Driving Nazrul songs forward

Chhanda Chakraborty

Bright and hibiscus-red, like the morning sun

you are rising, you the poets of days to come. - “Na Asha Diner Kobir Proti”, translated by Mohammad Nurul Huda.

Kazi Nazrul Islam has left behind a legacy of not only songs and poems, but also a revolutionary stance, a call for social change. His diverse compositions have inspired contemporary Nazrul exponents in various ways. Today upcoming artiste Chhanda Chakraborty shares with The Daily Star how Nazrul has inspired her throughout her life.

Nazrul Sangeet is renowned for its diverse genres- which genre has inspired your creativity most?

Chhanda: Nazrul has songs that span around 36 genres. Among them the raagas, ghazals, kabbo geeti have been very inspirational to me, and I have tried to base my artistic journey on them.

How can society make Nazrul's philosophies relevant to our times?

Chhanda : There has always been social conflict, and the social issues that were prevalent around the time fueled the Rebel Poet and allowed him to construct his Sangeet canon and poetry. But in order to understand his moral vision one must study him intensively, and dig deep in order to understand them in their context. I belong to our current generation, and I can say that his works and legacy are now more readily available compared to the times of our predecessors. We have training opportunities and rich archives, thanks to the Nazrul Institute. We can make use of these in order to deepen our understanding as well as find scope for improvement. Our mentors who are renowned classical Nazrul exponents, such as Sadya Afreen Mallick, are now finding innovative ways to involve the youth.

How can Nazrul artistes play an instrumental role in spreading the legacy of Nazrul Sangeet and his other works?

Chhanda: I study Nazrul academically, because I felt that being involved with Sangeet is not enough. It is also a good way to have proper comprehension of Nazrul to help enhance our other skills, as well as find new ways to spread Nazrul's legacy. We must have a deep, heartfelt understanding of the songs that we sing, and that is our primary artistic responsibility. I have completed my MPhil from Dhaka University, and am also honing my skills as a singer. We must also practice perfection in pitch and tone, in order to do his work justice. Due to living in a technologically driven age, we are a restless generation. To keep up with the pace we must not stop searching for new ways to bring Nazrul to the forefront.