Javed's madness, Momtaz's calm

The Dhaka International Folk Festival opened on the right note on Thursday night, as the performers stayed true to the spirit of genre – the call of spirituality and the soul. In their own respective approaches, a variety of performers presented beautiful music that the audience, in their thousands, enjoyed thoroughly.

Pallavi Dance Centre opened the festival with a set of five group dance performances, set on familiar folk tunes. Their bright costumes and energetic movement on stage set the mood to festive, quite successfully. Abdur Rahman Baul, a direct disciple of Baul Shah Abdul Karim, then took the stage with a traditional baul ensemble, and got the audience going with familiar tunes of “Maya Lagaichhe”, “Agey Ki Sundor Din Kataitam” and “Matir Pinjiraye”.

The inaugural ceremony remained short and sweet, where the distinguished guests highly praised the organisers for bringing the festival back on Dhaka's soil. AMA Muhith inaugurated the festival, after Dhaka North City Mayor Annisul Haq thanked Anjan Chowdhury for “introducing our heritage to the young blood.”

Tuntun Baul, another artiste of the roots, took the stage next, and his booming rendition of Lalon's “Bolo Swarup” was greeted with rapturous applause. His authentic baul-style presentation of numbers “Lonthoner Rooper Bati” and “Apon Mone Jar Gorol Makha Thake” were a treat.

Simon Thacker's Swara Kanti, featuring Raju Das Baul (Santiniketan, India) and Farida Yasmin (Bangladesh) were up next. The Scottish classical guitarist with a deep interest in the music of Bangladesh's folk bard's was a refreshing element, and Raju Das Baul did ample justice to songs like “Tomra Kunjo Sajao Go” (a Shah Abdul Karim song) and “Dil Doriya'r Majhe” (by Lalon). The West-Bengal school of folk music was on display with “Menoka Mathaye Dilo Ghomta”, where the flamenco guitar blended beautifully. There was no attempt at 'fusion' -- something that urbanite and westerners often try with our folk music -- but just a seamless amalgamation, and the khamak and nylon-string Spanish guitar sounded beautiful. Farida Yasmin brought her vocal range out in “Helaye Helaye” (Lalon) and “Dhonno Dhonno Boli Tarey”. The group also presented the famous Radharaman number 'Bhromor Koiyo Giya”.

Javed Bashir, the prodigious Pakistani classical and quwwali singer, opened with a tarana titled “Hans Dhun” (on Raga Hansadhwani), a number he originally sang with Mekaal Hasan Band. The audience's enthusiasm seemed to rub off on him, as he belted out one manic sargam after another, showing his incredible vocal prowess. Although the sound engineering fell apart in places, it didn't deter him from bringing out his musical expression and phraseology with original numbers like “Aje Latha Naiyo”, “Tera Naam Japdi Phiran” and “Ye Tune Kya Kiya”, reciting shers in between and getting the audience involved. He also brought along two very familiar numbers on his set-list, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's “Sanu Ek Pal Chayn Na Aave” and the iconic “Dama Dam Mast Kalandar”.

Momtaz, the highlight of the day, said up front that she would not perform her more popular, crowd-pleasing numbers, and instead pay tributes to the mystic bards of the country. The artiste first rendered “Nirikh Bandho Rey”, composed by Fakir Kalu Shah, and emotively performed a Rajjab Ali Dewan number “E Dehopur-e Hridoy Moshjid Ghar-e”. The singer explained the inner meaning of the song “Chokher Jol Ar Moner Taan”, composed by Monmohon Dutta. Eulogising Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Momtaz swayed the audience with her captivating performance of the song “Khwaja Morey Nai Morey Nai Rey”, composed by Abul of Manikganj.     

The artiste later rendered a song from her album “Agun Pani Batash Noor-e Mishaiya” and wrapped up her part with a Maizbhandari song “Gausul Azam”. The audience danced to her every performance of songs as the instrumentalists did a great job to create a musical ambience at the festival venue.