Four Bangladeshi accomplished tabla players are prepared to set the stage on fire, on Thursday, the opening day of Bengal Classical Music Festival.
The talented artists are: Swarup Hossain, Md Zakir Hosen, Iftekhar Alam Prodhan and Goutom Sarker. Alamgir Parvez will accompany the quartet with harmonium.
Dhaka Tribune caught up with the artists in a rehearsal session and learned about their planned performance and more.
How excited are you to perform in such a big event?
Md Zakir Hosen: Last year three of us accompanied other artists’ during their performances. The promotion– from being an accompanist to main artist—is really very encouraging and exciting.
Goutom Sarker: We will be playing on the same platform where many of our gurus from India will also perform. That is one of the biggest achievements for us.
Swarup Hossain: My participation was in uncertainty since I lost my father only a few days back. He was my source of inspiration to continue my journey in music. So, his death simply broke me. But my family members, teachers, friends and others encouraged me a lot and finally I’m going to perform.
Iftekhar Alam Prodhan: It is a big honour and all thanks go to Bengal for providing us with such a majestic event.
What will you present on Thursday?
Swarup: We will present a 25-minute composition based on tri taal. Ranging from slow tempo (bilambit) to fast (drut), we will play many variations of the rhythm.
Are there rooms for improvisations?
Zakir: The presentation combines group and solo performances in different segments. In solo parts, we will improvise on the rhythm with our own skills and tastes. With the limited timeframe, we will try to give our best.
What is the biggest challenge to perform at a platform like this?
Iftekhar: Round the year we hardly perform tabla solos in our country. We generally perform as accompanists. So, our preparation is not strong enough to compete with the Indian master players. Tabla has not yet been recognised as a solo art here in this country.
What do you expect from the audience?
Goutom: The audiences have always been supportive towards us. But, as Iftekhar addressed that Bangladeshi audience is not yet accustomed with tabla as a solo art, Bengal’s such initiative will help them appreciate it more.
