Jago nari jago on YouTube has already crossed a lakh views within three weeks and has over 5,200 likes, besides encouraging comments. Sitting in Dhaka, singer Shusmita Anis, who sang and produced it, is thrilled with the impact as her dream came true.
The video shows Russian-born Bangladeshi actress Ridy Sheikh in a roaring mood underlining the words set by the revolutionary poet and sung with gusto by Anis. Why Nazrulgeeti? Says Anis, “I have been steeped in the Nazrul ethos by my legendary aunt, the late Firoza Begum. Having seen her and then later trained by her, it was perhaps the most natural thing to do to depict violence against women. I am so happy with the response.”
While the current pandemic has affected the careers of many musicians, Hok Kolorob singer Arnob (born Shayan Chowdhury) who attempted to arrange Nazrulgeeti for the first time said the work excited him. “I agree that one still misses live concerts, but the pandemic made me spend more time in the studios and also the time to reflect on various types of music. It was at this juncture I got this offer and found it exciting,” says Arnob.
The singer-turned-arranger has attempted to add a lot of new elements to the song. Having heard many versions of the song, he decided to take the not-no-oft-beaten path. “I have used a lot of pakhawaj samples in tune with the background. Plus, I made good use of the shehnai. I also added myriad harmonies to the main song and yet provided a lot of space in the number to soak in the music. Judging by people’s reaction in Bangladesh, I think it’s made an impact,” says an obviously pleased Arnob. He confesses that while he is familiar with Rabindrasangeet having spent a lot of academic time in Santiniketan, he hasn’t ever sung or dabbled in Nazrulgeeti.
Bangladeshi singer Shusmita Anis and musician Arnob Sourced by the correspondent
Anis is a well-known singer in her country and has many albums to her credit. “The fact that Nazrul is our national poet and his words have relevant depth and intensity for women is what added verve to my song apart from my inspiring aunt, who dedicated her life to songs of Nazrul. Arnob added a lot of experimental music to the song that made a whole lot of difference, especially since it was an established chorus number. We are already thinking of doing some other Nazrulgeetis on the same mould,” quips Anis enjoying the success of a digital endeavour.
The duo are already working on a second number called Joyo hok and burning midnight oil in studios to make it work. “I am also working on a solo album plus a few film numbers at the moment,” added Arnob. Anis, meanwhile, is setting up an archive for her famous aunt and will launch it in July 2021.
Clearly, the team is on a high with Nazrul’s songs and the YouTube fillip has given them better reasons to do so. The wait is now to see the twist to the genre becoming a trendsetter.
The author is director, Future Hope
