Art & Culture Report :
The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC), Dhaka in association with Asian Paints, IRCON and Marico Bangladesh is organising an evening comprising a lecture-cum-demonstration on Bharatanatyam dance by Arno Kamolika and a musical concert by Iffat Ara Nargis at 6:15pm at the IGCC in the city’s Gulshan area today.
Arno Kamolika received her early training in Bharatanatyam and Manipuri dances from renowned institution Chhayanaut in Dhaka from where she has completed a seven years’ diploma programme.
She has trained under noted Dance exponents Sharmila Bandyopadhyay, Belayet Hussain and Tamanna Rahman of Bangladesh and Prof CV Chandrasekhar of India.
She completed her graduation in dance from Mandala Arts and Culture, Vancouver in Canada in December 2011. She has been performing regularly in multicultural programmes showcasing South Asian art forms in and around Vancouver. She has also been to Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata in India with the dance troupe Nrityanandan, for the rendition of Tagore’s dance drama Chandalika and Chitrangada, conducted by ICCR and IIC. Kamolika has received several awards for dance at national and international level competitions.
On the other hand, born in 1956 at Rajshahi, Iffat Ara Nargis is a versatile singer of Bangladesh who is equally adept in the genres of modern songs, Nazrulgeeti, folk and Lalon songs. She is a special grade singer (vocal artist) of Bangladesh Betar and Television and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. She has been a much-acclaimed stage performer at both national and international levels.
Nargis has been a part of Bangladeshi cultural delegations to several countries such as India, Pakistan, China, Thailand, North Korea, Uzbekistan, Libya and UAE.
Iffat Ara Nargis is a prolific singer who has released several albums over the years such as Anonto Bhalobasha Naw (duet album of modern songs with Andrew Kishore in 1987); Jibon Chhobi (mixed album; 1994); Ek Hridoy (solo album; 1998); Hamed & Nath-e-Rasul (solo album; 2012) and Jene Shune Koro Pirit (solo album of Lalon Songs; 2012), among others.
Iffat Ara Nargis is also an academician and is presently the Principal of Home Economics College, Azimpur in Dhaka. She has occupied key posts in several governmental and cultural organisations such as Atomic Energy Commission, Bangladesh-India Friendship Society; Shetubandha Socio-Cultural Organisation, Nazrul Sangeet Shilpi Parishad, Standing Committee of Bangladesh Muktijoddho Central Command Council (Cultural). n
