Proud to be a Nazrul singer : Fatema-Tuz-Zohra
Novera Deepita of The Daily Star (TDS) recently spoke to Fatema-Tuz-Zohra (FTZ), a popular Nazrul singer. Excerpts from the interview:

TDS: Tell us about the overall scenario of Nazrul songs in our country.

FTZ: The scenario is bright. I am very proud that I am a Nazrul singer. The style of singing these songs in Kolkata and Bangladesh is quite different. A layman who does not know the Sa Re Ga Ma of music will, however, not understand the subtle difference.

I am glad that many youngsters are practicing Nazrul Sangeet. Although many people complain that the new generation is nonchalant about classical music, it is not true. These youngsters have potential but they are not being promoted properly by the media or even by the patrons. The audience does not know that there are so many promising singers of Nazrul in our country. These upcoming stars must be promoted in the media.

TDS: What role will the media play in promoting these new talents?

FTZ: The audio cassette culture is an important medium for the promotion of promising singers. Although, big concerts are being arranged in the country the year round, we hardly see any commercial promotion or even patronage for Nazrul songs. People who are involved in such activities refrain from arranging such programmes from a false belief that people are no longer eager to listen to traditional songs. This is a distorted view because Nazrul songs appeal to a wide audience.

TDS: What role can music videos play?

FTZ: The vast majority of people want to listen to as well as enjoy the music videos. Music videos can, therefore, play a vital role in promoting Nazrul songs. But these videos should be telecast quite frequently on media. Only then will they have an impact on the audience.

TDS: The Nazrul Singers' Council is not very active or even effective like the Tagore Singers' Association. What do you think is the reason behind this?

FTZ: I do not know why. We have always tried to reunite through our activities. We are trying to be more careful and attentive towards our unity. In the birth anniversary celebration of Nazrul that took place some days ago there were write-ups on the brochure written by the artistes who are academically qualified. So, the Nazrul artistes can achieve more if they are united.

TDS: Do you think that recording Nazrul songs with modern instruments leads to distortion of the songs?

FTZ: Off course not. I have sung the most number of songs with modern instruments. Moreover, such instruments do complement the original tune. But it should be kept in mind that the song should be given the preference.

TDS: How will you compare the status of Nazrul songs of today with that of the old days?

FTZ: Those were the days of peace and calm when people were more relaxed. The lyrics and tune would be embedded in their hearts forever. But nowadays songs on diverse themes only confuse the listeners. But it is incorrect to say that there are no good listeners now.

I deeply regret is there is no category for Nazrul songs in the widely popular readers or listeners survey awards. As a consequence, people are moving away from Nazrul Sangeet. The reason behind this is just negligence and ignorance.