Alif Laila mesmerises music lovers with solo sitar recital

Photo: Ridwan Adid Rupon

In an attempt of depicting the desired mood of a raga on her sitar and of expressing it with the language of painting, noted expatriate sitar artiste Alif Laila, a watercolourist as well, enthralled music lovers in a solo recital held on January 8 at National Music and Dance Centre auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA).

Alif Laila started off her musical flight with an alap along with vilambit and drut composition set on Raga Patdweep. Tabla artiste Anubrata Chatterjee accompanied her on madhyalaya and drut teentaal during the recital. It was an innovative effort to portray the imagery with the apt mood of the raga, but the artiste made it. The scintillating watercolours, created by the artist herself, played in a slideshow on the background with her slow proceedings of the recital. The artiste immersed in her recital and generated the colours of hope and aspiration coupled with a romantic melancholia that the raga suggests. Later, she played a Kazi Nazrul Islam composition, “Prothomo Prodip Jwalo”, based on Raga Patdweep.

The melody of Raga Charukeshi mingled with the rhythms of Rupak taal (seven beats) while the artiste duo mesmerised the Dhaka music lovers with their second performance. Musical symphony reigned supreme while Alif Laila recited a riveting jhala. Anubrata Chatterjee embellished the presentation with sweet tehai.

The artiste ended with playing a Bhairavi composition on madhyalaya teentaal. Alif Laila's grand guru Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan composed the tradition of the Bhairavi dhun. At the end, the artiste presented the melody of Nazrul song “Bagichaye Bulbuli Tui”, set on Raga Bhairavi.  

Moved by the performance, chief guest of the programme, eminent artist Mustafa Monowar came on stage and poured blessings on the featured artiste. He also thanked the BSA authorities for organising such a brilliant musical soiree. Prior to that, a short discussion was held at the venue where the chief guest spoke. Director General of BSA, Liaquat Ali Lucky presided over the programme.

The Music, Dance and Recitation Department of BSA organised the solo sitar concert.

Alif Laila was initially trained in Indian Classical Music (sitar) in Dhaka under the tutelage of late Ustad Mir Qasem Khan. She attended the College of Fine Arts in Dhaka, where she graduated in 1981. In 1988, she moved to the USA and continued her sitar lessons under Partha Chatterjee, Krishna Bhatt and Kushal Das.