Laisa Ahmed Lisa

It was a nostalgic evening when I went to the India Habitat Centre, Delhi to attend a performance by renowned Bangladeshi singer Laisa Ahmed Lisa. Going to the green room before her concert, Laisa, clad in a beautiful blue jamdani saree exchanged a few updates on Dhaka.
Before the show I had a chance to talk to a few members of the audience. Seated next to me was Ratna Bhattacharya. A resident of the Bengali-populated Chittaranjan Park, she traced her roots back to Mymensingh, Bangladesh. So enthused was she by Laisa's performance in Chittaranjan Park that she had come back once again to hear her sing. Said Ratna, “Laisa's delivery was excellent, along with her bhava, sur and taal.”
Looking around I spotted two foreigners. Going up to talk to Erin Court, who is doing her PhD in international development from Oxford University, UK, she said that she had come at the recommendation of her friend. She has read one book by Tagore Ghare Bhaire (The Home and the World) and finds “Rich characters and an enthralling love story.”
On to the performance. The tempo was set for the evening as Laisa sang O amar desher mati. The presentation was a medley of devotional, love and seasonal songs. Some numbers caught attention: Prabhu amar priyo amar, Dhay jeno more sakal, Je rate dwarguli, Mori lo mori. An enthralled audience clapped warmly after each item.
This is Laisa's second visit to Delhi after the Tagore Utsav in March. “Tagore continues be a major inspiration for me,” says Laisa. And it was evident in her three entrancing performances in Delhi.