lyrics.
   A cassette company Soundtek will produce an album of me titled Ekbar Chale Jabo. Gazi Mazharul Anwar has written the lyrics and I have composed the tune and have sung the songs.
   I think that I have done a good job. I am satisfied with the work. I am not only a singer, I think, I am an artist.
   I do not know whether these songs will be hits or not but I think that I have sung good songs.'
   'We are also being affected by the satellite channels. In the name of music, the channels are also promoting obscenity.
   It is quite natural that the young people will be attracted with this sort of music programmes.
   This happens in foreign countries, I have always observed, but they also listen to good music.'
   About the remedy of this unhealthy scenario, the artiste said, 'The degradation in the music industry is not just our only problem.
   We have a lot of problems in other sectors. We should change our attitude. The artistes in different fields should play a strong role to save our art and culture from bad effluences.
   They should take this as a mission. An artiste cannot remain silent in the crisis or even cannot be involved in fighting this decadence.
   An artist should not only run after name and fame. All of us should come forward to better the music industry.'
   About the young singers, he said, 'Yes, we have some talented young artistes but they are little devoted in this field.
   Most of them want to be popular overnight and to earn money. But they are really talented in music.
   We should be aware about our own responsibility as artistes.
   If an artiste does not agree to present bad music, nobody can force him/her to do this. For example, nobody can force me to sing below-standard songs.
   I do not compromise on this aspect'
   Before concluding his interview he again reminded us that the radio and television should encourage and patronise good music.
   'They should give everything for the development of quality music.'

Edited by Kanta80 - 17 years ago

MUSTAFA ZAMAN ABBASI
Upholding Bangla folk music
The history of Bangla song is about five hundred years old, starting during the period of Vaisnava Padabali. If the history of Caryapada is included then it goes to nearly one thousand years back. The advent of modern Bangla songs begins in 1930s, based on the Tappa gan. Gramophone Company played an important role in popularising modern Bangla song. Later, with the help of radio and Bangla films, modern Bangla songs became more popular to the common people. It is widely said that the period from 1930s to 1960s is the golden age of modern Bangla songs,
writes Robab Rosan

Mustafa Zaman Abbasi is upholding Bangla folk music. When asked about his first choice among different genres of Bangla vocal music, he said that it was classical music. 'I have been trained since my childhood in classical music.
   I have learnt classical music for about fifteen years and enjoy this music the most, even today.'
   'Then, after classical music I took up folksongs, including, bhawaiya, bhatiali, dehatatva, bichchhedi and baul.
   I was also enthusiastic about learning Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Sangeet. All of these genres of Bangla songs have been practised in our family.'
   'In the core of Bangla vocal music, we have two branches, one based on folk-style and the other on classical music.
   I was fortunate that there were a good number of noted ustads in classical music, who used to come to our house;
   I was encouraged by listening to them perform. I have also learnt the songs of Tagore and Nazrul from noted ustads. In fact, I had the rare opportunity to be introduced to the beauty of Bangla songs.'
   'In the beginning I had planned to practise particularly classical music. I was in a dilemma whether to take up music as a career.
   It was from 1956 to 1960, when my father Abbasuddin was ill and I was a student of university.
   At last, I decided not to take music as a profession. But till today music is my best companion. Although I did not leave music totally, I have presented music professionally.
   I have been able to present music professionally because I think that I have been able to learn the basics of music.'
   'Music is my love. As I have had a steady income to maintain my family, I could be practise music to my heart's content.
   If I see that a television channel telecasting classical music I enjoy the programme.
   The richness of Bangla music always attracts me. Though bleak clouds have covered the sky of Bangla music, I hope that the healthy situation for Bangla music will be back again.'
   'I hope that we will get another Rabindranath, Nazrul, Lalon, Abbasuddin and the others in the world of Bangla music in future.
   The people who say that we only look back in history, I do not agree with them. I think that we should take guidelines from the golden history of Bangla music and we need preparations for good music.'
   When asked about singing Islamic songs, he said that Nazrul Islam had written a good number of Islamic songs, like hamdth, naath and Islamic ghazals. 'These songs are not well preserved. I am trying to sing them.
   My father had maintained a different style, which is unique. I want to follow and present that style. I think those songs had inspired the poor people of Bengal, who are mostly Muslims.
   I think that these songs had worked as inspirations for the peasants of Bengal, particularly in Bangladesh in last nearly sixty years.'
   'We get the beauty of Islam as well as the modern attitude towards religion from the Islamic songs of Kazi Nazrul Islam and Abbasuddin. We have tried to present this idea that these songs are not only a part of our history; these are also needed in our society in present days.'
   'My father had also tried to bring us up with the philosophy of the artistic presentation of Islam. He wanted to make us artistes with the knowledge on Allah, the Prophet (S), Islam with Bengali values.
   My father was among the complete Bengalis, who upheld their cultural heritage and the beauty of religion as well.'
   'For about the last fifty years, I have also worked on folksongs, like bhawaiya, bhatiali, chatka, bichchhedi, songs of Bishwa Hari, dehatatva, songs of Hason Raja and Lalon Fakir.
   I have collected about four thousand songs of different genres of Bangla music with tunes in my tape recorder after visiting several rural areas across the greater Bengal.
   These are rare collections. I have been working in this field when I was a student of university in 1956.'
   'The government and affluent people should come forward to digitalise these songs as it is very expensive, which is beyond my capacity. It will be national treasure for the country.'
   Abbasi, who is also a writer of the history of Bangla folksong, said that there are one hundred and twelve genres of folksongs in Bengal. 'We should collect them.
   If we do not make archives for the Bangla music, after some years we may lose many of our original Bangla songs.'
   About upcoming singers he said, 'Young singers have done well in Rabindra Sangeet as Chhayanaut has been promoting this song for about thirty years.
   But the scenario in Nazrul's songs and classical music is the opposite. We have so many enthusiasts and talented young singers in different genres of Bangla music but someone should come forward to promote and patronise them.'
   Abbasi expressed his thoughts against the activities of people or organisations, which are funding for the development of country's cultural heritage. 'I think that they are not working in a proper way.
   Even then, the multinational companies in our country are controlling cultural activities in our country in the name of so-called sponsorship.
   They have been playing a destructive role in our culture by promoting only the band music.
   I do not think that all of band music is bad but this sort of music cannot be the main genre of Bangla songs.'
   Abbasi is now involved in writing books. He is writing an autobiography and religious books. He is planning to publish CDs on folksongs and traditional Bangla songs.
   Though he has visited many countries of the world and performed there, he enjoys the most when he gets invitations to perform in a village.
   'The musical programmes in rural areas attract me most. Unfortunately, the hearts of folksongs, the villages, have changed a lot.
   We do not get lively village fairs like in the past. Nowadays, we only hear a few original Bangla songs in the villages.
   But I am optimistic about sweeping away the black clouds, which cover the sky of country's cultural arena.'
   He further said that the sky channels are being enjoyed by the affluent people in the cities. That does not mean that we have achieved many things.
   In reality, the condition of the radio and television in the country, which are the real promoter of Bangladeshi culture, is very poor.
   The local channels are telecasting few programmes on pure music.'
   'The rural people are being deprived from enjoying the original music of the country.
   The real culture is not being upheld. Rural fairs are not getting enough support. The bauls, the artistes of classical music and modern Bangla songs are not getting much support from any corners.
   If this situation continues, we will be a nation without music in the future.'
   About the present condition of bhawaiya songs in this bleak scenario in the total cultural arena of Bangladesh, he said that the Abbasuddin Smaran Samiti in West Bengal has been collecting bhawaiya songs for many years.
   The Bhawaiya Academy in Bangladesh is also taking initiatives to preserve and promote this genre of folksong. In fact, we need financial support from the government or from other organisations, because it is a huge work.'
   He thinks that the newspapers should also be vocal on this grim condition. 'The newspapers should focus not only on the television plays but also on the programmes of classical, folk and modern Bangla songs as well.
   If the newspapers write on this crisis in the television channels, it may bring some positive changes. They should also write on the bleak condition of the radio stations in the country.'
   In conclusion he requests the government and television channels to preserve and promote the original culture of Bangladesh. 'We should save it for the generations to come,' he said

