Mass music festival started in Chittagong, message against communalism and class discrimination

Sociologist said that mass music will add strength to build discrimination free and non-communal Bangladesh. Anupam Sen.

He made this comment in the opening speech of the 4th National Mass Music Festival at Chittagong Shilpakala Academy’s Aniruddha open stage on Friday morning.

The three-day long National Mass Music Festival started on Friday morning at Chittagong Shilpakala Academy premises with the slogan ‘Wake up Bangladesh against communalism and class discrimination’.

National Anthem and Festival Anthem The festival begins with the song ‘Amari Desh Sab Manaman’. Odissi and Tagore dance movement artistes performed the opening dance under the direction of Prama Avanti.

Later in the discussion session sociologist Professor Anupam Sen who inaugurated the festival said, “We have made a lot of progress but the wealth is being axed in the hands of a few. This is not correct. There is corruption. If this is the case, our fate will be like that of South American countries.

“They have become independent but have not risen yet. So people have to wake up. Mass music is the world’s most powerful art medium. Mass music wakes people up. The music of Agniveena woke people up. I have to wake up again like seventy one Non-discrimination and non-communal Bangladesh should be built. In that fight, mass music will guide us like in the past.”

Golam Kudduch, the convenor of the celebration committee and the president of the collective cultural alliance, said, “When the society is not good, the country is attacked by evil forces, then the culture provides the strength to stand up and one of its main instruments is folk music.” Mass music has given strength to all movements in Bangladesh.

“There was a time when mass music was going strong, but there was a break in between. In view of that, renaissance again in 2007. The National Folk Music Festival was started to reunite all groups and artistes. I want to organize the festival in all the divisional cities after Chittagong.”

Abul Farah Palash moderated the discussion chaired by artist Kazi Mizanur Rahman, the president of the council, the general secretary of the collective cultural association Ahkam Ullah, the joint convener of the cultural and festival celebration council, Professor Dr. AQM Sirajul Islam, general secretary of the organization and chief coordinator of the festival Manzar Chowdhury Sweet, joint coordinator of the festival artist Shreysi Roy and cultural officer of Chittagong District Shilpakala Academy Moslem Uddin Shikder.

After inaugurating the festival by blowing balloons, in the morning session, Lalon Saiji’s song was performed by Udichi Shilpi Group Chittagong, Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Samyera song was performed by Nazrul Sangeet Shilpi Sanstha Chittagong. After that, Dhaka artist Abida Rahman Setu performed a solo.

In the afternoon, in the party music, anti-imperialist songs will be performed by the Bangladesh Folk Artists Association of Khulna, Abdul Latif’s song will be performed by Dinajpur’s band Bhairavi, Dwijendralal Roy-Rajinikant Sen and Atul Prasad’s country songs will be performed by Rajshahi’s band Jaybangla, Barguna’s band Matial will perform anti-racism songs, Barguna’s band Matial will perform anti-communal songs. Noakhali’s band Biswabhuban will perform, Fakir Alamgir’s song will be performed by Dhaka’s Rishi Shilpi group, Dhaka’s band Uton will perform Bhupen Hazarika’s song, Chittagong’s Srijami Sangeet Angan will perform class-struggle and contemporary issues and Chittagong’s Abhyudaya Sangeet Angan will perform Ajit Roy’s song.

Solo music will be performed by artists Rupu Majumder of Rangpur, Jyotish Chandra Barman of Thakurgaon, Fakir Siraj of Dhaka, Kazi Mizanur Rahman, Ari Rahman and Praloy Saha and Farhana Rahman Kanta of Chittagong. Party dance will be performed by Chittagong Oriental School of Dance.

On the second day of the festival, cultural personality Mamunur Rashid will present a speech titled ‘Civil Duty, Life and Struggle of the Artist’ at the Shilpakala Academy auditorium at 10 am on Saturday.

Gholam Kudduch, president of Sammilit Sanskarti Jot and researcher Shamsul Haque, will participate in the discussion.