Nazrul Sangeet ( bn, নজরুল সঙ্গীত), also Nazrul Geeti ( bn, নজরুল গীতি; ), refers to the songs written and composed by

Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam ( bn, কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম, ; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, Bengali literature, writer, Bangladeshi music, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul is regarded as one ...

, the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul Geeti incorporate revolutionary notions as well as more spiritual, philosophical and romantic themes. Nazrul wrote and composed nearly 4,000 songs (including gramophone records), which are widely popular in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. Some of the most notable Nazrul Sangeet include ''

Notuner Gaan Notuner Gaan ( bn, নতুনের গান, ''The Song of Youth''), more popularly known (after its first line) as Chol Chol Chol, is the national March (music), march ( bn, রণ-সঙ্গীত) of Bangladesh, whose lyrics and tune wer ...

'', the national

marching song A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's ...

of Bangladesh and ''

O Mon Romzaner Oi Rozar Sheshe O Môn Rômzaner Oi Rozar Sheshe Elo Khushir Eid ( bn, ও মন রমজানের ঐ রোজার শেষে এলো খুশির ঈদ) is the most notable Bengali Eid-ul-Fitr song, written by Kazi Nazrul Islam, the national po ...

'', an Islamic song on the festival of

Eid-ul-Fitr , nickname = Festival of Breaking the Fast, Lesser Eid, Sweet Eid, Sugar Feast , observedby = Muslims , type = Islamic , longtype = Islamic , significance = Commemoration to mark the end of fasting in Ramadan , dat ...

and Jago Jogmaya Jago Mrinmoyee , a Durga Vandana on the festival of

Durga Puja Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...

Background

Nazrul showed the symptoms of keen poetic and musical talent at his tender age and started writing songs when he was a member of a Leto group (Folk Musical Group). Following Kazi Bazle Karim, his uncle and a leader of a Leto group, he became an expert in composing songs and setting them to tunes. Joining the Leto group enhanced his musical career and put a significant impact on shaping his future musical life. At a very young age he was excelled in composing songs in different languages, apart from the Bengali language. He met Satish Kanjilal, a teacher of Searsol School who had an interest in classical music and some mastery over it. Observing Nazrul's irresistible inclination to music, Mr. Kanjilal imparted him some lessons on classical music. Later Nazrul widened hisknowledge on music when he was serving as a Havilder in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

Barrack under

Bengal Regiment The regiments of Bengal Native Infantry, alongside the regiments of Bengal European Infantry, were the regular infantry components of the East India Company's Bengal Army from the raising of the first Native battalion in 1757 to the passing int ...

. He learned a great deal of

Persian language Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...

, literature, and music with the help of a religious teacher from

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

attached with the regiment.

Nazrul Islam's musical style

Revolutionary mass music

The mass music and poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam have been widely used during the Indian Independence Movement and Bangladesh Liberation War. The music is highly motivational and revolutionary in nature with strong and powerful words and captivating tunes. It talks about the extremities of everything. The lyrics of those songs are provoking, as they talk against conservatism and about life on a broader parameter of philosophy and spirituality. The beauty of Nazrul's mass music lies in the freedom of its expression, which also drew immense criticism. However, those who understood its philosophy praised the courage and straightforwardness. Nazrul

Ghazal

Nazrul's acquaintance with the tradition of Persian

Ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

s, a form of love songs, was very significant in the sense that it paved the base of his successful efforts in composing Bengali Ghazals which he undertook by 1927–28. Bengali Ghazal is, it can be mentioned outright, an innovation by Kazi Nazrul Islam alone. It served as the first mass-level introduction of Islam into the mainstream tradition of

Bengali music Bengali music ( bn, বাংলা সংগীত) comprises a long tradition of religious and secular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium. Composed with lyrics in the Bengali language, Bengali music spans a wide variety of ...

