‘Rabindra Sangeet’ learning school SURER DHARA bade good-bye to 1415 and welcomed Bangla New Year 1416 setting hearts tuned in reverberating Bangla folk music with grooving rhythm of indigenous colorful dance upholding our enriched heritage. As its regular annual event, it organized Chaitra Sangkranti festival titled Maatir Tanney Surer Dhara on Monday, 13th April evening at Lalmatia Girls’ High School ground. The program beginning around 6 pm with Rabindra Sangeet firey chol maatir tanney of continued until midnight. The last song of the event was asho hey boishakh-which was sang by all guests and artists of surer dhara at 12.01 am.
This year’s program’s main theme is evolved around folk music with an invocation to our soul to turn around into our root. Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti of Baul-genre, Bhawaiya, Bhatiyali, Keertan, Vadu, Manosha Panchali, Chatka, Baul, Song by Radha Raman and Shah Abdul Karim were performed by invited artistes, ex-students and current students of the institute. Satellite Television station Channel I live telecast the program that began with a chorus performance. Among invited artistes performing at the program, Kartik Das Baul (West Bengal), Kangalini Sufia, Idris Boyati, Islam Hosen Boyati, Bipul Bhattacharya, Anup Bhattacharya, Kiran Chandra Roy, Laisa Ahmed Lisa and Qaderi Kibria were the highlighted ones. The fest featured indigenous dance performance by U-Khing (Chakma Dance), Kamal Sarkar and his dance group (Mandi dance), Tamanna Rahman, Tahrina Islam Jhumi, Minu Haque, Ratan, Munmun Ahmed, Amy Rahman others.
Noted and eminent personalities of national and international level graced the occasion, who included: Commerce Minister Col (retd.) Farooq Khan along with the Indian High Commissioner Pinak R. Chakravarty, UN representative Mr. Reneta Dessallion and Norwegian Ambassador Ingebjørg Støfring. Dr. Harunur Rashid, Pro-VC Dhaka University; Dr. Mizanur Rahman, Treasurer DU; Dr. Sadrul Ameen, the Dean of Arts Faculty, DU; Dr. Anisujjaman, noted Artist Hasem Khan, National Professor Mr. Kabir Chowdhury, Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed and Director General of Shilpakala Academy Mr. Kamal Lohani also were.
Celebrating Chaitra Sangkranti, an indispensible part of Bangali Culture is a regular annual event Surer Dhara has been organizing since its inception. Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, the Director, SURER DHARA told, `We are moving far away form our root and our objective is to get everyone closer to our root, our soil through this event.’ Surer Dhara, the name coined by virtuoso artiste late Kanika Banerjee) began its journey since Pahela (the 1st of) Baishakh, 14 April in 1992. Apart from accomplishing genuine training on Rabindra Sangeet, the institute’s objective has always been to curve in the light of Rabindra-minded approach, a proper and realistic direction for the new generation, so that they may go ahead into the future with transparent mind and vision. That objective reflected in programs held at different times by Surer Dhara; naming a few of those includes, `Bashntotshob’ Tasher Desh, Pancho Kabir Gaan, Aaraisho Bochorer Bangla Gaan.
The enriched omnibus of folk music is about to be lost in the restlessness of the society. Surer Dhara believes, our future generation alone can salvage it. So now it is time to awake them up to the way of ascension and it is our responsibility to do so as their predecessor. SURER DHARA has been dispensing all its effort and care in this regard. It sees its future in establishing link between next generations and our cultural heritage. The Chaitra Sangkranti fest is a continuation of the core initiative ongoing.