Discussants at a programme have said that the pain, poverty, struggle, exploitation, love, separation of the people living in the northern region of the country portrayed in the lyrics and compositions of ‘Bhawaiya’ should be discussed widely to spread the unique folk music among the country’s people.
They made the remarks at the programme, titled ‘Northern Region and Bhawaiya Song: Varieties and Powers’, held at the Public Libraray Auditorium in Rangpur on Saturday.
Veteran Bhawaiya artiste Khandaker Mohammad Ali Samrat, poet Mahmud Nasir Nazu, Chittagong University Music department assistant professor Koushik Ahmed, Bhawaiya artistes Safura Khatun and Kanchan Chandra Ray and poet-essayist Dhrubo Sadiq were present as discussants at the programme, which was moderated by writer Dipak Kumar Roy.
Organised jointly by Titas Ekti Nadi, Setu Pathagar, North Canvas, Uttaran and Manduar, the programme featured discussion, Bhawaiya song and poem recitations.
Khandaker Mohammad Ali Samrat said that due to the shock of the body when the wheel of the bullock-cart fell into the pit, the artiste singing while driving the bullock-cart also hit the moving melody and it broke, which later became permanent characteristic of Bhawaiya song.
‘Natural accompaniment, including the wide effect of the river, the flow of the river, the breaking of the river bank and the movement of the bullock carts has been featured in Bhawaiya,’ he added.
Dipak Kumar Roy, one of the organisers of the programme, said, ‘We have organising programmes on the occasions of different festivals in the past seven years. We would like to continue it in the years to come.’
The lyrics and compositions of Bhawaiya song evoke a feeling in the heart that often cannot be explained using words, said Dhrubo Sadiq.
‘Flowing rivers, cows, buffalos, elephants, plants, paddy fields, the pain, poverty, struggle, the victory and the defeat, class exploitation, love, separation of the people living in this region are portrayed in the lyrics and compositions of Bhawaiya,’ he added.
Poets and writers Mostofa Tofayel, Ahmed Moudud, Nahid Hasan, Bayezid Bostami, Jubaida Urmee, Hossain Rowshan, Wasifa Zafar Adri, among others, were present at the programme.
After the discussion session, Khandaker Mohammad Ali Samrat, Koushik Ahmed, Kanchan Chandra Ray rendered Bhawaiya songs at the programme.