Antara Chowdhury concert to celebrate children's songs

Surodhwani, music institute of the noted singer Antara Chowdhury, is all set to organise a musical evening - titled 'Surer Jharna'- to celebrate its first anniversary on February 3, 2019, at Rabindra Sadan, 5 pm onwards.

Salil Chowdhury was a class composer-lyricist known for his songs of mass movements, non-film Bengali songs besides film songs. Eventually, he composed so many songs for children known as 'chhotoder gaan' mostly rendered by his elder daughter Antara Chowdhury.

During the '80s, those songs including 'O Ayre Chhute Aay Pujor Gandho Esechhe', 'Bulbul Pakhi Moyna Tiye', 'Ekka Dokka Tekka', 'Ek Je Chhilo Machhi' won immense popularity among Bengali listeners.

On February 3, Antara and her students would perform that popular chhotoder gaan created by the musical genius. Chief guest of the evening will be Haimanti Shukla. Special guests include Shivaji Chatterjee, Arundhati Holme Chowdhury, Kalyan Sen Barat, Saikat Mitra. A special performance by Manomay Bhattacharya and Antara Chowdhury will be highlight of the evening.

Daughter of renowned composer and poet Late Salil Chowdhury and famous singer Late Sabita Chowdhury, Antara started singing at the tender age of 7. Her first playback was in the Hindi film 'Minoo' along with legends like Manna Dey and Asha Bhonsle. Songs like 'Teri Galiomein Hum Aye'- a duet with Manna Dey, and solo 'O Kali Re Kali Re' became very popular. She is trained in both Indian and Western Classical music and has assisted her father in many Hindi TV serials like Charitraheen, Kurukshetra, Daraar.

Antara has numerous children's songs in Bengali to her credit namely 'Bulbul Pakhi Moyena Tiye', 'O Shona Bang, 'O Ayere Chhute Aye', 'Ek Je Chhilo Machhi' and many others, all composed and written by her legendary father which created a history in the field of Children's songs in Bengal in the late '70s.

Antara has released two Hindi albums namely 'Madhur Srmiti' from Times music (solo) and 'Man Ke Manjeere' from Virgin music (duet with Shubha Mudgal). Her last solo Bengali album 'Generations' released in 2007 from Times music was highly appreciated. This album consisted of songs of her father Late Salil Chowdhury and her brother Sanjoy Chowdhury's new compositions.

She has also sung a duet with Sonu Nigam in the Hindi film 'Khoya Khoya Chand' called 'Ye Nigahen' composed by Shantanu Moitra which became very popular. A few years back her duet with the famous singer of Bengal Srikanto Acharya called 'Muthor Rumaal' for the Bengali film Antoheen has been widely appreciated.

Antara has sung a solo in the Golden Peacock award-winning film 'Moner Manush' directed by Gautam Ghose. Her song 'Shopto Tala Bhed Korile' has been written by the legendary Lalon Fakir and composed by Gautam Ghosh himself.

Antara aims to preserve her father's legacy through the Salil Chowdhury Foundation of Music Trust and has published a book called Salil Rachana Shangraha along with her mother Late Sabita Chowdhury and music collector Ranabir Neogi from Dey's publishing in 2013. This is a total compilation of Salil Chowdhury's Bengali songs.

Recently Antara has sung a beautiful song in the award-winning film 'Shankhachil' directed by Gautam Ghosh based on Jibonananda Das's famous poem Shankhachil. The song is 'Abar Ashibo Phire'.

She has also recorded a children's song for the upcoming Bengali animation film called 'Budhhu Bhutum' directed by Nitish Roy and music composed by Surojit Chatterjee which is yet to release. Antara has performed extensively in many parts of the world like USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Bangladesh and all over India.

At present Antara has started her own music school called 'Surodhwoni' which aims at teaching her father's music to the next generation.