Nazrul Geeti

Nazrul Geeti
Nazrul Sangeet, also Nazrul Geeti, refers to the songs written and composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul Geeti incorporate revolutionary notions as well as more spiritual, philosophical and romantic themes. Nazrul wrote and composed nearly 4,000 songs (including gramophone records), which are widely popular in Bangladesh and India. Some of the most notable Nazrul Sangeet include Notuner Gaan, the national marching song of Bangladesh and O Mon Romzaner Oi Rozar Sheshe and an Islamic song on the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Background
Nazrul showed the symptoms of keen poetic and musical talent at his tender age and started writing songs when he was a member of a Leto group (Folk Musical Group). Following Kazi Bazle Karim, his uncle and a leader of a Leto group, he became an expert in composing songs and setting them to tunes. Joining the Leto group enhanced his musical career and put a significant impact on shaping his future musical life. At a very young age he was excelled in composing songs in different languages, apart from the Bengali language. He met Satish Kanjilal, a teacher of Searsol School who had an interest in classical music and some mastery over it. Observing Nazrul's irresistible inclination to music, Mr. Kanjilal imparted him some lessons on classical music. Later Nazrul widened hisknowledge on music when he was serving as a Havilder in Karachi Barrack under Bengal Regiment. He learned a great deal of Persian language, literature, and music with the help of a religious teacher from Punjab attached with the regiment.
Nazrul Islam's musical style
Revolutionary mass music
The mass music and poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam have been widely used during the Indian Independence Movement and Bangladesh Liberation War. The music is highly motivational and revolutionary in nature with strong and powerful words and captivating tunes. It talks about the extremities of everything. The lyrics of those songs are provoking, as they talk against conservatism and about life on a broader parameter of philosophy and spirituality. The beauty of Nazrul's mass music lies in the freedom of its expression, which also drew immense criticism. However, those who understood its philosophy praised the courage and straightforwardness.
Ghazal
Nazrul's acquaintance with the tradition of Persian Ghazals, a form of love songs, was very significant in the sense that it paved the base of his successful efforts in composing Bengali Ghazals which he undertook by 1927–28. Bengali Ghazal is, it can be mentioned outright, an innovation by Kazi Nazrul Islam alone. It served as the first mass-level introduction of Islam into the mainstream tradition of Bengali music.
Historical influence
Nazrul used his music as a major way of disseminating his revolutionary notions, mainly by the use of strong words and powerful, but catchy, tunes. Among the revolutionary songs, Karar Oi Louho Kopat (Prison-doors of Steel) is best known and has been used in several movies, especially those made during the pre-independence period of Bangladesh.
Nazrul Geeti has recently been translated and recorded in Oriya (an Indian language) in the form of a studio album.
Notable songs
Dolan Chapa (name of a faintly fragrant monsoon flower), poems and songs, 1923
Bisher Bashi (The Poison Flute), poems and songs, 1924
Bhangar Gan (The Song of Destruction), songs and poems, 1924 proscribe in 1924
Chhayanat (The Raga of Chhayanat), poems and songs, 1925
Chittanama (On Chittaranjan), poems and songs, 1925
Samyabadi (The Proclaimer of Equality), poems and songs, 1926
Puber Hawa (The Eastern Wind), poems and songs, 1926
Sarbahara (The Proletariat), poems and songs, 1926
Sindhu Hindol (The Undulation of the Sea), poems and songs, 1927
Jinjir (Chain), poems and songs, 1928
Pralaya Shikha (Doomsday Flame), poems and songs, 1930 proscribed in 1930
Gumaite Dao Sranto Rabire (Let the tired Sun(Rabindranath) sleep), poems and songs, 1941.
Shesh Saogat (The Last Offerings), poems and songs, 1958
Notuner Gaan (The Song of Youth), 1928, National March of Bangladesh
O Mon Romzaner Oi Rozar Sheshe Elo Khushir Eid, composed for Abbasuddin Ahmed, 1932
Tribhubaner Priya Muhammad (Muhammad the beloved of three dimensions), composed for Abbasuddin Ahmed, 1935
Notable singers of Nazrul Sangeet
Abbasuddin Ahmed
Shusmita Anis
Ferdous Ara
Firoza Begum
Asha Bhosle
S. D. Burman
Ajoy Chakrabarty
Niaz Mohammad Chowdhury
Alaka Das
Chittaranjan Das
Manas Kumar Das
Sudhin Das
Tapas Kumar Das
Kamal Dasgupta
Kanan Devi
K C Dey
Manna Dey
Purabi Dutta
Anup Ghoshal
Anup Jalota
Nashid Kamal
Sabiha Mahboob
Sadya Afreen Mallick
Namrata Mohanty
Manabendra Mukhopadhyay
Mohammed Rafi
Ferdausi Rahman
Juthika Roy
Haimanti Shukla
Madhuri Chattopadhyay
Ila Basu
Shaheen Samad
Kumar Sanu
Indrani Sen
Anuradha Paudwal
Nilufar Yasmin
References
Bangladeshi literature
Bengali music
Bangladeshi music
Indian literature
Culture of Kolkata
Bangladeshi culture
Indian music
Indian culture
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Music of Bengal
Indian styles of music