Ferdous Ara is a Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet singer.[3][4]

Ferdaus Ara
Ferdous Ara
ফেরদৌস আরা
BornBrahmanbaria
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1973–present[2]

Early life and education edit

Ara, nicknamed Marine, was born in Brahmanbaria District to A.H.M. Abdul Hai, a classical singer of the early 1950s, and Mosharrefa Begum.[1][2] She has three sisters, Jannat Ara, Nur-e-Jannat and Hur-e-Jannat.[5] She completed her bachelor's and master's in History from the University of Dhaka.[5]

Career edit

In 1973, Ara started her career as a regular vocal artist in Bangladesh Radio and afterward in Bangladesh Television. She has released numerous albums of Nazrul Sangeet, contemporary and patriotic songs.[5] In 1985, her first album was released by SARGAM. She became the first person in Bangladesh whose music video of Nazrul Sangeet was released.[5]

Ara teaches Nazrul songs at the Nazrul Institute, University of Dhaka and Dhaka Music College. She founded a music school, Sur Saptak in 2000.[5] She contributed as a background vocal in films, documentaries, and drama. She sang in a movie titled Meher Nigar by Impress Telefilm.[4]

Ara sang at the Gala Concert at Royal Albert Hall, London on an invitation of Inner London Education Authority in 1986. She also performed in Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.[2]

Ara authored the books Sangeet Bhubaney Nazrul (Nazrul in Music World) and Sanchitar Katha Barta (Conversation of Sanchita).[4] She also hosts Sanchita on Channel i and Ei Shomoy on nTV, both are television programs about Nazrul.

Albums edit

  • First tape with 12 Nazrul songs, Sargam (1985)
  • Long play and tape, Nazrul Institute (1986) (Nazrul geeti)
  • Shaon-A-Rathe, HMV (Nazrul geeti) (1999)[2]
  • Tumi Ashley Jey Ki Bhalo Lagey, HMV (Nazrul and Modern songs mixed album)
  • Tumi Ki Dokhina Pobon, HMV (2005)

Personal life edit

Ara is married to Rafiqul Mohammed, a government officer(retired 2018). Together they have a son, Faisal Mohammed who was designated as one of the first Bangladeshi Sexton Scholar in the field of Electrical Engineering from Dalhousie University, Canada (2016/2017) and a daughter, Fahmi Ferdous.[2]

Awards edit

External links edit

  • "Interview". BBC Asian Network.

References edit

  1. ^ a b ""If not a singer I would have been a historian" - Ferdous Ara". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). Dhaka. 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e "FERDOUS ARA RESUME AND BRIEF BIO". Archived from the original (DOC) on December 10, 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  3. ^ "Ferdous Ara to perform today at IGCC". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). Dhaka. 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
  4. ^ a b c "How to generate interest in Nazrul songs among the newcomers -- Ferdous Ara". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). Dhaka. 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Shawreen Rahman (June 3, 2017). "Ferdous Ara". The Daily Star. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  6. ^ Basher, Naziba (28 August 2017). "Nazrul Award 2017 conferred". The Daily Star. Retrieved 29 August 2017.