Ramadan ‘Qasida’ songs all but lost

Getting up before dawn to eat and then fast till sunset has never been an easy task for the Muslim community during the month of Ramadan. After iftar, or breaking of the fast, and the mass prayer called Tarawih that ends close to midnight, most of the fast observers or ‘rozedars’ are drained of energy. They can only struggle to be up again in the early hours of the morning to repeat the cycle.

To wake the rozedars, there used to be a group of people—volunteers—who sang ‘sehri’ songs from 2am while passing through the alleys of the older parts of Dhaka. Those songs were mostly sung in the ghazal fashion and in the Urdu language, and were known as Qasida songs.

Old Dhaka had a rich culture of Qasida singers from time immemorial, but it is a tradition that is now almost lost. Historically, these singers were patronised by the Sardars of different ‘mohollas’ (neighbourhoods). Their songs were part and parcel of the lives of Old Dhakaites during the wee hours of Ramadan.

Rashed Al Amin, a leather businessman of Khajidewan area of Old Dhaka, who has been living there for the past 54 years, said that Qasida songs are something that he had grown up with.

“I can still remember the lines of some of the old

Qasida songs. Such as: ‘Uth te hain pichle pahar raat ko kha kar sehri. Shauq se rakhiyo tu kal roza, main tere vaari’,” said Rashed. Rashed’s maternal grandfather was once known as Nannu Sardar, the head of the Khajidewan neighbourhood.

“In my childhood, before the start of the month of Ramadan, a group of Qasida singers used to visit our home to get my grandfather’s blessings. There was a culture of extending patronage to those singers.” He said that now with the emergence of satellite TVs, the internet and social media, many people, especially the younger generation, barely sleep before sehri.

“Earlier, it was not like that. After the Tarawih prayer, people used to sleep and it was hard for them to wake up at dawn again for sehri.”

The soulful ghazals that lulled people into wakefulness are possibly centuries old, and were written by famous ‘shayars’ (poets) from Lahore or Delhi. “Later, some of the Qasida singers wrote and composed songs in Bangla during the late 1980s. But Qasida songs are mostly sung in Urdu,” he said.

Just 10 years ago, Qasida singers could be spotted in the Khajidewan area, but with the disappearing culture of mohollas and sardars, the culture of Qasida is under threat as well.

“The high-rise apartments have devoured this part of the city too. Qasida songs were appropriate in a close-knit neighbourhood, with two- or three-storied buildings on both sides of the streets. But as these houses get replaced with high-rises and joint families become nuclear instead, the Qasida culture is also being replaced by TV and the internet.”

While almost all the Qasida singers have thrown in their towels, a few singers like Shamsher Rahman of Posta, Lalbagh, still bear the mantle of the long tradition of Qasida songs. Shamsher Rahman took charge of a Qasida music group after his ustad, Jumman Miah, died in 2011. He had performed Qasida songs for 62 years.

“I have learned Qasida directly from my Ustad. I have also performed with him at different neighbourhoods in Old Dhaka.” Shamsher said earlier, they used to go to different mohollas and take permission from the sardars to perform throughout the Ramadan month.

“We used to do that voluntarily, but people in the neighbourhoods used to give us gifts and money. Besides, we used to get ‘bakshish’ (monetary gifts) after the end of Ramadan, on the day of Eid-Ul-Fitr.” But now, things have changed. Shamsher and his group no longer do this throughout the month.

“We now perform only if any organisation hires us to do it.” Shamsher, however, believes that the culture of Qasida songs will not be completely lost. “There are still a few groups that practise this tradition. I believe Qasida songs will survive the test of time.”

 

 

Ramadan Qasida songs all but lost

Getting up before dawn to eat and then fast till sunset has never been an easy task for the Muslim community during the month of Ramadan. After iftar, or breaking of the fast, and the mass prayer called Tarawih that ends close to midnight, most of the fast observers or rozedars are drained of energy. They can only struggle to be up again in the early hours of the morning to repeat the cycle. To wake the rozedars, there used to be a group of peoplevolunteerswho sang sehri songs from 2am while passing through the alleys of the older parts of Dhaka. Those songs were mostly sung in the ghazal fashion and in the Urdu language, and were known as Qasida songs. Old Dhaka had a rich culture of Qasida singers from time immemorial, but it is a tradition that is now almost lost. Historically, these singers were patronised by the Sardars of different mohollas (neighbourhoods). Their songs were part and parcel of the lives of Old Dhakaites during the wee hours of Ramadan. Rashed Al Amin, a leather businessman of Khajidewan area of Old Dhaka, who has been living there for the past 54 years, said that Qasida songs are something that he had grown up with. I can still remember the lines of some of the old Qasida songs. Such as: Uth te hain pichle pahar raat ko kha kar sehri. Shauq se rakhiyo tu kal roza, main tere vaari, said Rashed. Rasheds maternal grandfather was once known as Nannu Sardar, the head of the Khajidewan neighbourhood. In my childhood, before the start of the month of Ramadan, a group of Qasida singers used to visit our home to get my grandfathers blessings. There was a culture of extending patronage to those singers. He said that now with the emergence of satellite TVs, the internet and social media, many people, especially the younger generation, barely sleep before sehri. Earlier, it was not like that. After the Tarawih prayer, people used to sleep and it was hard for them to wake up at dawn again for sehri. The soulful ghazals that lulled people into wakefulness are possibly centuries old, and were written by famous shayars (poets) from Lahore or Delhi. Later, some of the Qasida singers wrote and composed songs in Bangla during the late 1980s. But Qasida songs are mostly sung in Urdu, he said. Just 10 years ago, Qasida singers could be spotted in the Khajidewan area, but with the disappearing culture of mohollas and sardars, the culture of Qasida is under threat as well. The high-rise apartments have devoured this part of the city too. Qasida songs were appropriate in a close-knit neighbourhood, with two- or three-storied buildings on both sides of the streets. But as these houses get replaced with high-rises and joint families become nuclear instead, the Qasida culture is also being replaced by TV and the internet. While almost all the Qasida singers have thrown in their towels, a few singers like Shamsher Rahman of Posta, Lalbagh, still bear the mantle of the long tradition of Qasida songs. Shamsher Rahman took charge of a Qasida music group after his ustad, Jumman Miah, died in 2011. He had performed Qasida songs for 62 years. I have learned Qasida directly from my Ustad. I have also performed with him at different neighbourhoods in Old Dhaka. Shamsher said earlier, they used to go to different mohollas and take permission from the sardars to perform throughout the Ramadan month. We used to do that voluntarily, but people in the neighbourhoods used to give us gifts and money. Besides, we used to get bakshish (monetary gifts) after the end of Ramadan, on the day of Eid-Ul-Fitr. But now, things have changed. Shamsher and his group no longer do this throughout the month. We now perform only if any organisation hires us to do it. Shamsher, however, believes that the culture of Qasida songs will not be completely lost. There are still a few groups that practise this tradition. I believe Qasida songs will survive the test of time.