Crafting the crescendo: The legacy of Ferdausi Rahman

The living legend Ferdausi Rahman launched her highly anticipated autobiography 'Loke Bole Prem Ami Boli Jwala' on 7 July at the Bengal Shilpalaya Gallery in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The event was organised by the publisher Prothoma Prokashan. The gloomy, rain-washed evening outside stood in beautiful contrast to the warm, star-studded gathering inside. The atmosphere was thick with a different kind of intensity, a nostalgic reverence.

The book is a comprehensive chronicle of her illustrious musical journey spanning over half a century. The title is borrowed from one of her most iconic songs. The author reframes the song lyric into a profound philosophical statement about artistic sacrifice. She redefines the words "prem" (love) and "jwala" (torment) through the lens of an artist’s life: "Prem" for her, isn''t a conventional romance; it is her absolute, lifelong devotion to music. "Jwala" represents the intense struggle, rigorous training, sacrifices, and standard of perfection and commitment required to truly master the craft.

In the introduction she wrote, “Nearly everyone knew I was not into writing, but some thought I might be good at writing, maybe because few of my writings were published in the Weekly Begum and the Daily Prothom Alo at different times. Moreover, my first book ‘Gaan Geye Elam Chin e'', based on my trip to China in the 60s, became quite popular”! [Translated from Bangla]. She fondly remembers and gives credit to her mother for relentlessly inspiring her to write.

Born on 28 June 1941 in Cooch Behar, a small and beautiful town in the northern part of West Bengal, Ferdausi Rahman is the only daughter of the legendary folk singer Abbasuddin Ahmed, popularly known as the Emperor of Bangla Folk Songs. He was also one of the close companions of Bangladesh's national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Ferdausi Rahman followed her father's footprints and proved her worth in almost all genres of music - classical, khayal, thumri, ghazals, geets, Nazrul Geeti, modern Bangla songs, bhawaiya, bhatiali and more.

In the book, she highlights her father's vision for her to be an independent, self-reliant woman who would take Bangla music to the global stage.  The book delves into her early life and the foundational training she received from her father, who shaped her discipline and deep respect for music.
Following the 1947 partition of the subcontinent, her family left West Bengal and migrated permanently to Dhaka.

The transition was difficult. She writes about the challenges of adapting to a new city, adjusting to Dhaka's local food, and navigating a socially strict environment where young girls had to travel in covered rickshaws and horse carts. Despite the displacement, 1947 marked the year her voice was first broadcast in East Pakistan on the radio program Khelaghor, at the age of only six, planting the seeds for her quintessential career.

Her first singing for the radio was in 1955. Then, for the first time in 1957, she recorded two folk songs Praner Baytha Ke Bujhibe Shoi and Amai Ghor Chhara Korili with HMV in Karachi, and both songs became very popular. Her first long play "Best of Ferdausi" was also recorded with HMV in 1967.

Through 'Loke Bole Prem Ami Boli Jwala,' she reflects on her long musical career and preserves memories of her childhood, her yearning to see the Kanchenjunga, her growing up, happy days with parents and brothers, Old Dhaka, its disappearing traditions, food culture and way of life.

She recalls her beginning as a playback singer in 1959 with Ehtesham's ''Ei Desh Tomar Amar'' under the music direction of Khan Ataur Rahman, followed by ''Aasia'' in 1960, with her father as one of the music directors. The first Pakistani film she sang in was ''Chanda'' an instant hit in both the wings of Pakistan. Most of the songs in this film were sung by her in flawless Urdu, which made her a super hit singer throughout the country.

She sang some more popular songs for Pakistani films in the 1960s. The book also features rich, historical memories of her collaborations with other icons. For instance, the first debut duet together with fellow music legend Syed Abdul Hadi in the film "Dakbabu" (1965). Working with music composer Robin Ghosh in the film ''Chakori'' (1967) added yet another feather to her cap. She continued playback singing for films in both wings of Pakistan and lent her voice to about 250 films. She has over 500 disc records, a few LPs, and a good number of cassettes to her credit.

On 24 December 1964, when PTV was launched in Dhaka,  she was the first person to perform on television. Her song ''Oi je akash neel holo aaj shey shudhu tomar preme'' still mesmerises her listeners. Just three days after the launch, the first music lesson show for children, ''Shongeet Shikkhar Ashor'' was aired (27 December) with Ferdausi Rahman as the teacher.
The two puppets Mithu and Monty created by Mustafa Monwar were an added attraction and got children glued to the show. Who is not familiar with the most popular music teacher Khalamoni and the song ''Jadur pencil, aha jadur pencil?’ The show, which ran for more than half a century, was renamed ''Esho Gaan Shikhi'' and became synonymous with the ''singer par excellence'' - Ferdausi Rahman!

She mentions how her parents helped achieve all her dreams. Her father always encouraged her to listen, learn, practice and perform. She had the chance of meeting and receiving accolades from great singers and music composers Ustad Salamat Ali, Ustad Nazakat Ali, Debabrata Biswas, Shandhya Mukherjee and Mehdi Hassan. She has deep reverence for Ustad Nazakat Ali and Ustad Salamat Ali. She also holds Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in high esteem.

