Shoukhin present Nazrul songs

Shoukhin, a New Jersey-based cultural organisation, presented songs of Nazrul in Qawali style at the Nazrul Sammelon held in NY recently.

The event was the Nazrul Sammelon 2016 commemorating the birth of the great poet of Bengal. Shoukhin presented a spectacular show -- “Bulbule Qawali”--presenting songs of Nazrul in the Qawali style.

As the curtains went up at the announcement of the Shoukhin performance, the stage was lit with a colourful line of singers dressed in Qawali costume. Most attractive were the Qawali tupis (hats), specially the women's, which were handmade at home from scraps and bits by one of the Qawal singers. The men wore colourful vests and handkerchiefs around the neck and tupi, while the women were attired in colorful anarkalis and dupattas hanging from their feathered tupis. The appropriate background was a handmade set depicting domes created by one of the Qawals.

Musaddeq Hossain, a biochemist PhD and a Shoukhin member, opened the programme by calling for audience participation – “Aamra Qawalia – chai apka Talia ….”

The group's ustad, Golam Sohrab, opened up the first number with alaap and sher followed by the chorus to render “Saki dilo dola prane”. The programme was created by Golam Sohrab, a reputed Nazrul exponent, now settled in NY working as a Bridge Engineer.

The second song “Bhor holo uuth jag musafir Allah Rasul bol” cleverly transitioned from the first song through chorus harmonisation in the background with Alaap in the Azaan style followed by a chorus rendition of the mukhra. Arunabha Chakrabarty, an IT engineer in NJ, adeptly performed the sher and alaap to ornament the song. A veteran member of the audience came up and expressed his appreciation on the stage as the song progressed.

“Aadho, aadho bol laje, badho, badho bol” – the third song sounded unique in the Qawali style lead by Salauddin Ahmed Tarek, an electrical engineer settled in Cherry Hill NJ. With sargams and alaaps and chorus, this original ghazal style song saw a new genre in the making.

“Gul Bagichar Bulbuli Ami Rongin premer gai gazal”-- a song rendered by Kashfia Billah, started with chorus sargam creating an appropriate mood for the song opening. With scintillating beat interjected with beatless bistars and ending in dramatic tehai and all in the qawali style enthralled the audience. Kashfia is a structural engineer settled in Princeton, NJ.

The programme ended with “Aalga koro go khopar bandhon” from the Nazrul exponent Golam Sohrab with chorus joining in and interjecting dialogues to enhance the performance of the song. Once more the audience applauded.

Chondon Banarjee played the dhol with gusto and finesse to alleviate the Qawali percussion style of the programme.

Razia Ahmed (Rumu), professionally a banker and Momtaz Begum (Shumi), an IT analyst, provided the much needed chorus hoopla for the Qawali songs, not to mention the perfect adornment of the Qawali costumes adding to the great performance.

These are professionals well established in careers but Shoukhins (amateurs) in music as they have named themselves, presented a professionally crafted programme with the right touches to create a new form of presentation of Nazrul songs, thereby honouring the great poet.  

The writer is a well-known singer and a structural engineer settled in Princeton, NJ.