ANDREW KISHOR

INSPIRATION

Of course, my parents have inspired me since my childhood. They are my idols. My mother never blamed others for anything, rather she always tried to cope with the difficult situations with dignity and poise, and my father's caring, steadfast and disciplined lifestyle has always inspired me to perfect my craft, even at this point of my life. I have also been inspired by the late great Ustad Abdul Aziz Bachchu. He was always a very talented and skilled artist, who was never afraid to let his voice be heard, even in times of crisis, to show his support of the arts. He was also a great teacher, and had incredible eye for identifying not only the hidden talent a student possessed, but how that potential could be tapped into. Last, but certainly not least, I have always been inspired by the great music director, Alam Khan. He has been a great teacher and a great friend all these years, and even after all these years of working with him, I am still in awe of his genius.

PHILOSOPHY

I am a simple man with a simple life. My father always taught me to live without over indulgences. He always taught me that "excess of anything is bad". I also try to always keep an open mind, as we are all people and we all have different experiences, emotions and trains of thought. I like to believe that anyone's heart and soul can be touched through the power of music. I personally feel that the greatest award I have ever received is the joy that shines down on me like incandescent sunlight every time I get to perform on stage. Their love of my music is one of the fulfilling aspects of my life.

VIEWS ON HIS PROFESSION

To me, music is like food for the mind and soul, and while I am honoured to be able make a living from music, I would probably still be involved with music somehow even if I hadn't been successful. The industry has been constantly evolving, and the newcomers are showing some promise; I wish them well on their personal journeys. Moving forward, I hope that the senior artists and the government will take necessary steps to groom aspiring artists and to continue to maintain a high standard for music.

MUSIC

My thirst for music is ceaseless, and I like 

to indulge in as much variety of music as I can, to keep broadening my horizons. If I had to choose my favourite artists, that too is very difficult, but the shortlist would include our honourable Mehedi Hasan, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Manna De, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, Sabina Yasmin and Runa Laila. I cannot say enough great things about their incredible bodies of work throughout the years.

FILMS

I have watched different movies of different languages. Of them, Parinda is remarkably memorable for its background music. Gupi Gain Bagha Bain by Satyajit Ray is another amazing movie that I have watched for several times.  

PASSION BEYOND MUSIC

It has been an aspiration of mine to make lasting contributions to the people of my home town of Rajshahi and beyond, particularly through music. I have also always dreamed of spreading the name of my Ustad Abdul Aziz Bachchu to everyone's hearts, and so I have been hard at working trying to establish the "Ustad Abdul Aziz Bachchu Sriti Shongshod." It is an organization that doesn't only provide aid to the deprived folks in Rajshahi, but is also dedicated to supporting cultural organizations in Rajshahi by providing equipment, venues and helping to promote events centered around music, poetry, drama, dance and other culturally significant arts. This is not only for protecting the rich, cultural history of Bangladesh, but also to help inspire a new wave of creativity. The organization also hosts memorial events for and provides aid to the families of deceased artists, and casts spotlights on local heroes who fought in the war for the Independence of Bangladesh. I hope that in the future, this Shongshod will receive more sponsor support, and will start a new wave of cultural growth and prosperity.

IDOLS

Of course, my parents are my idols. My mother never blamed others for anything, rather she always tried to cope up with the situation very politely. And my father is the person in my life have left deep impressions on me. 



By Shawreen Rahman