Carrying forward the legacy of Bangladeshi folk music
Hailing from Fatikchhari, Chittagong, the musical journey of renowned dotara artiste Nirmal Kumar Das started his musical career by singing Bhatiali, Bhawaiya and folk songs of Chittagong. He even took prize performing in front of legendary singer Abdul Alim. But the dotara recital by his father Bijoy Kumar Das moved him so deeply that he decided to take up the instrument in 1968. He also received dotara training under legendary folk artiste Kanai Lal Sheel for seven or eight years and his youngest son Abinash Chandra Sheel.
He was enlisted as a dotara artist in Bangladesh Betar in 1972 and later joined legendary folk musician Abdul Latif's team to sing for the Green Revolution Movement. “Bangabandhu would inspire us while we went to meet the leader,” recalls Nirmal, who was also a regular dotara and mandolin artiste at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA).
Distinguishing the folk songs of yesteryears and contemporary times, Nirmal Kumar Das said, “There are vast differences. Folk instruments like dotara, baNshi, tabla, dhol, ektara were used to produce musical tracks acoustically. The influence of western music and its fusion is liable for less melody and emotion in the same songs,” he says.
He accompanied eminent artistes like Ferdausi Rahman, Abdul Alim, Sabina Yasmin, Runa Laila on dotara in live performances or film song recordings both at home and abroad. “I first travelled abroad in 1979 to Yugoslavia. Ferdausi Rahman was our team leader. Renowned artiste Subir Nandi was in the team and performed folk songs. But currently we see the influx of western instruments in folk songs performed abroad. How do we represent our culture more accurately if we leave our traditional folk instruments and songs at home?” he questions.
Das regrets that he couldn't join Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra as an artiste. During 1971, he went to India through Subroom border and joined the youth camp of sector no 6. “During my stay in the camp every morning I played the National Anthem 'Amar Sonar Bangla' with my dotara. Montu Bhai was in charge of the camp. Encouraged by him, I also took training from the nearby army camp. Later, I accompanied a guerrilla team as a junior associate (OT) in November, 1971. Fighting for the country was my only mission,” says the unsung Freedom Fighter.
“I first started performing solo with dotara in 2006. I would predominantly perform folk, classical and western melodies in a Chaitra Sangkranti programme organised by Sammilito Sangskritik Jote at BSA. Noted Indian artiste Kalika Das, keeping the originality of folk melodies, started reviving our folk songs on Zee TV,” he mentions.
The countless collection of folk songs in Bangladesh must be preserved. Proper training in folk songs and folk instruments is also necessary. In Baishakhi programmes we should prioritise performing folk songs by the folk bards,” he concludes.
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