A forgotten legend singer
Folk-song legend Abbas Uddin Ahmad was born on October 27, 1901 in Tufanganj Sub-division of Cooch Bihar district (now in India). His father, Zafar Ali Ahmed, was a lawyer at Tufanganj Court. His early education was from schools and a college of North Bengal. He came closer to music through the cultural programme at schools and colleges. He was largely a self-taught song composer and singer. For a brief period he learnt music from Ustad Jamiruddin Khan of Calcutta.
He started singing bhawaiya, Ksirol and Chatka, which were famous in Cooch Behar and Rangpur. Later he started to sing other folk songs like jaari, sari, bhatiyali, murshidi, bichchhedi (songs of estrangement), marsiya, dehatattwa, and pala gaan. He came in contact with Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jasimuddin and Golam Mostafa
Abbas Uddin sang about 200 Islami, Bhatiali and Bhawaiya songs. He was a born talent. Whoever heard him singing a song, he stopped beside the stage and remained motionless as long as the melody of Abbas Uddin continued.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Architect of Bangladesh, wrote in his book ‘Unfinished Memoirs at page No. 111 that at a programme held in a village of the then Sub-Division (now district) Brahmanbaria, tens of thousands of people gathered there to see him. It is hard to convince the critics about his acceptability to the mass unless they see it with their own eyes.
The great leader writes that after the programme ended, we started for Aushuganj by boat. In course of conversation, he said: ‘Mujib, a great conspiracy was going on against the Bengali language. If Bengali is not recognized as State Language, Bengal’s culture and civilization will be destroyed. The song you love, its sweetness and pride will be in danger. Fight for Bengali language’.
The sorry state is that we have forgotten such great singer, who was politically conscious. And we proved it on Monday.
Ameer Hamzah
Dhaka
