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Nazrul Geeti (Bengali: নজরুল গীতি) or Nazrul Sangeet (Bengali: নজরুল সঙ্গীত), literally "music of Nazrul", refers to the songs written and composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, a Bengali poet and national poet of Bangladesh and active revolutionary during the Indian Independence Movement. Nazrul Sangeet/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 India and Bangladesh.
Contents
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 expert in composing songs and setting them to tunes. Joining Leto group enhanced his musical career and put a significant impact on shaping his future musical life. At very young age he was excelled in composing songs in different languages, apart from Bengali language. He met Satish Kanjilal, a teacher of Searsol School who had 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 his knowledge 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.
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.
Shyama Sangeet
Nazrul made valuable and rich contribution to Shyama Sangeet. He was thoroughly familiar with both Islamic and Hindu tradition and culture, and also he deeply cared about the harmony between Muslims and Hindus.
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 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
Notable singers of Nazrul Geeti
Well-known Nazrul Geeti singers include Firoza Begum, Suprava Sarkar, Sohrab Hossain, Angurbala, Badrunnesa Dalia, Indubala, Anjali Mukerjee, Jnanendra Prasad Goswami, Nilufar Yasmin, Manabendra Mukherjee, Kanika Majumder, Dipali Nag, Sukumar Mitra, Dhirendra Chandra Mitra, Dhiren Basu, Purabi Dutta, Nashid Kamal, Yeakub Ali Khan, Ferdous Ara, Fatema Tuz Zohra, Jaheda Begum, Shahin Samad, Rahman Mehmud (Benu Bhai), Ramanuj Dasgupta and Susmita Goswami. Some well-known singers of Nazrul Geeti are: