Interview: with SABIHA MAHBOOB
Touching Base from Across the Oceans
Courtesy: New Age [BD: January 14, 2005]
http://www.newagebd.com/2005/jan/14/arts.html
Sabiha Mahboob, one of the most prominent Nazrul Sangeet artistes of the country since the 80s, has been singing from the age of five or six. She started off as a child artiste in the radio; she was exposed to pure classical music, more because of her parents' persuasion, at a very early age. It wasn't something Sabiha liked or enjoyed, certainly not at six, when all her other friends would be playing, after school; she would make up all kinds of excuses to play truant whenever it was time for her to sit with her ustads and take lessons in vocal classical. As she grew up and began to appreciate and understand music, there was no stopping. Gifted with an extraordinarily rich and melodious voice, it didn't take very long for Sabiha to join the ranks of the top singers, much senior to her, and cut out a distinctive niche for herself. Just when she was at the peak of her singing career, circumstances took her away from the country. She and her family initially moved to Brunei and ultimately settled in New Zealand. Though she now lives in New Zealand, she often visits Bangladesh and touches base with music. She shared her thoughts and opinions of herself and her life today, with Marcel Khan recently
You started training in vocal classical early and singing was perhaps the usual curriculum at home. How do you look back and trace your singing career back to those early childhood years?
When I was only six or seven year old, I used to sing songs of different types. My parents, especially my father, encouraged me to learn singing, especially Nazrul Geeti, Nazrul songs and compositions in English. He arranged for me to take lessons from some renowned classical as well as and Nazrul Geeti artistes. He gave me every possible opportunity to pursue this art. When I was a kid, I used to hide in the garden whenever my music teachers would come at an appointed time and coach me. My father would go and bring me, almost forcibly, and make me sit with the teacher. Now, I realise that without my father's persuasion and determination, I wouldn't be where I am today. I know now how fortunate I have been.
Did you want to particularly learn Nazrul Geeti?
My teachers decided that I would be good at singing Nazrul. When I was seven or eight years old, I would participate in a radio programme for children known as Khelagar Asar. I also duly passed the audition tests in the radio and television. On the tele-screen, I used to perform in a programme conducted by Ferdousi Rahman, a celebrated artiste in her own right.
But I started my training with classical music. Without a strong foundation in classical repertoire, it is impossible to excel in any form of singing. Munshi Raisuddin inspired me to move on to pure classical music. Alongside, I also learnt Nazrul Sangeet. I used to go to Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts for lessons in Nazrul Sangeet. The late-lamented Bedar Uddin used to teach us Nazrul Sangeet there. With my classical base-training, I could render Nazrul Sangeet with much ease. Before that I didn't know which type of music would actually suit my voice.
When I grew up, the television authority asked me for another audition in the adult category of singers, and I got through. It was around 1965 when I started singing in television as a Nazrul Geeti artiste. Sohrab Hossain, Ferdousi Rahman, Sheikh Lutfar Rahman, Khalid Hossain, Laila Arjuman Banu were the maestros of the time. Among them, only Ferdousi Begum used to sing different types of songs, such as bhawaiya, Nazrul Geeti and what are known as modern numbers besides the vocal renditions of the classical genre classical music. I was fortunate to be considered in the same league as them.
How come you have so few releases in your name?
Unfortunately due to various reasons I could not release any album in the 80's; maybe it was yet to become a trend as it is now. And yet I was at the peak of my career. I was even switching to some modern songs. I got some offers to perform in the background music for films. But unfortunately I had to leave the country then. At the same time some of the leading artistes were releasing albums on Nazrul. My contemporaries, Shabnam Mustari,Yasmin Mustari, Siffat E Rabbani, Shaheen Mahmood and others were releasing albums. As they lived here, they could all take advantage of this new opportunity. I finally released an audio album titled Nijere Haraye Khuji, much later, and once again on my father's insistence.
Now I am trying to release a CD but I am facing some difficulties regarding formalities artistes have to comply with, set by the Nazrul Academy; anybody wanting to release albums on Nazrul, arerequired to take permission from the Academy.
Do you find any change in the music scene since you left in 1985?
During my current visit, I got a call from BTV to go and record a programme. I had selected some songs. But when I started singing, the moderator of the event stopped me and told me that the tune of my song was incorrect. I was really confused. I had learnt in my childhood numbers like Brajagopi khele hari and Kon khane aaj bhirla tari and sung them many, many times. When I attempted to sing them I was advised to choose some other numbers. I picked up the tunes of these songs from the albums of the famous Angur Bala, Manobendra and others. Keno aasile bhalo bhasile, sung by Nilufar Yasmin, is now being questioned as to whether it is at all a Nazrul Geeti or not. I find this very disheartening.
Was there ever a break in your career, for any reason?
In 1985 we moved to Brunei and then to New Zealand, to settle down. There was a lull in my singing career when we were in Brunei due to various circumstances and it saddened me that I was not being able to sing as much as I wanted to. But once we moved to New Zealand I consciously picked up the thread of singing where I had left it and started practising music again. I, however, still felt that I was not doing justice to all that I had acquired, thanks to my parents. I was happy that at least I had revived my singing and was determined to keep it up.
Now when I sit and sing with my friends and students in far off New Zealand, and attend musical events organised by the expatriate community, I feel invigorated; but I still miss performing in Dhaka, and it doesn't stop me from feeling that I am back in my country. I miss singing for my family and people who appreciate me. And yet when I am in Bangladesh I can hardly make time to perform or make recording that sometimes lead people to speculate about my giving up singing.