Bangladesh,
situated to the north-east of the Indian peninsula,
though a small state in terms of extent, displays in
one or other of its areas, all the geophysical natures
of the subcontinent. These craft traditions are primarily
folk in character and are related closely to the area's
geographic conditions and the resultant rich traditions
of folk music,
literature
and culture.
In the products and processes of the craftswomen and
men lives the traditions of thousands of years of Bengali
history and culture. The forgotten folk gods and goddesses
from the mangalkabyas, the cultural mix of Muslims and
Hindus at the rural level still manifest themselves
in the crafts. It is often far from the big cities where
history is made and preserved. Handicrafts of West Bengal
keep that history, which is frequently not even known
by the city folks, alive.
In
spite of their particular regional and local characteristics,
however, the handicrafts of West Bengal are not divorced
from the broader social and cultural heritage of India.
Like other Indian crafts, their cultural fabric and
expression are based on religion, rituals and frequently
caste.
Most
of the craftsmen are from the third tier of the Hindu
caste system, the Vaisyas. With time a lot has changed
in terms of the caste composition of the Indian society.
However, traditional handicrafts are still mostly
created by the people of the respective trade based
castes. With the influence of Islam and associated
conversions to Islam of many craftspeople, the sphere
of the form and content of the crafts changed. Still
in many cases particular skills remained family traditions,
even when that was not dictated by caste.
Bangladesh
is a melting pot of races. She, therefore, has a mixed
culture. Her deep rooted heritage
is amply reflected in her architecture, literature,
dance, drama, music
and painting. Bangladeshi culture is influenced by
three great religions- Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam
in successive order, with Islam having the most pervading
and lasting impact. Like a colorful montage, the cultural
tradition of the country is a happy blending of many
variants, unique in diversity but in essence greatly
symmetrical.
Drama
Drama in Bangladesh
has an old tradition and is very popular. In Dhaka
more than a dozen theater groups have been regularly
staging locally written plays as well as those adopted
from famous writers, mainly of European origin. Popular
theatre
groups are Dhaka Theatre, Nagarik Nattya
Sampraday and Theatre. In Dhaka, Baily Road area is
known as 'Natak Para' where drama shows are regularly
held. Public Library Auditorium and Museum Auditorium
are famous for holding cultural shows. Dhaka University
area is a pivotal part of cultural activities.
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Dance
Drama
Performance that combines dance, drama, music
and song. Early drama was similar to dance
drama, combining narrative, song and dance,
but modern Bengali dance
drama is predominantly the contribution
of Rabindranath
Tagore. His dance
dramas, such as Chandalika, Shyama, Chitrangada,
use dances set to beautiful songs to convey Tagore's
humanism. uday shankar modernised the Tagore tradition
towards the middle of the twentieth century. Tagore's
dance
drama is essentially based on songs, while
Uday Shankar's dance drama is dominated by background
music. Uday Shankar became famous by adapting Tagore's
poems Samanya Ksati (A Small Loss) and Abhisar (The
Tryst) into dance
drama in 1961 on the occasion of the Tagore
birth centenary in Calcutta. Among Uday Shankar's
other well-known dance dramas are Kalpana (Imagination)
and Labour and Machine.
Quite
a few dance
dramas were staged outside Dhaka, many of
them based on local folk tales. Among them are Rupasi
Gan (The Beautiful Village, 1960) and Padmar Dheu (The
Waves of the padma, 1964), by the lyricist Muhammad
Mohsin Reza.
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In
chittagong Runu Biswas staged Amina Sundari, Bheluya
Sundari and Maleka Banu. Other dance dramas based on
folk tales included Rupvan, Gunai Bibi, Beder Meye.
