Music is an art form, social activity or cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence. The common elements of music are pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. Different styles or types of music may emphasise, de-emphasise or omit some of these elements. The country has produced many Nazrul artiste and Sohrab Hossain's name has possibly come to the first.
Sohrab Hossain was a Nazrul artiste and an exponent of Nazrul Sangeet. From his childhood, he was interested in music and started learning music. He met singer Abbas Uddin in a function in Ranaghat. Then he went to Kolkata. In Kolkata, with the help of Abbas Uddin, he started working on a music album but could not finish it. After the partition of India, he came back to Dhaka where he got a Government job. With the musical troupe of Abbas Uddin he performed all over Bangladesh. He worked as a playback singer in several movies. He was also a teacher of few musical institutions. In 1980, Hossain was honoured with the highest state award, the Independence Day Award.
After the partition of India he went to Dhaka, Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and took shelter at house at 41 Jindabazar Lane. In Dhaka he got a Government job at the information department. Now he started to perform in different programs and radio programs and joined few music institutions like Bulbul Lolitokola Academy, Chhayanot, Shilpokola Academy, and Nazrul Academy etc. as a music teacher. With the musical troupe of Abbas Uddin he performed in different cities and places of Bangladesh. He also worked as a playback singer in few Bengali movies. He also acted in a Bengali drama Chhnera Tar directed by Tulshi Lahiri.
The singer received many awards in his chequred life including Independence Day Award, Nazrul Academy Award, Channel i award, Nazrul University honours and more. He died on 27 December 2012 in Dhaka.
Today (April 9)marks the 95th birth anniversary of Sohrab Hossain.
The writer is a freelance contributor
