LEGENDARY vocalist Abdul Jabbar whose powerful songs inspired the freedom fighters during the Liberation War passed away at a city hospital on Wednesday. He was 80. The veteran of Bangladesh’s music world had suffered kidney failures and also had heart and prostrate ailments, doctors said. We mourn his death. And pray for the salvation of his soul.
Jabbar was born in Kushtia and took musical lessons from Muhammad Osman in Kushtia and later from Moksed Ali Shai and over half a dozen celebrated musicians of early 1950s and 60s in Dhaka and Kolkata to come to the limelight. In 1958, he got listed as a radio artist and his debut as playback singer happened in 1962 with music director Robin Ghosh. In 1964, he was enlisted as a TV artist and this is how the career of a music star started to grow in the country’s cultural horizon creating fans at home and abroad,
In 1969, Jabbar set up Bangabandhu Shilpagosthi to play a greater role in the cultural awakening during the period leading to political moment for Liberation War. He went to India as the Liberation War started and joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in Kolkata. It played a vital role throughout the Liberation War period to keep people inspired by patriotic songs, besides broadcasting the proclamation of independence and other cultural programmes.
When the Pakistani occupation forces closed Kalurghat radio station in Chittagong Bengalee artists went to Agartala and Tripura and Kolkata Jabbar moved at both places. After the independence, he started performing as a playback singer in film industry. In 2008, after a five-decade career of playback singing, he started working on his only album Kothay Amar Neel Daria, released in 2016.
For some time the career of Jabbar became overlapped with the country’s Liberation War. He was president of Bangladesh Sangskritik Parishad for sometime. His songs to be heard over the ages to make him immortal are “Tumi Ki Dekhechho Kobhu Jiboner Porajoy”, “Salam Salam Hazar Salam” and “Joy Bangla, Banglar Joy.” These songs adopted in the list top 20 all-time Bangla songs in a survey in 2006 by the BBC Bangla Service was the biggest recognition to his career.
A recipient of Ekushey Padak in 1980 and Independence Day Award in 1996, Jabbar has left behind the mark of a legendary vocalist in Bangladesh music world and continue to be remembered over the time to come. His loss can’t be so quickly recovered. He was dear to all and earned respect from all walks of life for many of his time winning songs.
Jabbar was born in Kushtia and took musical lessons from Muhammad Osman in Kushtia and later from Moksed Ali Shai and over half a dozen celebrated musicians of early 1950s and 60s in Dhaka and Kolkata to come to the limelight. In 1958, he got listed as a radio artist and his debut as playback singer happened in 1962 with music director Robin Ghosh. In 1964, he was enlisted as a TV artist and this is how the career of a music star started to grow in the country’s cultural horizon creating fans at home and abroad,
In 1969, Jabbar set up Bangabandhu Shilpagosthi to play a greater role in the cultural awakening during the period leading to political moment for Liberation War. He went to India as the Liberation War started and joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in Kolkata. It played a vital role throughout the Liberation War period to keep people inspired by patriotic songs, besides broadcasting the proclamation of independence and other cultural programmes.
When the Pakistani occupation forces closed Kalurghat radio station in Chittagong Bengalee artists went to Agartala and Tripura and Kolkata Jabbar moved at both places. After the independence, he started performing as a playback singer in film industry. In 2008, after a five-decade career of playback singing, he started working on his only album Kothay Amar Neel Daria, released in 2016.
For some time the career of Jabbar became overlapped with the country’s Liberation War. He was president of Bangladesh Sangskritik Parishad for sometime. His songs to be heard over the ages to make him immortal are “Tumi Ki Dekhechho Kobhu Jiboner Porajoy”, “Salam Salam Hazar Salam” and “Joy Bangla, Banglar Joy.” These songs adopted in the list top 20 all-time Bangla songs in a survey in 2006 by the BBC Bangla Service was the biggest recognition to his career.
A recipient of Ekushey Padak in 1980 and Independence Day Award in 1996, Jabbar has left behind the mark of a legendary vocalist in Bangladesh music world and continue to be remembered over the time to come. His loss can’t be so quickly recovered. He was dear to all and earned respect from all walks of life for many of his time winning songs.