Local writers and poets also wrote dance dramas such
as Badal Barisane (When It Rains), Kaveri Tire (On the
Banks of the Kaveri), Musafir and Julfikar (based on
the life of Kazi
Nazrul Islam). Dance dramas by Tagore were
also staged outside Dhaka, among them Chandalika, Syama,
Sapmochan, Chitrangada and Mayar Khela. Dance dramas
were also staged on a variety of issues, such as Mansingh
and Virangana Sakhina, based on the story of Isa Khan,
directed by Altamas Ahmed, Sona Jhara Sandhya (An Enchanting
Evening), a love story directed by Amanul Huq, and Shatabdir
Svapna (The Dream of the Century), Sur Pelo Surabhi
(Surabhi Finds a Tune) and Jhanjha (Hurricane) created
by AKM Mujtaba.
Many
dance dramas have also been presented on Bangladesh
Television. These include Nazrul Islam's Kajari, Tagore's
Shahajahaner Svapna (Shahajahan's Dream), Jasimuddin's
Madhumalati.
Jatra:
Jatra (Folk
Drama) is another vital chapter of Bangalee culture.
It depicts mythological episodes of love and tragedy.
Legendary plays of heroism are also popular, particularly
in the rural areas. In near past jatra was the biggest
entertainment means for the rural Bangalees and in that
sense for 80% of the population since the same percentage
of the population lived in rural Bangladesh. Now-a-days
jatra has been placed in the back seat in the entertainment
era. Gradually western culture is occupying the place
of traditional culture like jatra.
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Tribal
Dance
dance performed by tribal people based on their customs
and beliefs. Tribal dance evolved through the experience
of the aborigines. They had to fight ferocious beasts
of the jungle and hunt animals and birds for their survival
and existence. Before going out for a hunt, hunters
would draw pictures of their prey and dance in a body,
imitating a hunt.
People
danced to placate or defeat evil spirits, to prevent
decay and diseases, to cause rainfall for production
of crops, or to prevent drought or famine. With the
evolution of society, human activities have undergone
many changes resulting in differences in dance styles.
Different tribes like manipuris, santals, oraons, murongs,
chakmas, garos, khasias, Kochas, hajongs etc, live in
the plain land and hilly regions of Bangladesh. Although
some changes have taken place in the livelihood, religious
beliefs and lifestyles of some of these tribes, there
has been no radical change in their way of life. Even
today collecting fruits and roots from the jungle, hunting
and jhum cultivation continue to be the main sources
of their livelihood and they still tend to follow their
ancestors in their various religious and cultural festivals.
Among
the Lusais and Kukis of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,
no religious ritual is possible without dancing. A dance
known as chai is presented by them
based on the production of crops. The dance shows the
three stages of cultivation: first during jhum cultivation,
secondly when the crop is ripe and thirdly during harvesting.
This type of dance involves extremely monotonous and
slow bodily movements and is presented by the children
in front of the house of the leader of the village throughout
the whole night. It is customary to sacrifice chickens
before the dance starts.
The
Mahamuni fair is a unique religious
festival of the Chakmas. On the occasion of this fair,
held at the beginning of Chaitra, there is a music and
dance ceremony. At the beginning of the festival the
statue of Mahamuni (the great sage) Buddha is placed
at the temple. Then the young men and women perform
together in a dance which is inspired by deep devotion.
In addition, dances are performed by Chakmas to have
a good harvest and rainfall, and sometimes just for
entertainment. The dance arranged for rainfall is participated
not only by young people, but also by the older members
of the community who come forward with full pitchers
to spray water on the young ones.
The
bamboo-dance of the Chakmas is very
popular. Locally it is known as Cheralam.
In this dance two groups of men or women hold two bamboos
on each side of the group of dancers. They create a
rhythmic sound by striking pairs of bamboos. The dancers
hop in the spaces between the two bamboos in rhythmic
unison, taking care to jump before the bamboos clash.
Unless the dancers are very nimble, they stand to get
badly hurt.
Murong
or Khusi tribesmen do not mourn when someone
dies. Because they believe that mourning will hurt the
soul of the deceased, they indulge in dances and songs
and make merry. They also exhibit the articles used
by the deceased and keep them beside the dead body.