Historical influence

Nazrul used his music as a major way of disseminating his revolutionary notions, mainly by the use of strong words and powerful, but catchy, tunes. Among the revolutionary songs, ''Karar Oi Louho Kopat'' (Prison-doors of Steel) is best known and has been used in several movies, especially those made during the pre-independence period of Bangladesh. Nazrul teaching Nazrul Sangeet

Nazrul Geeti has recently been translated and recorded in Oriya (an Indian language) in the form of a studio album.

Notable songs

* Dolan Chapa (name of a faintly fragrant monsoon flower), poems and songs, 1923 * Bisher Bashi (The Poison Flute), poems and songs, 1924 * Bhangar Gan (The Song of Destruction), songs and poems, 1924 proscribe in 1924 * Chhayanat (The Raga of Chhayanat), poems and songs, 1925 * Chittanama (On Chittaranjan), poems and songs, 1925 * Samyabadi (The Proclaimer of Equality), poems and songs, 1926 * Puber Hawa (The Eastern Wind), poems and songs, 1926 * Sarbahara (The Proletariat), poems and songs, 1926 * Sindhu Hindol (The Undulation of the Sea), poems and songs, 1927 * Jinjir (Chain), poems and songs, 1928 * Pralaya Shikha (Doomsday Flame), poems and songs, 1930 proscribed in 1930 * Shesh Saogat (The Last Offerings), poems and songs, 1958 *

(The Song of Youth), 1928, National March of

* O Mon Romzaner Oi Rozar Sheshe Elo Khushir Eid, composed for Abbasuddin Ahmed, 1932

Notable singers of ''Nazrul Sangeet''

* Abbasuddin Ahmed * Shusmita Anis * Ferdous Ara * Firoza Begum *

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the ...

S. D. Burman Sachin Dev Burman (1 October 1906 – 31 October 1975) was an Indian music director and singer. A member of the Tripura royal family, he started his career with Bengali films in 1937. He later began composing for Hindi movies and became one o ...

Ajoy Chakrabarty Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty (born 25 December 1952) is an Hindustani classical vocalist, composer, lyricist and an exponent of the Patiala-Kasur gharana. He was given Padma Bhushan Award, the third highest civilian award in India in 2020. Early li ...

Niaz Mohammad Chowdhury Niaz Mohammad Chowdhury (born 25 October 1952) is a Bangladeshi classical and modern singer. Early life Chowdhury was born on 25 October 1952 (13 January; according to certificate) at Khayinakut village at Shibpur Upazila in Narsingdi District o ...

* Alaka Das *

Chittaranjan Das Chittaranjan Das (5 November 1870 – 16 June 1925), popularly called ''Deshbandhu'' (Friend of the Nation), was an Indian freedom fighter, political activist and lawyer during the Indian independence movement and founder-leader of the Swar ...

* Manas Kumar Das * Sudhin Das * Tapas Kumar Das *

Kamal Dasgupta Kamal Dasgupta (28 July 1912 – 20 July 1974), also known as ''Kamal Uddin Ahamed'' was a Bangla music director, composer and folk artist. Rāga and Thumri were the main elements of his music. Early life and career Dasgupta was born on 28 July ...

Kanan Devi Kanan Devi (22 April 1916 – 17 July 1992) was an Indian actress and singer. She was among the early singing stars of Indian cinema, and is credited popularly as the first star of Bengali cinema. Her singing style, usually in rapid tempo, was ...

K C Dey Krishna Chandra Dey (24 August 1893 – 28 November 1962), better known as K.C. Dey, was an Indian music director, music composer, musician, singer, actor, and music teacher born in Calcutta (now Kolkata). He was S.D. Burman's first musical t ...

Manna Dey Prabodh Chandra Dey (May 1, 1919 − October 24, 2013), known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an internationally acclaimed and celebrated Indian playback singer, music director, and a musician. As a classical vocalist, he belonged to the Bhen ...

Purabi Dutta Purabi Dutta ( bn, পূরবী দত্ত ) was a Bengali language, Bengali female singer from Kolkata, West Bengal, India. She is considered as one of the greatest exponents and an authentic singer of Nazrul Geeti (the songs created by Kaz ...

