Special programme at Shilpakala marks Farida Parveen’s birth anniversary

A special programme will be held at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy today (December 31) to mark the birth anniversary of renowned Lalon singer Farida Parveen.

The event is being organised by Achin Pakhi Sangeet Academy, an institution founded by Farida Parveen with the aim of passing on Lalon songs to future generations. During her lifetime, the singer often expressed her wish to live on through her students, saying that just as Lalon continues to live through his disciples, she too hoped to remain alive in the voices of her students.

Scheduled to begin at 4 pm at the Chitrashala Auditorium of the Shilpakala Academy, the programme will feature discussions and cultural performances. Invited speakers will reflect on different phases of Farida Parveen's life, her music and her contribution to Bangladeshi folk traditions.

The chief guest at the event will be Farida Akhter, adviser for fisheries and livestock. Special guests include Mahbuba Farzana, secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Rezauddin Stalin, director general of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The programme will be inaugurated by Dr Mohammad Abdul Majid, chairman of the Social Development Foundation, while Gazi Abdul Hakim, Farida Parveen's husband and a flautist, will preside over the event.

Farida Parveen was born on December 31, 1954, in Natore. She began learning music at the age of five in Magura under Kamal Chakrabarty and started her professional music career at just 14. Although she performed a wide range of songs, including Nazrul songs and patriotic music, she earned her greatest recognition through Lalon songs.

In recognition of her contribution to music, Farida Parveen received the Ekushey Padak in 1987, the National Film Award in 1993, and Japan's Fukuoka Prize in 2008, among numerous other honours.

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Farida Parveen passed away on September 13 this year after a prolonged illness. She had been suffering from kidney-related complications, diabetes and other health issues for a long time.