They believe that the deceased persons will use these
in heaven.
The
Huduma dance is popular among the rajbangshi
tribe in north Bengal, particularly in Rangpur and Dinajpur.
The goddess of rain is called Huduma in the local dialect.
The
karam dance performed on the occasion of harvesting,
is very popular among the Oraon in the Rajshahi region.
This dance continues for several days and nights and
imitates the farmers sowing seeds and harvesting.
The jhumur dance, from the name for
the string of bells worn round the ankles, is performed
sometimes as the worship of gods and the goddesses,
sometimes for lovemaking, and sometimes for rainfall.
Most tribal dances were traditionally performed without
any stage, makeup room, lighting etc. There were no
elaborate arrangements for music
or singing. The dancers themselves sang. As in the bamboo
dance, the musical instruments can merely be a pair
of bamboos. Television and tourism have had an impact
on tribal dancing, and stage, musical instruments, lighting,
makeup, and decoration have all become more elaborate.
Dance Groups After partition
Dance Groups After partition in 1947, despite the conservative
tradition of Muslim Bengali society, a number of performers
like bulbul chowdhury, gauhar jamil, Sajedur Rahman
and Manmoy Dasgupta helped to reduce the prejudice against
dance and even to popularise it.
Bangladesh Ballet Troupe
Bangladesh Ballet Troupe a dance organisation and school,
established in the seventies in dhaka by Amanul Huq.
Among its well-known productions have been Jvalchhe
Agun Ksete Khamare (Fire blazing everywhere) and Battle
of Bangladesh.
Benuka
Benuka a school of performing and fine arts, established
in Dhaka in March 1980. Its original name was Benuka
Lalitakala Kendra. Muhammad Golam Mustafa was its founding
general secretary and principal. Benuka has so far staged
major dance
dramas: Benukar Sur, Hyamilaner Bangshibadak,
Bangla Bhasa Amader Bangla Bhasa, Bishvabhara Pran and
Raktalal Ahangkar.
Dhrupad
Kalakendra
Dhrupad Kalakendra a dance academy, founded in Dhaka
in 1983. Its founder-secretary was Kamal Sarkar. Mainly
two classical
dance forms- Bharatnatyam and Manipuri- are
taught here.
Dibya
a dance school and performing academy, established in
Dhaka in 1991 by Deepa Khandker and Ali Asgar Khokan.
Jago
Art Centre
Jago Art Centre a school of performing arts, was established
in 1959 in Dhaka by Gauhar Jamil. Its first principal
was Mir Kashem Khan.
Kathakali
Kathakali
a dance school, founded by Alpana Mumtaz on 1 January
1971 at the Guide House, Dhaka. Its primary aim is to
teach classical dancing.
Kranti
Kranti was established in 1967 in Dhaka. Its founder
president and secretary were barrister Hasan Parvez
and journalist Kamal Lohani respectively. It is a progressive
cultural organisation and played an active role in pre-independence
mass movements.
Nataraj
Nataraj was established in Dhaka in 1990 by Laila Hasan.
Basically it is a dance organisation but has a drama
section as well.
Music
The traditional music
in Bangladesh
shares the perspectives of that of the Indian sub-continent.
Music in Bangladesh can be divided into three distinct
categories -classical, folk
and modern. The classical music,
both vocal and instrumental is rooted in the remote
past of the sub-continent. Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad
Ayet Ali Khan are two names in classical instrumental
music who are internationally known.
The
store of folk song abounds in spiritual lyrics of Lalan
Shah, Hasan Raja, Romesh Shill and many anonymous lyricists.
Bangla music
arena is enriched with Jari, Shari, Bhatiali, Murshidi
and other types of folk songs. Rabindra Sangeet and
Nazrul Sangeet are Bangalees' precious heritage.
Modern music is also practiced widely. Contemporary
patterns have more inclinations to west. Pop song and
band groups are also coming up mainly in Dhaka City.