Anup Ghoshal Anup Ghoshal is an Indian playback singer, composer in Hindi films and other vernacular Indian films, especially Bengali language films. He is known in his native Bengal primarily as one of the foremost Nazrulgeeti exponents, and was one of th ...

Anup Jalota Anup Jalota, (born 29 July 1953) is an Indian singer, musician and actor, best known for his contributions to the Bhajan genre of Indian Music. He is popularly known as the "Bhajan Samraat" (Emperor of Bhajans).Nashid Kamal Nashid Kamal (born 19 March 1958) is a Bangladeshi vocalist, writer and professor of demography. She is the eldest granddaughter of Bengali folk singer Abbasuddin Ahmed. Kamal is widely regarded as a Nazrul exponent.Sabiha Mahboob *

Sadya Afreen Mallick Sadya Afreen Mallick is a Bangladeshi singer and journalist. She is an exponent of Nazrul Geeti. She is editor of the Arts and Entertainment section of '' The Daily Star''. Background and career Mallick was born to Syed Moqsud Ali and Nurun Naha ...

* Namrata Mohanty *

Manabendra Mukhopadhyay Manabendra Mukhopadhyay was an Indian singer and music composer in Bengali films. Coming to limelight in the early 1950s Manabendra was an innovative and stylish singer who had a strong foundation in Indian classical music. With his distincti ...

Mohammed Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...

Ferdausi Rahman Ferdausi Rahman (; born 28 June 1941) also known as Ferdausi Begum is a Bangladeshi playback singer. She is the daughter of folk singer Abbas Uddin. She sang some popular film songs for Pakistani films also in the 1960s especially working with th ...

Juthika Roy Juthika Roy (20 April 1920
firstpost.com; retrieved 7 February 2014. – 5 Februar ...

Haimanti Shukla Haimanti Shukla ( bn, হৈমন্তী শুক্লা, ''Hoimonti Shukla''; born 2 December 1949) is a Bengali singer. The tradition of Hindustani classical music was in her family and this helped her to become a classically trained si ...

Madhuri Chattopadhyay Madhuri Chattopadhyay (16 December 1940 – 19 October 2013) was a Bengali singer from Kolkata, who sang numerous songs in popular Bengali language during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Madhuri Chattopadhyay will forever be remembered for her contrib ...

* Ila Basu *

Shaheen Samad Shaheen Samad (born 27 December 1952) is a Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet singer. She was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2016 by the Government of Bangladesh. Early life Samad was born in Kushtia to Shamsun Nahar Rahima Khatun and Samsul Huda. She spent ...

Kumar Sanu Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), better known as Kumar Sanu, is an Indian playback singer. He is known as the King of Melody in Bollywood. He is famous for singing thousands of Bollywood Hindi songs. Apart from Hindi, he has al ...

Indrani Sen Indrani Sen is a Bengali singer who is known for Nazrul geeti and Rabindra Sangeet. Early life Indrani Sen is the daughter of singer Sumitra Sen, and her younger sister is Srabani Sen. Her earliest singing was done under her mother's guidan ...

Anuradha Paudwal Anuradha Paudwal (born 27 October 1954) is an Indian playback singer who works predominantly in Hindi cinema. She has been described in media as one of the most prominent Bhajan singer and also as one of the most successful playback singers ...

Nilufar Yasmin Nilufar Yasmin (13 February 1948 – 10 March 2003) was a Bangladeshi singer of Nazrul Sangeet, Rajanikanta Geeti, Dwijendra Geeti and Atul Prasdi genre. She was the fourth of five Yasmin sisters of Bangladesh music. Her siblings are Farida ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nazrul Geeti Bangladeshi literature Bengali music Bangladeshi music Indian literature Culture of Kolkata Bangladeshi culture Indian music Indian culture Kazi Nazrul Islam Music of Bengal Indian styles of music