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20 MIN(s)
•ENTERTAINMENT
Arts & Entertainment Desk
A special cultural evening featuring National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s traditional Leto Gaan (folk musical theatre) and Kabigaan (poetic musical debate) was held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka on Thursday as part of the ongoing Nazrul Year celebrations.
The programme, titled “Nazruler Letogaan O Kobigaan” (Nazrul’s Leto Gaan and Kabigaan), was held at the auditorium of the Academy’s National Music and Dance Centre. It opened with a paper presentation titled “Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Leto Gaan and Kabigaan: Exploring the
Dr Kamal Khalid, associate professor and head of the Department of Folk Song at Government Music College, presented the paper. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Director General and poet Sheikh Rezauddin Ahmed (Rezauddin Stalin) presided over the programme, while Bangladesh Film Development Corporation Managing Director Masuma Rahman Tani attended as a special guest. Mehjabeen Rahman, director of the Academy’s Music, Dance and Recitation Department, delivered the welcome address.
The second session began with “Andho Raja” (The Blind King), a Leto Gaan directed and conceptualised by Dr Kamal Khalid. Saima Ahmed Liza provided overall supervision, while the Leto troupes “Nimsha Leto Dal” and “Medenipur Leto Dal” performed the piece.
The programme continued with “Kabir Lorai” (The Poets’ Duel), written by Kazi Nazrul Islam and directed and conceptualised by Jibon Chowdhury. Kabiyal Gumani Babu took part in the musical duel with Kabiyal Jibon Ure.
The performers included Jibon Chowdhury and Gumani Babu, Babul Hossain and Jibon Ure and Mamun Hossain as Sutradhar/Kayali (narrator/commentator). The Dohars (chorus performers) were Shan, Syed Masumur Rahman, Jayanta Bikash Das, Mahmuda Akter Rupa, Arbi Islam Swarna, Jannat Ara Shyamoli, Anannya Roy and Narayan Deb.
