Bengali folkie to welcome Poila Baisakh in city

LUCKNOW: This April 15, Bengalis in the city can welcome Poila Baisakh, the first day of the Bengali new year, with folk music.

Popular Bengali folk singer Abhijit Basu and his Kolkata-based band will be here in the city of nawabs to enthral the audience at a cultural programme organised by the Bengali Club on Tuesday evening to greet the first day of the 1,421th year on the Bengali calendar.

Director, composer and singer, Basu is popularly known for the songs ‘Bagh murir pahare’, ‘Leela Bali’ and ‘Bhadu amar garobini’. Talking to HT over the phone

WE ARE TRYING HARD TO POPULARISE FOLK MUSIC AMONG THE YOUNGER GENERATION

ABHIJIT BASU, folk singer

from Kolkata, he said: “As a band, we are trying hard to popularise folk music among the younger generation, who are fast drifting towards western music. I take it as a challenge to ensure that folk music does not fade away.”

“My guru Hemango Biswas strongly believed that modern songs can be enriched immensely through a constant dialogue with folk music. So I started experimenting and the end result was my audio album ‘Aabaar bhorer haawa’ (Again morning breeze),” he said.

Newly appointed director general of police (DGP) Anandalal Banerjee would be the chief guest at the cultural programme, while additional advocate general Bulbul Godiyal the guest of honour, said Amitabh Sinha, senior office-bearer of the Bengali club. The programme would commence at 8 pm.