The Ekushey Padak winning singer Bashir Ahmed died on Saturday night at his Mohammadpur residence. He was 74.
One of the most popular singers of the country Ahmed, who dominated the music industry in the 60s and 70s, was eventually buried on
Sunday at Tajmahal Road graveyard.
‘I will never see his like. He was a complete artiste, uncompromising, professional, dedicated, in short, unique’, mourned popular singer Subir Nandi.
‘In the sixties and seventies of the last century, it was almost impossible for music lovers not to be swayed by the classic voice of Bashir Ahmed’, Subir added.
Bashir Ahmed was not only a gifted singer but a great composer-lyricist-guru too. Many of his friends regard him as one of the greatest lyricist-poet, whose pen has given some memorable urdu gazals and Bangla songs.
In the then Pakistan before 1971, songs like Kuch Apni Kahiyye Kuch Meri Sunyey (Talash), Main Rickshawalla Matwala (Talash), Ja Dekha Pyar Tera (Sagar), Jab Tum Akele Ho Gay Hum Yaad Aaein Gay (Karwan) endeared Bashir Ahmed to a wide audience. Most of these are penned by the singer under the penname of B A Deep.
Another sway, more powerful and lasting, of the singer’s magic voice earned a permanent niche in people’s minds. Evergreen songs like Jare Jabi Jodi Ja, Amake Porate Jodi Eto Lage Bhalo, Deko Na Amare Tumi, Ogo Priyotoma, Sojoni Go Bhalobeshe Eto Jala, Onek Sadher Moyna Amar and many more numbers established Bashir Ahmed as one of the most popular singers of his time.
‘I credit Bashir Ahmed to be one of the pioneers of modern Bangla song. His style has influenced many and has a strong legacy to date’, said popular singer Rafiqul Alam.
Supplementing Alam, music composer-director Sheikh Sadi Khan, who was very close with the late artiste, said, ‘One of the golden voices we ever got in our industry was Bashir Ahmed’s’.
Born in Kolkata in 1940, Bashir began with classical music when he was a teenager. He took lessons on classical music from Ustad Belayet Hussain of Kolkata and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in Bombay.
-With New Age input
