Chandona Majumdar is regarded as one of the foremost contemporary folk singers of Bangladesh. Born in Kumarkhali in Kushtia, she took lessons in folk songs from her father Nirmal Chandra Majumdar, a veteran folk singer. Nirmal Chandra wanted his daughter to become an exponent of Nazrul songs so she also did a five-year course on Nazrul Sangeet and took lessons from noted Nazrul singer Yakub Ali Khan. A nostalgic Chandona still recalls fond memories of the river Gorai.
Though she practiced and rendered Nazrul Sangeet for 16 years, her devotion to Lalon Shah ultimately framed her career as a Lalon singer. She remembers how she was inspired by the lyrics and tunes of Lalon, “At our home we used to have regular gatherings of Baul (Sufi bards) who would sing Lalon songs all night long. Renowned Lalon singer Moksed Ali Shai used to visit our home frequently as he was a close friend of my father. As a child I used to attend these musical soirees as a curious listener. Those ashor (musical gatherings) and the Bauls awakened in me an unquenchable thirst for the songs of Lalon. At that tender age it was hard for me to fully grasp the inherent meanings of the songs -- the exquisite rhythm and melody -- but I was greatly moved by them. Whenever I listened to the tunes, I used to feel that I was not within me anymore. Famed Lalon singer Farida Parvin was a great inspiration for me.
“The first song I learned from Moksed Ali Shai was 'Ami Porechhi Okul Patharey'. When I took music lessons from Shai, I used to choose the songs from his music book. Most of the times I almost forced him to teach me the songs that I preferred. These days I travel a lot to collect Lalon songs that are still to see the light of day.
“I was enlisted as a Lalon singer with Bangladesh Television in 1979 and with Bangladesh Betar (radio) in 1980. Moksed Ali's death in the mid '80s saddened me to a great extent. At that time I got the chance to attend a five-year diploma course conducted by Khoda Bakhsh Shai. The course was arranged by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
“Khoda Bakhsh Shai did not have any place to stay in Dhaka. So I told him to stay at my father's place at Rampura. It was another great opportunity for me to learn music directly from him. Those days spent in proximity with Khoda Bakhsh turned out to be very important me because Lalon songs generally do not have formal and original notations and were handed down through generations of Bauls.
“I got married to Kiran Chandra Roy, a reputed folk singer of our country, in 1979. My marriage was immensely helpful for me to pursue my musical career and aspirations. My husband has always been wonderfully supportive.”
Chandona Majumder wants her daughter to become a musician too. She believes that our musical heritage is deeply rooted in the folk songs. She suggests that the aspiring folk singers delve deep into these songs before working on them.
Talking about doing playback for the blockbuster “Monpura” (2009), the artiste says, “It was a superb opportunity for me to sing the song 'Jao Pakhi Bolo Tarey' with Krishnokoli. I also thank Selim Bhai (Giasuddin Selim) for giving me that opportunity. He asked me to sing for 'Monpura' after listening to my album 'Bhober Ghatey'. I had no idea that 'Jao Pakhi…' would become such a big hit. I almost forgot the song after recording it. Recently I playbacked for a tele-film 'Bini Shutar Mala'. I also playbacked for a couple of feature films that are yet to be released -- 'Raja Shurjo Kha' and 'Gulbahar'.
“Meeting Pandit Ravi Shankar at a very young age was a wonderful experience for me. I went to Kolkata once to visit my Dadu (grandfather). He asked me to sing at a programme. I was pretty nervous because I was just a student. I sang the Lalon song 'Jaat Gelo Jaat Gelo Boley'. Pandit Ravi Shankar was present at the programme. He bestowed his blessings upon me after listening to my song. Those experiences inspired me to become what I am today and I'm sure they'll continue to inspire me.”
Chandona took Lalon songs into the international arena. She performed in India, Switzerland and Singapore. Besides Lalon, she also loves to perform songs of Kabial (bard) Bijoy Sarkar, Radharaman Dutta, Rajab Ali Dewan and Shah Abdul Karim.
Chandona Majumder's next album on Kabial Bijoy Sarkar's songs is set for release under the banner of Bengal Foundation soon after Eid.
“We have few master folk artistes left who can provide proper training to aspiring Lalon singers. Currently very few can receive lessons from them, which may not be enough to carry on the legacy of the genre,” said Chandona. She believes that initiatives in this direction should be taken immediately.