Jabbar, Abdul2
Jabbar, Abdul2 (1938-2017) a popular singer of Bangladesh. He had a successful career in various genres like movie songs, modern Bengali songs, folk music etc. Accomplishments in these fields made him a living legend. Abdul Jabbar had significantly enriched the music of Bangladesh.
Abdul Jabbar was born on 1 February 1938 in Awrapara in Kushtia district town. His father’s name is Dakhil Uddin Pramanik and mother’s name is Begum Fuljan. Abdul Jabbar was the youngest of five brothers and three sisters. He was very much fond of sports in his childhood. Abdul Jabbar had a good voice and was very popular among his friends when he was a child for singing. Adolescent Jabbar used to sing all the popular movie songs of that time whenever he got a chance to hang out with his friends. His mother Fuljan loved his son’s sweet voice and encouraged him to sing.
Abdul Jabbar’s education began at Kushtia Muslim High School. Later, he got admitted into Mohinimohan Vidyapeeth from where he passed Matriculation in 1956. Then, he started studying music conventionally. His musical education was under Ustad Osman Gani. Later, he took higher training in music under Ustad Lutfal Haque. Abdul Jabbar joined Pakistan Radio in 1958 and Pakistan Television in 1964 as a regular artist. He first sang in the film in 1962. In the 1968 film ‘Etotuku Asha’, he sang the song ‘Tumiki Dykhechha Kavu Jibaner Parajay’, composed by Satya Saha, which became very popular. In the same year, he rose to the height of popularity with the two songs ‘Peechdhala Ei Path Tare Valobeshechhi’, composed by Robin Ghosh in the film ‘Peechdhala Path’ and ‘Sucharita Jeyonako, Aro Khichhukhan Theko’ composed by Raja Hussain Khan in the film ‘Dheuer Par Dheu’. Another timeless song sung by him for Bengali cinema is ‘Ore Neel Dariya Amay De Re De Chhariya’ composed by Alam Khan in the film ‘Sarengbau’ in 1978.
Abdul Jabbar played a significant role in the cultural movement for independence of Bangladesh at the end of the sixties. During the tumultuous mass movements of 1968-1969, protest meetings were held at Paltan Maidan, Race Course Ground (Suhrawardy Uddyan), University Square and in other places of Dhaka city. After speeches by leaders in those public meetings, the mass music session started. Abdul Jabbar actively participated in these music sessions. On 7 March 1971, after the famous Address of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Ramna Race Course, he participated in truck rally around the city of Dhaka singing the song ‘Salam Salam Hajar Salam, Shaheed Vaier Swarane’. At the end of March, Abdul Jabbar went to Agartala, partly on foot, partly by boat, crossing an impassable route. The Pakistan army earlier issued hulia [instantaneous arrest] on him. From there, he went to Kolkata with the help of Agartala Bangladesh independence group and joined swadhin bangla betar kendra. In 1971, Abdul Jabbar inspired the Bengali Freedom Fighters by performing music from This Betar Kendra [Radio] and also by going around the camp s of Freedom Fighters and refugees with a harmonium hanging on shoulders and singing popular songs to inspire the masses. Along with artist Hemant Mukhopadhyay, he created public opinion in various parts of India in favor of Bangladesh’s independence and raised huge amount of funds for the Liberation War.
In 2006, in the poll of BBC Bangla audience, three songs of Abdul Jabbar, ‘Tumiki Dekhechha Kavu Jibaner Parajay’, ‘Salam Salam Hazar Salam Shaheed Vaier Swarane’, and ‘Joy Bangla, Banglar Joy’ were ranked among the 20 best Bengali songs of all time. He received many awards and honors in recognition of his outstanding contribution to music. Notable among these are ‘Ekushey Padak’ (1980), ‘Independence Padak’ (1996), ‘Bangabandhu Padak’, ‘Zahir Raihan Film Award’, ‘Bachash Lifetime Award’, ‘Citycell Channel-i Lifetime Award’.
The great son of the country, patriot and famous singer Abdul Jabbar died on 30 August 2017 in Dhaka. [Azizur Rahman]
