One of Bangladesh’s most prominent and popular Nazrul exponents Md Yeakub Ali Khan will present a solo musical performance Saturday at 6:30pm at the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Gulshan.
What aspect of Nazrul Geeti attracts you the most?
Nazrul has written more than four thousand songs. From devotional to classical, romantic to ghazals—he has given everything for a singer to pass his or her whole lifetime with. Nazrul developed 19 distinct ragas; composed Khayal, Thumri and Tappa styled Bangla songs; Kabyageeti, Bhajan, Kirtan, Ghazal, Shyama Sangeet, Islamic songs and many more. Nazrul is, in a word, an institution.
How does Nazrul inspire you in your personal life?
Nazrul’s revolutionary spirit attracts me the most. He was a man always in conflict against all kinds of oppression. His ideology was one of the most driving points which led the country to revolt against the tyranny of Pakistanis. Moreover, he is my idol for his secularist practice and philosophy.
What songs are you going to perform today at IGCC?
I will sing songs like Tumi Kon Pothe Ele Pothik, Gul Bagichar Bulbuli, Bondhu Tomar Amar and more encompassing different genres of Nazrul Geeti.
What else are you performing on this occasion?
I’m occupied with many other performances. Yesterday I presented songs at Chhayanaut and today I will also perform at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. Besides, I will perform at some TV shows.
Yeakub Ali Khan undertook his first lessons in music from Babu Purna Chandra Shutradhar, and later trained under Prabir Chatterjee, Pandit Barin Mazumdar, Narayan Chandra Basak, Sheikh Lutfor Rahman, Khalid Hossain and Pandit Mithun Dey.
In 1979, Khan won the “Ashraf Smriti Shornopodok” in a countrywide Nazrul Sangeet Contest. In 1980, Mr. Ali stood 1st in the Higher Classical Music Training Course of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. He is a “Special Grade” artist of classical and Nazrul Sangeet of the Bangladesh Betar and Television.
He is a regular trainer at the Bulbul Lalitkala Academy, the Nazrul Academy and at some public and private Universities of Bangladesh.