Musical
Instruments
Traditionally,
musical instruments in Bengal are categorised
into four types, based partly on the material
of which they are made and partly in the manner
in which they are played. Thus they may be classified
as string, wind, metal and hide instruments. Instruments
like the sitar, sarod, esraj, surbahar, tanpura,
dilruba and vina that produce music through strings
are known as string instruments. Instruments like
the flute and sanai that are played by blowing
are called wind instruments. Metal instruments
such as mandira and kartal produce sounds through
striking the metal body of the instrument. |
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Percussion instruments such as tabla-banya, dhol, khol,
madal, etc are known as hide instruments because of
the use of animal skin in making these instruments.
All
instruments belong to two categories: svayangsiddha
(self-sufficient), that is, instruments like the sitar,
sarod, etc that can be played by themselves; and anugatasiddha
(dependent), such as the tanpura, mrdanga, etc which
are not played by themselves but are played as accompaniments
to either vocal or instrumental music.
String and wind instruments can be played by themselves
and can also accompany vocal music.
But metal and hide instruments generally are not played
by themselves. They are used to accompany vocal music,
their function being to maintain the scale and rhythm.
String and hide instruments are closely connected with
one another in vocal music.
String
instruments are of two kinds: angulitra
(anguli, finger) instruments, which are played
with a mizrab, a thimble-like device worn on the
finger, or guti or jawa (plectrum), and dhanustata
or dhanuyantra (dhanu, bow) instruments which
are played with a bow.
String instruments are numerous in number. The
length of the string used in the bow determines
the tone of the sound. The pitch is determined
by the tautness or slackness of the string. When
the string is taut, the pitch is high and when
the string is slackened it is low.
Among
them vina popular in Bengal, the kapilas was very
popular. It was also known as kapilasika, kailas
or adya vina. |
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Kachchhapi vina used to be known as the Kachhuya sitar.
Saptatantri vina was similar to kachchhapi vina. The
tritantri vina was a three-stringed instrument. The
surashrngar vina was created out of three ancient instruments:
the mahati vina, the kachchhapi vina and the rudra vina.
Jafar Khan and Payer Khan, who belonged to the family
of the musician Tansen (1532-1589), invented this instrument.
Mayuri vina, so-called because its resemblance to a
peacock, was also known as taus. Surbahar or surbahar
vina was associated with a form of classical
music known as dhrupadanga.
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Hide
instruments These are drum-like musical
instruments of varying shapes, covered at
one or both ends with stretched skin. Unlike the western
drum, these instruments are often played upon by hands
and fingers rather than sticks. They are essential in
the performance of music.
Hide instruments may accompany either vocal or instrumental
music. The dundubhi is an ancient hide instrument, usually
played during auspicious ceremonies and victory celebrations
and at temples. The bhumi-dundubhi
is another kind of hide-instrument, played to sound
the alarm for danger or war. It is also used to announce
certain festivals. The dimdim produces a sound resembling
dim dim, hence the name. The mrdanga is a very ancient
instrument and accompanies kirtan songs and Manipuri
Dance in Bangladesh. Its body or khol is made of clay.
The srikhol is similar to the mrdanga and is also made
of clay. It is largely played during festivals in the
rural areas of Bangladesh.
Metal
instruments Made of different metals, these instruments
have been used since ancient times. The kansa or kansar
is a small round plate, made of kansa (bell-metal).
The tal, or cymbal, is also a round brass plate and
is played by striking one plate against another. The
ghanta or bell made of brass is often used at different
Hindu festivals and at auspicious ceremonies.
Wind
instruments occupy an important place in music.
There are different types of wind instruments, each
with its own characteristics. The shankha (conch) is
an old wind instrument made from large conch shells
and is played by blowing. It is used in Hindu ceremonies.
Other wind instruments are bansi,Sanai and nyastaranga.
