Feature

An Extempore Evening with Music

Asrar Chowdhury

THE Musical Adda of June 2010 had a different flavour. The centre of attraction was not a person in their third decade of life. It was somebody who is in a profession teaching people who are in their third decade of life. Debashish Biswas, rendered a musical session that was out of the ordinary. Educated in English Literature from the University of Dhaka, Debashish is a faculty in the department of English at the American International University, Bangladesh (AIUB). Teaching may be his profession. Music is his passion. The passion exuberated on the afternoon of Saturday 26 June, 2010 at the Musical Adda of Star Campus and Omnibooks.

The programme started on the dot at 4:30pm. Shahnoor Wahid, Editor of Star Campus, introduced Debashish to the audience that comprised mainly of students from various universities. The programme started in an extempore mode. The Tabla player, Sagor Sen of Padatik and the Daily Star, was caught up in the ubiquitous traffic jam of Dhaka. The Musical Adda started without a tabla. The first song was Kazi Nazrul Islam's Esho He Phire Bondhu, a devotional song composed in the old Bangla tradition. The passion in Debashish's voice compensated the absence of the Tabla. It was this passion in his voice that gave a signal to what was in store for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

The absence of the Tabla was not a deterrent because the next six songs were songs of Rabindranath Tagore. Many of Tagore's songs are devotional in nature. They are tailor made for the individual to offer their soul to their creator. Debashish did not fail to select his songs for the mood of the moment. Chhaya Ghonayechhe Bone Bone; Megher Pore Megh Jomechhe; Aji Jhorer Rate Tomar Abhishar; Kobe Ami Bhair Hobo; Jogot Jure Udar Shure; and Onekdiner Shunnota. It was pin drop silence as the audience was spell bound listening to a man offer his heart out to do justice to the soul of Tagore's composition- the poetry in the music itself. After one Nazrul and six Tagore devotional songs, one could tell it was time for a change in the mood. The clock signalled that more than an hour had elapsed, but it seemed as if only a moment had passed by.

The tempo of the adda picked up with Lalon Fakir's Bedhechhi Emono Ghor Shunner Upore. This was followed by the folk tune Amar Har Kala Korlam Re. One beauty of many folk tunes of Bangladesh is the influence of the Raga Khamwaj. Whether this was intentional or accidental is for the academics to wrestle out- Debashish did wonderful justice to the Komol Ni- the Jewel in the Crown of the Raga- while moving up the scale and coming down (the arohon and the aborohon) with grace and style. It was refreshing for two reasons. The future generation was listening to an artiste and also a teacher who trains the minds of the future generation.

It is now that Sagar Sen Gupta joined with his Tabla. The adda was now proceeding towards the evening. Two more Lalon songs were in the offing. Milon Hobe Koto Dine; and Ami Opar Hoye Boshe Achhi. Victor Gomes accompanied with the Khanjuri to give a Theka to the Tabla. The evening was to unravel more secrets. That was the end of Debashish Biswas- 'for the moment'.

Extempore was the mood of the session. Debashish invited members in the audience to sing. A lady approached. Like Debashish, she was also no professional singer. Sonia Rezina, who has recently completed her MBA from the University of Dhaka. She and her friends take an active interest in creating awareness about the blood disease, thalassemia. Sonia sang two songs- one of Tagore (Tumi Kemon Kore Gan Koro He Guni) and one of Nazrul (Anjali Loho Mor). What was refreshing was Sonia's effort to express the essence of the Nazrul song. She sang as if there was no tomorrow. To the trained ears, the meers were 'almost' perfect. Her voice added spice and life to Debashish's performance. The end of Sonia's song, the thirteenth of the evening by then, signalled an intermission. Refreshments. Victor Gomes, the gentleman who was accompanying Sagar on the Tabla with the Khanjani, turned out to be a surprise of the evening- a businessman by profession, but a musician at heart. After the refreshment break, Victor rendered two Manna Dey songs- Deep Chhilo, Shikha Chhilo; and Kotodin Dekhini Tomai. The evening received an added dimension to Debashish and Sonia's renditions. The ball was now back in Debashish's court. Atul Prasad was the next maestro who's song would be offered- Ke Go Gahile Pothe Esho. This was followed by Lalon's Jat Gelo, Jat Gelo-re. Debashish needed a break. Victor Gomes was the man of the moment. Victor sang three songs that were once very popular, but nowadays seem to be dieing out. Aj Ei Brishtir Kanna Dekhe, the signature song of Niaz Mohammad. The song suited the weather of the day wonderfully. The surprise came in the next two songs that are almost unheard of these days. Both of them were Jatilleshwar compositions- E Kon Shokal Rater Cheyeo Ondhokar; and Bodhua Bina Karone. It is a pity that songs like these are fading away and people like Victor Gomes will soon become a rare breed.

The Musical Adda was drawing to a close. Debashish could not afford the luxury of gambling with the ubiquitous traffic jam of Dhaka as he had a professional obligation to fulfil at AIUB and had to scoot off from Dhanmondi to Banani. The final rendition of the evening was a folk song- Ore O Kul Nodi.

This month's Musical Adda was different. The whole mood of the session was extempore. In the words of Debashish, throughout the evening, 'everybody belongs to everybody'. There were no rules. The singer could become the listener and the listener could become the singer. Future Musical Addas can be enriched because this type of an initiative is truly unique in Bangladesh. If the objective of the Musical Addas of Star Campus and Omnibooks is to educate and train today's young into good music, then uploading video podcasts in the Internet version of the Daily Star that would be available for some time would be a good idea. That would help reach a much wider audience and train the ears of future generation listeners of music. Debashish Biswas and his rendition sent a very powerful signal to Teachers across Bangladesh. Those who come to the teaching profession are in a unique position to shape the minds of tomorrow. It is here that Teachers like Debashish have to come forward to give the next generation hope towards a more positive life. Today's young are a few light years ahead of any of their predecessors. What they need is Piped Pipers like Debashish who hold the key to sending Bangladesh forward with a graceful generation. May this be reflected in all those who enjoyed the Musical Adda that evening and all those who are reading this narrative.

Photos: Ranak Martin
(The writer teaches economics at Jahangirnagar; and North South Universities)