At their annual music and dance session , to promote Bengali music integrating Indian and Bangladeshi communities Krishna Chura organised some breath-taking performances with some top level musicians and artistes in Manchester …. reports Rahul Laud
Recently in Manchester at the CHADS Theatre to pay tribute to renowned singers/musicians of Bangladesh – Singers Shahnaz Rahmatullah, Shubir Nandi and Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul – a special dance and session based on classical fusion was organised by Krishno Chura a Bengali performing arts group based in Manchester led by Dr Masim Allam (Proshonda) , dedicated to the promotion and excellence of Bengali music and literature in the UK. This event was a part of the annual concert Krishna Chura organises.
Proshonda said “dance is a magnificent and powerful medium of arts. It has a universal language that can access all realms and people. Probably it took its early birth in its most energetic form in Africa with the birth of mankind and has evolved in the way of expression along with mankind’s evolution throughout the world.”
Furthermore he added , “Style of music at Krishno Chura is with the focus on Bengali Performing Arts – music and poetry. While we have foundations in the classical and conventional form of Bengali music in the tunes, words and the use of instruments such as tabla, harmonium and Indo-‐Bengali percussions – we are also very open minded to world music.”
The theme was a story of 4 girls who love to dance. They are highly skilled in Indian classical dance forms. This is their dance journey through time and space. They start dancing classical and semi classical Indian. Then they travel and come across music and mood of other realms – semi-‐classical, non-‐formal or folk – often Spain, often Italy or Russia or even South America. And they admire, absorb, transcend and blend in. The girls become part of the bigger spectrum of dance of the world. And then finally they hear the call – the beat that is in their blood – in their veins – the Bengali dhol. And they come back and embrace the beloved mother – Bengal.
Manchester ace Kathak danseuse Roshni Sarkar was accompanied on tabla by Hamit Walia and harmonium by Masih Alam.
Debika Banrjee and Sanchari Bhattyacharya performed the semi classical fusion segment based on Tagore songs. Rivonia Goswami performed classical Bharatnatyam tp enthral audience.
All 4 dancers performed a – music and dance medley with Hamit Walia on drums and Masih Alam on keyboards , dancing to 8 pieces of Bengali, Hindi, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Latin American tunes.
The MUSIC SESSION Songs of Shahnaz Rahmatullah, Shubir Nandi and Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul were sung by Masih Alam, Rawshan Choudhury, Mitra Kabir, Mukarram Hussain, Waseema Tasnin, Farhana Zafar and Moshfique Uddin Recitation: Mohammad Sadif Musicians: Masih Alam (keyboard and harmonium), Javed Siddiqui (tabla and cajon), Hamit Walia (drums and tabla), Parissa Alam (lead guitar), Sanket Jadav (keyboard) and Mohammad Sadif (manjira, nupur).
The songs were some of the most popular songs of Bangladesh. The group redressed these songs through a very different choice of instruments, mostly inspired by European classical orchestra, and made fusions with Bengali and modern instruments. The aim was to present the essence of the songs to the audience in a different flavour, imagination and rhythm – for them to think out of the box of what is conventional. It was intended to present the songs with a more orchestra effect in a style in which the instruments are as important as the vocal – as opposed to the vocal-‐dominant style that are used in Bangladesh.
Krishna Chura is extremely keen on experimental and fusion music and likes to enhance and enrich through music and cultures of non-‐Bengali realms. “ We are keen to bring Bengali music to the West and bring the West to Bangladesh. Because music is very universal and it exists in different forms for the same expression of our moods and emotions. So, to put it in simple words -‐ we are inspired by any music that sounds good – whether the origin is Indian, European, African, Middle Eastern or Far Eastern,” Proshonda added.
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