Jaltaranga (water music) The jaltaranga
does not fit into the above categories. It is composed
of several porcelain bowls of different sizes ranged
in order from large to small. Water is poured into the
bowls. The notes are determined by the size of the bowl
and by the quantity of water in each bowl. Music is
played by striking the bowls with a pair of sticks.
The jaltaranga can be played by itself, but it can also
be used as an accompanying instrument.
Tribal
Musical Instruments
The chakma, tripura, Tanchangya, mru, Bam, Usui, pankho,
khumi, and Lusain of greater sylhet and chittagong hill
tracts have their own traditional instruments which
they play during their festivals and occasions. Some
of these instruments can be played only on certain occasions.
Three musical
instruments are quite popular: the
dhol or tom-tom, the flute, and the violin.
The santals of northern Bangladesh use musical instruments
such as tanda, tamak, danda, dhak, dhol, madal,
etc to accompany their dances. They also have a number
of flute-like musical instruments: plung, tu,
baji, simur, shinga, and claonet.
The Mro and Khumi traditionally use
the plum, which in the Mro language means flute, on
both social and religious occasions. Among the Mro and
Khumi, the plum is played at religious ceremonies by
people praying for some boon, while the rinaplum is
played at ceremonies organised to pray for relief from
some natural calamity or epidemic. The Chakma call the
flute baji, which they prepare from bamboos of different
sizes available in the hills. The Chakma and Tanchangya
make a sort of trumpet with a four- or five-foot long
bamboo.
Musical
instruments similar to the dhol include khaing, kha-am,
bunga, peh, ganga / darkhoyang, etc.
The
kheng kharang, be-ana, dhudhuk, kri-chay, fakir dangais,
senda, chang prei and ektara are violin-like musical
instruments. The Marmas call the khem kharam
khre khreng and the Tripura call it sangmun. The Chakma,
Tanchangya, Marma and Tripura make this instrument from
bamboo and play it on different social occasions. A
violin-like instrument made of bamboo and wood is popular
among the hill tribes. It is called be-ana by the Tripura,
bela by the Chakma, beyanj by the Marma, and tra by
the Mro. The dhudhuk is another violin-like instrument
popular among the Chakma, Chanchangya and Tripura. The
Chakma and Chanchangya also call this instrument tutrumao,
while the Tripura call it tutu-a. The kri-chay is a
violin-like instrument of the Marma. It is made of wood
and brass and has fifteen to twenty strings, which are
played with two chips of wood.
The
people of different tribes have been using these musical
instruments from time immemorial. These instruments
are all closely linked with their feelings and emotions,
their life-style, their economy and, above all, their
philosophy and aspirations of earthly and spiritual
life.
Painting
There is a rich tradition of modern painting which was
pioneered by Zainul Abedin, Kamrul
Hassan, Anwarul Haque, Shafiuddin
Ahmed and S. M. Sultan.
Other famous artists of Bangladesh are Abdur
Razzak, Qayyum Chowdhury,
Murtaza Baseer, Aminul Islam,
Debdas Chakraborty, Kazi Abdul
Baset, Syed Jahangir, and
Mohammad Kibria
Zainul Abedin
Zainul
Abedin painter as well as teacher, is himself
the founder and leading artist of what has come to
"Dacca Art Group". He was also the principal
of Government Art Institute, Dacca, East Pakistan
(now Bangladesh). His paintings and drawings have
been widely seen and admired in composite exhibitions
by UNESCO and various international bodies, as well
as group exhibitions in Europe, Turkey, Japan, Mexico
and USA.
Zainul
Abedin has painted extensively in wide variety of
styles, ranging from purely objective and almost photographic
to various abstract and semi-abstract studies. He
was very interested in Japanese painting style.
Sheikh
Mohammad Sultan.
Sultan, SM (1923-1994) a renowned painter. His real
name was Sheikh Mohammad Sultan but he is more widely
known as SM Sultan.
