Anusheh Anadil

Last updated
Anusheh Anadil
আনুশেহ্‌ অনাদিল
Origin Dhaka, Bangladesh
Genres Folk music, Lalon Geeti
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter, cultural activist, entrepreneur [1]
Instrument(s) vocal
Years active1998-present

Anusheh Anadil is a Bangladeshi musician, artist, cultural activist, and social entrepreneur. The band 'Bangla' was the first female lead band from Bangladesh that became iconically popular in both Bangladesh and West Bengal (India), for their first album Kingkortobbobimuro (2002). Their rendition of spiritual folk songs, along with their own original songs, became a revolution for bringing the sounds of the village bard into popular culture. They helped popularize the philosophy of Fakir Lalon Shai, as a breath of fresh air, to the urban youth. Bangla's second album Prottutponnomotitto (2005) is a tribute to Fakir Lalon Shai. The album questions religious extremism and corrupt politics by using songs of the insightful mystic. The band 'Bangla' inspired many young musicians from both sides of Bengal to rediscover their roots.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Anusheh is also a songwriter. She released her solo album Rai in 2012. Songs like 'Ekhon Bodhoy Phul Choranor Pala', 'Amar Moner Manush', 'Tuito Mojar Manush' and 'Dhormo Bujhe Manre Shokha' are some of the popular songs penned and composed by her. Anusheh's rendition of 'Tomar Ghorey Boshot Korey Koyjona', written by Zahid Ahmed, became one of the most popular songs of both Bengals. She was also the first musician in Bangladesh to speak openly about her history with drug abuse and how changing her lifestyle and reconnecting to her roots helped her transcend her addiction. [2]

Background and early life

Anadil was born in Dhaka on 26 March 1977 to Jamal Ahmed Sufi, an entrepreneur and Lubna Marium, a dancer and cultural activist. Anadil's mother, Lubna and her sister, Naila Khan, appeared in Tareque Masud's documentary film Muktir Gaan. Her maternal grandfather Lieutenant Colonel Quazi Nuruzzaman, Bir Uttam, was a Bangladeshi war hero and secular nationalist, who served as a Sector Commander of the Mukti Bahini, in Sector 7, during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[ citation needed ] As a child, Anadil was trained in North Indian classical music. Through her encounters with the Bauls and Fakirs of Bengal, she found freedom in the philosophy and music they presented. She began performing with the band Bangla in 1998. [3] Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, who is immensely popular for his solo career, was also another member of Bangla band. Anusheh and Arnob knew each other since childhood because their parents were family friends. Arnob's father Shwapan Chowdhury, also appears in Tareq Masud's Muktir Gaan. The band started in Santiniketan when Anusheh and Buno (another member of Bangla) were visiting Arnob, while he was doing his bachelor's degree in Kalabhavan.[ citation needed ]

Work

Anusheh is the founder and creative director of Jatra Bangladesh. It was founded in the year 2000 as a creative space that promotes and popularizes Bangladeshi arts and crafts. Jatra is a colorful sanctuary of Bangladesh's vibrant roots. Jatra's extension Jatra Biroti is a vegetarian/organic restaurant that promotes mindful living. It is also a space for local musicians and artists to showcase their unique and authentic talents. [4] [5] [6] [7] Jatra Biroti also promotes folk music. The album BHAAB of Baul Shofi Mandal, MA of Kangalini Sufia and ASHOR of Lokman Fakir was recorded and released under its banner. Anusheh has worked with musicians like Rob Fakir, Shofi Mandal, Sam Mills, Paban Das Baul, Susheela Raman, Pandit Tanmoy Bose, Debajyatri Mistra, Indrajeet Dasgupta, Surojit Chatterjee (Bhoomi), Kangalini Sufia, Joler Gaan, Joy Sarkar, Momtaz and the band Indian Ocean. She has sung for movies like Shekhar Das's Kaler Rakhal, Tareq Masud's Ontor Jatra, Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy's Ichche, Q's Tasher Desh, Enamul Karim Nirjhar's Aha and also sang the title song of the popular TV series 'Subarnalata'. Anusheh was invited to speak about her work at TEDex Dhaka in the year 2012 [8]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Bangladesh</span> Overview of music traditions of Bangladesh

The music of Bangladesh spans a wide variety of styles. Bangladesh claims some of the most renowned singers, composers and producers in Asia. Music has served the purpose of documenting the lives of the people and was widely patronized by the rulers. It comprises a long tradition of religious and regular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amar Sonar Bangla</span> National anthem of Bangladesh

"Amar Sonar Bangla" is the national anthem of Bangladesh. An ode to Mother Bengal, the lyrics were written by Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore in 1905, while the melody of the hymn was adopted from the Baul singer Gagan Harkara's song "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare" set to Dadra Tala. The modern instrumental rendition was arranged by Bangladeshi musician Samar Das.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baul</span> Group of mystic, syncretic minstrels of Bengal

The Baul are a group of mystic minstrels of mixed elements of Sufism, Vaishnavism and Tantra from Bangladesh and the neighboring Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley and Meghalaya. Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect of troubadours and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims. They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. Lalon Shah is regarded as the most celebrated Baul saint in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Bengal</span>

Bengali music comprises a long tradition of religious and secular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium. Composed with lyrics in the Bengali language, Bengali music spans a wide variety of styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalon</span> Bengali spiritual leader and philosopher

