Subcontinental music suffered an irreparable loss with the passing
away of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan in the early hours
of August 21.
Tributes to the Ustad poured in. Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, quoted
in The Times of India, termed Bismillah Khan's demise as a "personal
loss" but said his music "will always be around us".
Likewise, India's nightingale Lata Mangeshkar went down memory lane
to give an account of the days when she worked in tandem with the
Ustad for the film Goonj uthi shehnai. In her words, "He was
like a father figure to me and his demise is a great loss to the
world of Indian music."
To Khan goes the credit for making the shehnai a famous classical
instrument. Khan was born in a small Bihar village on March 21,
1916. His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state
of Dumraon in Bihar. He received training from his uncle, the
late Ali Baksh 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to Varanasi's
Vishwanath Temple. He brought shehnai to the centre stage of Indian
music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference
in 1937.
Khan was a holder of honorary doctorates from the Benares Hindu
University and Shantiniketan. Among the laurels that came his
way were the Sangeet Natak Academy Award, the Tansen Award of
the Madhya Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan
and Bharat Ratna. His talent took him to performances in Afghanistan,
Europe, Canada, West Africa and almost every capital city around
the globe.
Critics remember him for his stellar music for Kannada film Sanadhi
Appanna, in which Raj Kumar played the role of an outstanding
shehnai player.
For those in search of his works, there are several titles available:
Maestro's Choice-1, Basant Bahar (with Kishori Amonkar) and Megh
Malhar Volume 4 (with Kishori Amonkar), among others.
Musicians around the world will feel the loss of
one of the leading lights of the music firmament.
Source: The Daily Star: August 22, 2006
ARTS EXHIBITION
12th Asian Art
Biennale, Bangladesh
Tejosh
Halder Josh: Talented young sculptor gets recognition
Tejosh Halder Josh, a graduate student of the Department of Sculpture,
Institute of Fine Arts, is the youngest winner of an award in
the 12th Asian Art Biennale, Bangladesh. The young talent has
won the Honourable Mention Award for his sculpture titled Serious
Discussion. Asked for his reaction, Josh said, "It is like
a dream and I have made it a reality. I'm really happy. New offers
are pouring in after I won the prestigious award in an internationally
reputed competition and exhibition. On April 8, 2006, I am going
to Nepal to participate in a residential art camp. Teertha, a
Nepalese organisation, has invited me. The award will further
my motivation."
Josh's Serious Discussion delivers a strong message. The figures
of the five children, in the sculpture, satires the numerous meetings,
seminars and summits held all around the world. Josh said, "For
many years, representatives of countries have come together to
find ways of building a better social order. However, these gatherings
have not borne any fruit. I got the idea during the last SAARC
Summit. I took five street children from Shahbagh area as models."
Fibre glass has been used as the medium of the sculpture, which
is not widely used in Bangladesh. To create a memorable ambience,
Josh has used black colour.
Where did he get the idea of using this material? Josh said, "Earlier
I saw a few artists using it. As fibre glass is cheaper, lighter
and more durable, I have used the medium."
Playing with mud as a child, Josh's creativity goes back to his
childhood. It also fuelled his ambition to become a sculptor.
He said, "Sculpture is an expensive and laborious art form.
Take for example my award winning work -- I had to spend Taka
65,000, of which I collected only a small percentage. My teacher
donated Taka 15,000 and I received a small contribution from my
friends."
So far, with seven sculptures, Josh has won three awards. Last
year he won a gold medal from Institute of Fine Arts. Children
continue to be the focal point for his.
The
daily Star dated 2nd April, 2006
Arts Exhibition
21 Women Artists display painting and sculpture to
commemorate International Women's Day - "The
Other Voice" at Bengal Shilpalaya, Bengal Gallery
of Fine Arts, House 275/F, Road 27 (old), Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka 1209.
The exhibition will remain open until 19-March 2006, daily from
12pm to 8pm.
The International Day has been observed in the country as elsewhere
across the world with a theme -“The Role
of Women in Decision Making”. It may be mentioned here
that the United Nations recognized March 8 as the International
Women's Day to recall the memories of police oppression on women
workers in New York in 1857.
March 9, 2006
When I am blue (Oil on Canvas)
Artist: Nazia Andaleeb Preema
Photograpgy Exhibition
Title: Photographs on Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Organizer: The Fine Arts Institute,
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy,
Bangladesh National Museum and Bengla Foundation Venue: Zainul Gallery Date: December 29, 2005 to Januray 18, 2006 Time: 12-06pm
Source: The Daily Star: January 4, 2006
Painting Exhibition
Title: Father & Son
Artists: Md. Hosne Jamal &
Md. Sabid Osman Time: May 14 to May 20, 2004 Venue: Zainul Art Gallery, Institute of Fine Arts,
Dhaka University.