Sultan's watercolours are bright and lively, but treat
the same theme - nature and rural life. They contrast
sharply with the often drab and flat oils painted
in deep colours. Sultan tended to work heavily all
over his canvas without living any empty space. His
drawings, however, are masterful in their economy
and compactness. The lines are powerful and full blown.
In his later works though, the composition is less
tight and focused, perhaps a sign that Sultan was
growing a little impatient with the reality of his
time
| Contemporary
Art in Bangladesh |
A special volume brought out by Art & The Islamic
World (UK) Ltd, was published to celebrate 50 years
of the Institute of Fine Art, University of Dhaka.
The Institute was earlier known as Government Institute
of Art and was founded by the well-known artist Zainul
Abedin and some of his colleagues in 1948.
‘Contemporary Art in Bangladesh’ is a
fine collection of articles with photographs of paintings
seldom seen in any other publication. Syed Manzoorul
Islam has surveyed the development of art from Bengal
School to Bangladeshi
Art. His article is an explicit account of the political
and social milieu in which contemporary art evolved
in Bangladesh. The history of contemporary art in
Bangladesh begins effectively at the time of partition
of the subcontinent in 1947, when Zainul Abedin (who
came into public eye with his sketches of the Bengal
Famine of 1943) and some of his colleagues from West
Bengal, who opted to settle down in East Bengal, set
up the first art school in the newly formed state.
Zainul Abedin was the first Principal. This institute
trained and nurtured an entire generation of new artists
whose work reflected the changing times. Qamrul Hasan,
Saifuddin Ahmed, Anwarul Haq were contemporaries of
Zainul Abedin. This was the generation that depicted
social reality in their art. The art of the fifties
was a different story. As Manzoorul Islam explains
"The fifties painters took to abstraction….
for two reasons. First, it was an inner compulsion,
an urge to express themselves through a language,
through metaphors, images, sensibilities and symbolism
that they thought most clearly represented their artistic,
emotional and intellectual understanding of their
art. The second reason can be ascribed to a social
compulsion. The establishment… disapproved of
any human or figurative representation as it supposedly
contravened religious strictures." Mohammad Kibria
was one of the outstanding artists of the fifties,
as Monirul Islam was of the sixties.
The sixties also saw artists and sculptors such as
Abu Taher, Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, Anwar Jahan and
many other notable names. The creation of Bangladesh
as a separate entity influenced the art of the 70s.
Abul Mansur writes, " A new generation of artists
came to the scene who adopted a more figurative language
and tried to initiate an interaction between the traditional
and the contemporary. A good number of artists, including
sculptors and printmakers, began to work in more varied
and innovative styles." The notable painters
of the 70s were Monirul Islam, Shahid Kabir, Mahmudul
Haque, Kalidas Karmarkar among other well-known names.
Writing on the contemporary art scene, Moinuddin Khalid
describes how some of the artists are involved with
"analytical realism". "There is at
the same time, a sustained satiric tone that brings
out the themes as well as identifies the artists’
position and their commitment to the society…Reconstruction
of myth is also a characteristic of contemporary art.
Painters are going back to the mythical past for themes
and symbols….Artists are also going back to
folk art – although in a much more limited way"
– he adds.
Among
the women artists of Bangladesh – the work of
Novera Ahmed finds special mention. A sculptor of the
fifties, Novera did figurative works. Farida Zaman has
also won national accolades for her work.
The
art world in Bangladesh
received an impetus when the government of Bangladesh
organised the First Asian Art Biennial in 1981. It is
a month long event held every two years in Dhaka where
Asian countries exhibit contemporary works of paintings,
sculptures and graphics. Nine such Art exhibitions have
been held so far.
The
Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy provided the transparencies
and photographs for the selection of paintings and sculptures.
‘Contemporary
Art of Bangladesh’ is a well-written record of
the history of contemporary art in the country. The
visuals are stunning and so are the layouts. A must
for South Asian art lovers.
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