Lalon, also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah, was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer born in British India. Regarded as an icon of Bengali culture, he inspired and influenced many philosophers, poets and social thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Allen Ginsberg. Lalon's philosophy of humanity rejects all distinctions of caste, class, and creed and takes stand against theological conflicts and racism. It denies all worldly affairs in search of the soul and embodied the socially transformative role of sub-continental Bhakti and Sufism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shayan Chowdhury Arnob</span> Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, musician and record producer

Shayan Chowdhury Arnob is a Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, musician, painter, filmmaker, animator and producer. Arnob was the founding member of the indie folk band Bangla which stayed active for a decade before going into hiatus in the late 2000s. Arnob continued performing with some of the band members as Arnob and Friends. He also briefly collaborated with Prayer Hall, a Bangladeshi band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Bengal</span> Overview of the Bengali culture

The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengalis or Bangali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today the independent state of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, where the Bengali (Bangla) language is the national, the official and the additional official language. The Bengal has a recorded history of 3,100 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artistic depictions of the Bangladesh Liberation War</span>

There have been numerous works of art created as a result of the Bangladesh Liberation War. In 1971, a concert was organized by members of the British rock band, The Beatles, in support of Bangladesh. The songs recorded for and broadcast on Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra are still considered to be the best of Bangladeshi protest songs.

Haramoni is the title of 13-volume collection of Bengali folksongs by Muhammed Mansooruddin. Mansooruddin collected more than 5,000 folksongs from different parts of Bengal. He compiled them in a series of volumes and the titled them after the name of a regular section of monthly literary magazine Probashi that was earmarked for publishing folk songs collected from rural areas. Haramoni literally means Lost Jewels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemanga Biswas</span>

Hemanga Biswas was an Indian singer, composer, author and political activist, known for his literature in Bengali and Assamese, advocacy of peoples music, drawing from genres of folk music, including Bhatiali originally popular among the fishermen of Bengal.

<i>Moner Manush</i> 2010 film

Moner Manush is a 2010 India-Bangladesh joint venture Bengali-language biographical musical drama film based on the life and philosophy of Lalon, a noted spiritual leader, poet and folk singer of Bengal in the 19th century. Directed by Goutam Ghose, the film has Prosenjit as the lead actor portraying the character of Lalan Fakir. Paoli Dam plays the character of Komli, the key female disciple of Lalan. Moner Manush has been critically and commercially successful.

Bangladeshi rock music, or Bangla rock music, is a style of music in Bangladesh that is derived from British and American rock music, mixed with the Bengali classical and Adhunik musical styles from the 1960s. The genre was introduced in the 1960s by a few bands who began developing a distinctive rock sound. Bangladeshi rock is commonly divided into two categories: East Pakistan rock, and Bangladesh rock. From the 1970s to the 2000s, it was one of the nation's most popular musical genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangla (band)</span> Bangladeshi folk-rock band

Bangla is a folk-rock band from Bangladesh. Formed by the popular indie musician Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Bangla mainly blends the traditional Bangladeshi folk genres like Baul, Lalon together with western flavours like jazz, blues, rock etc. The band released its first album Kingkortobbobimurho in 2002. Over the years, the band has emerged as a prominent music group in the country and became one of the most sought after bands, especially among the urban youth listeners.

<i>Runway</i> (2010 film) 2010 Bangladeshi film

Runway is a 2010 Bangladeshi drama film directed by Tareque Masud with his wife Catherine Masud. It was his last feature film.

<i>Muktir Gaan</i> 1995 Bangladeshi film

Muktir Gaan is a 1995 Bangladeshi documentary film by Tareque Masud and Catherine Masud. It explores the impact of cultural identity on the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, where music and song provided a source of inspiration to the freedom fighters and a spiritual bond for the whole emerging nation.

Gaan Bangla, also known by the GB acronym, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language music television channel owned by One More Zero Group. It was launched on 13 January 2013, and, at launch, was Bangladesh's second music oriented television channel after Channel 16, but after its closure, Gaan Bangla became the country's sole music channel. The channel is based in Baridhara, Dhaka.

Muhammad Mansuruddin was a Bengali author, literary critic, essayist, lexicographer and biographer from Bangladesh. He was an authority on folklore and was famous for a huge collection of age-old folk songs, mostly anthologised in thirteen volumes under the title Haramoni. In recognition of his lifelong contribution to folklore collection and research, the Rabindra Bharati University awarded him D.Litt. degree in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kangalini Sufia</span>

Sufia Khatun is a Bangladeshi folk singer. Her real name is "Anita Halder". She performed as a playback singer for the films Darodi Shatru, Agun and Raj Shinghashon.

Lubna Marium is a Bangladeshi dancer, art director, researcher and cultural activist.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Awardees of 2009". Meeto Memorial Award. Archived from the original on October 27, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  2. Dasgupta, Priyanka (October 21, 2010). "I had once stabbed a man: Anusheh". The Times of India.
  3. Bergman, David. "The Bangladeshi Women Making Rural Mystic Music Cool". AsiaCalling.com. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
  4. Farhana Urmee (April 11, 2014). "In conversation with Anusheh Anadil". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  5. Farhana Urmee (April 11, 2014). "Weaving seven tales of Bangladesh". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  6. Zia Nazmul Islam (April 19, 2014). "Seven Tales from Anusheh". The Daily Star. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  7. "Pause for the cause of music at Jatra Biroti". The Daily Star. May 7, 2015.
  8. "Melting feminism, religion and revolution with folk music: Anusheh Anadil at TEDxDhaka". TEDx Talks.
  9. "Anusheh song wins Zee Bangla Gourav Award". The Daily Star. June 2, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2016.