The New Nation - Internet Edition

Event: Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s night

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

He was all of 6 years old, when Amjad Ali Khan gave his first recital of Sarod. It was the beginning of yet another glorious chapter in the history of Indian classical music. Taught by his father Haafiz Ali Khan, a musician to the royal family of Gwalior, Amjad Ali Khan was born to the illustrious Bangash lineage rooted in the Senia Bangash School of music. Today he shoulders the sixth generation inheritance of this legendary lineage. After his debut, the career graph of this musical legend took the speed of light, and on its way the Indian classical music scene was witness to regular and scintillating bursts of Raga supernovas. And thus, the world saw the Sarod being given a new and yet timeless interpretation by Amjad Ali Khan. Khan is one of the few maestros who consider his audience to be the soul of his motivation.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan said about music, "There is no essential different between classical and popular music. Music is music. I want to communicate with the listener who finds Indian classical music remote."

The legendary Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan addressing this during his solo performance at Dhaka Club premises Thursday night. This was his fisrt visit to Dhaka in 30 years. Tanmay Bose and Fateh Singh Gangani accompanied him in the show.

Amjad Ali Khan, the master of Senia Bangash lineage, arrived in Dhaka yesterday along with his two fellow instrumentalists at the invitation of Dhaka Club Ltd.

"Classical music is the base and it will remain forever. He discussed the basic notes of music. There are 12 notes of music and all the music is basically created from them," he said before starting his performance.

He presented 'Sayeri' at first. Then presented others including his own composition 'Sound of Music.' Specialty of this composition is that he composed it when his son Aman was born and he also sacrificed it to his wife.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was born in 1946 in Gwalior. Amjad, a recipient of many national and international awards, also created some raagas, one of them has been named after his wife 'Subhalakshmi.'

Subhalakhsmi Khan, great exponent of Indian classical dance Bharatnatyam, could not come due to illness of her mother. Her two sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan are well known in the musical ambience.

More than 2,000 audiences gathered at the Dhaka Club premises and there was a pin drop silence during his performance.

Haat on Ntv tonight

Tania

Entertainment Report

Drama 'Haat' to be aired on Ntv at 9:00pm today. Giasuddin Selim has scripted and directed the drama under the story written by Ahmad Safa. Humayun Faridi, Chanchal Chowdhury, Tania Hossain, among others, performed in the drama.

Story of Haat:

Boss of an office suspended his one of the employees and gave him a job to write down his life story. He also gave him all kinds of facilities. The employee is an educated young man. But passing his days lavishly the young man could not complete his work. Once his right hand was cut while bargaining with his boss. Then he promised to write down the story of a criminal how he has become a rich man to take the revenge.

Event: Abdul Alim remembered

Staff Reporter

Academics and artistes recalled the contributions of folk singer Abdul Alim at a discussion meeting at the Dance and Music Centre Auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the city on Thursday.

Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) organised the discussion to pay homage to Abdul Alim.

Folk researcher and artiste Mustafa Zaman Abbasi and folk artiste Nadira Begum was present as discussants at the meeting, while Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam, Director General of BSA, chaired the function.

In the discussion, the speakers spoke on the life and works of the artistes.

Folk artiste Alim took music lessons from a local instructor, Syed Golam Ali and earned a reputation as a singer while quite young. He recorded first two songs for a gramophone company in 1943, said the speakers.

After 1947, Abdul Alim settled in Dhaka where he became a radio artiste. He also sang on television and for films and recorded about five hundred songs. He was highly regarded for his mystic Murshidi songs, they said.

Artiste Abdul Alim received a number of national awards, such as the 'Ekushey Padak,' 'Purbani Chalachchitra Award' and Bangladesh Chalachchitra Sangbadik Samiti Award.

After the discussion, folk artistes Azgar Alim, Abu Bakar Siddiqui, Sardar Mohammad Rahmatullah, Suchitra Chakrabart and Fatema Begum rendered songs of Abdul Alim.

Hollywood: 'Girls Next Door’ co-star engaged to an Eagle

AP, Los Angeles

One of Hugh Hefner's live-in girlfriends is trading the grotto for the gridiron. The Playboy mogul said in a statement Thursday that "The Girls Next Door" co-star Kendra Wilkinson is engaged to Philadelphia Eagles receiver Hank Baskett. The 23-year-old model-actress has lived with Hefner since 2004 and currently co-stars as one of his three girlfriends in the E! reality series.

"I have given her my blessing and will be giving her away at a very special wedding ceremony at the Playboy Mansion this coming June," Hefner said. The 82-year-old publisher's love life has been in flux. Last month, he and "No. 1" girlfriend Holly Madison called it quits. Twin 19-year-olds Karissa and Kristina Shannon are currently living with Hefner.

Celebrating Life on Channel i from today

Entertainment Report

From today Channel i will start to air the best documentary and short films of the Standard Chartered- Daily Star Celebrating Life Contest '08. As a part of this documentary film 'Khoyari' made by Shibu Kumar Shil to be aired at 2:30pm today. On the third Saturday documentary film 'Uray Moner Ghuri' made by Lutfunnahar Mousumi to be aired on this channel.