A commendable initiative for Bangla music

Burhan Siddiqi and his wife Rehana Siddiqi have been ardent music lovers for many decades now, and have practiced music despite their illustrious and fulfilling professional lives. The couple released their respective albums – containing 100 songs each – at the AS Mahmud Hall of The Daily Star Centre on July 24, in a programme that turned out to be a reunion of the music community of the yesteryears.

Burhan Siddiqi's album titled “Arup Tomar Bani” contains Tagore songs, while Rehana Siddiqi has recorded 60 Bengali songs – 46 'adhunik' and 14 patriotic songs -- and 40 songs of the 'Ponchokobi' in her album “Kichhu Katha Kichhu Smriti”. Both the albums contain a number of duet songs, where aside from the couple, Andrew Kishore and Subir Nandi have lent their voices.

Many songs re-recorded in Rehana Siddiqi's album are hard to find, while others are available in poor or damaged quality. One of the major purposes of launching the CD is to bring the nearly-forgotten lyricists and music directors along with their valuable creations into limelight.

A number of distinguished guests from cultural arena joined the programme, including Fahmida Khatun, Dr. M Enamul Haq, Dr. Sadat Hossain, Syed Salahuddin Zaki, Hasina Momtaz, Sadya Afreen Mallick, K M Harun, Papia Sarwar, Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, Tapan Mahmud, Fahim Hossain Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Sujit Mostafa, Joly Rahman, Anisur Rahman Tanu and Daulatur Rahman, among others.

Shampa Reza eloquently anchored the programme, heartily praising Burhan and Rehana Siddiqi for their love and efforts for Bangla music. Before the guests got on stage to unveil the albums and later speak about the initiative, three music videos from the album's songs were shown, following which the couple sang two songs.

Burhan siddiqi's in his address, remembered the post-Liberation times of Bangladeshi music, terming it a 'silent golden era', and recalled the contributions of the renowned music directors who enriched the music of this country with their creations, and his brother Masud Siddiqi, who was a singer himself and first inspired Burhan siddiqi into music.

Anisur Rahman Tanu, Daulatur Rahman, Rezwan Ali Lavlu and Iftekhar Hossain Sohel have arranged music for the albums, which were released under the label of Surtaal Audio Centre.