Azad Rahman is one of the brightest stars in the music arena of Bangladesh. A long journey into the world of music, he has done a lot of work. He has enriched this world in many ways. He is called the guru of Kheyal songs in Bangladesh. Azad Rahman’s contribution is the most behind making this genre popular.
A song will give him immortality. As long as this Bangladesh exists, the relevance of that song will remain, the song is ‘Janmo Amar Dhanya Ho Ma Go ‘
He has won the National Film Award once as a music artist and twice as a music director.
Azad Rahman was born in 1944 in the Burdwan district of West Bengal, India. While studying at Rabindra Bharati University, he practiced kirtan, classical music as well as kheyal and topper. Azad Rahman came to Bangladesh from West Bengal and started teaching at Rajshahi University.
In 1973, at the age of 20, he started directing music for the popular Bengali movie Miss Priyambada in Kolkata. Manabendra Mukherjee, Aarti Mukherjee and Pratima Bandyopadhyay sang his tunes in that film. After the Calcutta riots in 1984, Azad Rahman moved to Dhaka. He joined Radio Pakistan at that time as a lyricist and composer. Besides, U Chang started teaching music in Chayante.
Azad Rahman has also composed timeless patriotic songs like ‘Janma Amar Dhanya Holo Ma Go’ written by lyricist Naeem Gohar in 1970. This music is one of the inspirational awakening songs of the freedom fighters in sacred Liberation War in Bangladesh.
He won the National Film Award for Best Music Director for his film ‘Magic Flute’ in 1986 and ‘Extortionist’ in 1993. He also won the National Film Award for Best Singer for ‘Extortionist’.
He was composer of many popular songs of the golden age of Bangladeshi cinema. Many songs including ‘Janma amar dhanya holo ma go’, ‘Bhalobasar mulla kata’, ‘O chokhe chok padeche jakhi’, ‘Monerrao range rangab’, ‘Dora kata dag dekhe bagh chena jaaye’, ‘Ek bok jala niye bandhu tumi’.
In Razzak’s first film ‘Amar Prem (Infinite Love)’, the famous song ‘O Chokhe Chokh Poreche jakhani’ has gained huge popularity. Written by Gazi Mazharul Anwar, the song is sung by Khurshid Alam and Sabina Yasmin to the tune of Azad Rahman.
Azad Rahman is renowned as a music director and musician. Besides, he used to practice kheyal songs. He is also called the father of Kheyal songs in Bangladesh.
His book on music ‘Bangla Kheyal’ has been published in two volumes by Bangla Academy. He has won the National Film Award for Best Music Director and Vocalist for his contribution to country film songs. He was also a member of the Bangladesh Film Directors Association. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Director for his film ‘Magic Flute’ in 1986 and ‘Extortionist’ in 1993. He also won the National Film Award for Best Singer for “Extortionist”.
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