She is one of those very few names in Bangladesh's cultural arena that have transcended the frontiers of popularity to be institutions themselves.
Her academic feats are no less commendable. She stood first among the girls and 7th in the combined merit list in her Secondary School Certificate Examination winning a gold medal, and attained 12th position in the combined merit list in her Higher Secondary Certificate Examination. She obtained her Honours and Masters'' degrees in Sociology from Dhaka University. In 1963, she was awarded a UNESCO Fellowship for music and she studied staff notation at the London Trinity College of Music for six months.

She gives credit to her parents, brothers, nieces, husband and children for supporting her quest of knowledge in music. She also believes that the appreciation and advice she had received from her teachers, ustads and people from the film industry inspired her and at the same time gave a chance to review and reassess her own performance. What she values most is the love of her listeners that has made her musical journey worthwhile.

The book maps out her trailblazing career across multiple genres. It reveals the sheer hard work behind her seemingly effortless versatility. The chapters reflect her seamless transitions between classical music, raw rooted folk (bhawaiya) and the glamorous film playback track releases, establishing her as a monumental figure in the Bangladeshi music tradition.

She wrote about her travels and treasured the memories. Each visit has enriched her with new knowledge as she met special personalities, specifically those in the music industry. She travelled as a member of various cultural delegations to many countries around the world including India, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Iraq, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Japan, Afghanistan, Greece, Russia, Mauritius, Yugoslavia, UAE, the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada.

She led the first official cultural delegation to Pakistan from independent Bangladesh. She sang in languages of almost all the countries she had visited. She won the hearts of listeners by singing in Urdu, Punjabi, Pushto, Persian, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Yugoslavian (formerly known; it now has four names: Bosnian, Serbian, Croatian and Montenegrin), German, Greek, Afghan, Thai, Malay, Turkish and English. During her long career as an artiste, she won the honour of singing for the Queen of England, late Premier of China Chou En-lai, late President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito, last King of Afghanistan Mohammed Zahir Shah, the Foreign Minister of Turkey and many other dignitaries of the world.
Throughout the years, this talented singer has been conferred with many prestigious awards.

Some of her accolades worth mentioning are Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan(1965), National Film Award for Best Music Director (1977), Ekushey Padak (1977), Independence Day Award (1995), Lifetime Achievement Award at the Meril-Prothom Alo Awards (2008), Nasiruddin Gold Medal and the Film Journalists Award (2009), Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daily Star-Standard Chartered ''Celebrating Life'' event for playback and Bhawaiya songs (2012).

Anyone reading the book will sense the special attachment to her father. Her father remains her greatest inspiration and idol to follow. He named her after the Persian poet ‘Ferdowsi’. She wrote, “I always feel like shouting from the highest hills and letting the world know, my father is the BEST!” Even though he is no more in this world, she feels he is always with her through his teachings and principles that she has been following without any compromises.

The book contains pictures of her family and friends from the music industry. She lovingly remembers her two elder brothers, former Chief Justice of Bangladesh Mustafa Kamal and singer Mustafa Zaman Abbasi and her husband Rezaur Rahman, an engineer and industrialist. She misses them all as they have left for their eternal abodes.

Her two sons Rubaiyat Rahman and Razin Rahman, live abroad with their wives and children. They visit her by turns so that she is not left alone. She is very attached to her niece Nashid Kamal who is a popular singer in Bangladesh. Her other nieces Samira Abbasi and Sharmini Abbasi are also singers. Quite a music loving family!

Ferdausi Rahman runs the ''Abbasuddin Shongeet Academy'' with special passion. She is also associated with the ''Nazrul Shongeet Shilpi Parishad'' since its inception.

She expressed deep gratitude to Prothoma Prokashan for beautifully bringing her words to print. She touched the audience when she noted that writing this book felt like reliving her entire life, calling music her ‘Ultimate joy and her ultimate struggle.’

Her advice to music enthusiasts, "Every singer must learn their basics first. You can be a classical singer, a rock singer or a pop singer, but if you don't have a strong foundation - at some point you''ll lose consistency, fail to reach the next step and ultimately phase out.”

In a moving metaphorical reflection near the end of the book, she compares life to a paniyal fruit (a sour plum-like fruit she used to relish in her school walks). She notes that just as squeezing a sour paniyal makes it sweet, the hardships and "squeezes" of life ultimately sweetened her journey and gave it significant meaning.  

The book is an essential reading not just for music lovers, but for anyone looking to understand the roots of Bangladeshi cultural identity through the eyes of a pioneer who lived it all. Music lovers who have deep appreciation for the technical knowledge, footwork and devotion required in classical performing arts, will definitely find the chapters on her rigorous early training with her father, Abbasuddin Ahmad, absolutely riveting.

The book proves that her life and her music are entirely inseparable. It transcends the traditional bounds of an artist’s autobiography. While it faithfully chronicles Ferdausi Rahman’s glorious artistic journey and contributions to music, its true power lies in its quiet moral imperative. It serves as a reminder that a life well-lived is rooted in the foundational values of love, respect, contentment and discipline nurtured within the home. Her life stands as proof that before one becomes a legend in their field, one must first strive to be a good human.

* Syeda Nazneen Ferdousi is a freelance communications specialist.