Mustafa Zaman Abbasi is adored by millions of listeners in Bangladesh and West Bengal, as a singer and writer. A scholar-musician-social worker, he is one of the important names in Bangladesh, authoring fifty books on subjects varying from music, philosophy, biography, travels, essays, and novels.
Abbasi is a popular singer of Bangladesh Television, performing and lecturing on music and Sufism. He has received innumerable awards, the main ones are: Ekushe Padak on music in 1995, Apex Foundation Award for his social contributions, Bengal Centenary Award as a writer and singer, Abbasuddin Gold Medal for music, Manik Mia Award for Journalism, Nazrul Academy Award for Music, Life time Achievement Award from Channel I, and Robi 2011 for music and writing.
Samira, daughter of Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, and granddaughter of Abbasuddin Ahmed, trained in Hindustani Classical Vocal Music under legendary artists, like Ustad Akhter Shadmani, Ustad Momtaz Uddin Ahmed and Ustad Niaz Mohammed Choudhury. Currently, she is training under Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty of the Patiala Gharana.
A Bangladeshi expatriate to the US, Samira has established a music school ‘Abbasuddin Academy’ in Chicago. She has performed in more than 200 concerts in Kolkata, Paris, Singapore, London, and many cities of the United States that included performances for Banga Sammelans and FOBANA concerts. Samira released her first album of Ghazals in 2007, and released an album of Nazrul songs in 2011. She has performed in the Bangladesh National TV and radio several times. In 2010, she received an award of distinction from the Folder Poetry Group for her contribution in music.