Edited by Kanta80 - 17 years ago

Syed Abdul Hadi's songs link: http://www.my-bangladesh.com/my-music.php?singer=12 Edited by Kanta80 - 17 years ago

Edited by Qwest - 17 years ago

Runa laila: Magic of Bengal. She is great I happened to know her personally. She is great and a very powerfully singer.
Edited by Qwest - 17 years ago

Laila and her lilting ditties

It's the jive that makes Runa Laila's performance unique.

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"I've always done one-off concerts. So I'm looking forward to this festival, which I've heard is going to be different, with classical and fusion music." Runa Laila

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RUNA LAILA: Voice honed by rigorous training.   Born into a middle class family in Pakistan, Runa Laila was a bright youngster brought up in the typical Bengali mould, where the arts, like other fine things of life, were nurtured with just as much enthusiasm as to keep them buzzing happily within the family circle. A music ustad would visit the family home, to teach classical music to Runa's elder sister Dina Laila. As younger siblings are wont to do, Runa too would sit down and pick it up effortlessly. But the energetic youngster's heart was in dance, and she was enrolled in a school where she learnt Kathak, Bharatanatyam, even Kathakali! "I think it comes out when I sing," says the lady known for her signature brand of jiving. Picked by music director Manzur Hussain to sing for his film "Jugnoo" while a child under 12, she received intensive training from him, since film singing has different requirements from other kinds of music. Daily music practice early in the morning, followed by school, followed by more practice meant that by the time she recorded the song, meant as playback for a child actor, the take was as smooth as a piece of cake. Many listeners turned up at the studio to see how the child would fare, and at the end of the recording sweets were distributed. To say the next step was stardom isn't far off the mark, since her next song, in the same film, was for the heroine. One film led to another and Runa Laila, as history saw the creation of Bangladesh, became a star beloved of the sub-continent. The girl who had admired Noor Jehan, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh, carved out an inimitable style of her own. Influence on her career Besides her classical training, she recalls gratefully the influence of Manzur Hussain on her career, since, instead of pampering her as a child, he told her that while her voice was good, it had certain flaws he needed her to work on. In those days, recording a song meant meeting a crowd of people in the studio, singing along with the orchestra and, should anyone make a mistake, starting over again from the beginning. No 'punching' in of bits and pieces. No track recording in which the singer could record separately from the orchestra, in which the various instrumentalists need play at the same time. Now, says Runa, she doesn't get to meet old friends from the recording industry at award ceremonies.

Yet she feels at heart she is still part of the 'old school'. Every performance still feels like the first time. She can't be blas, because she still worries. Sometimes she frets, but that's life for someone who is resigned to being "a perfectionist".

Edited by Qwest - 17 years ago