To rise from the storm

Gems of Nazrul, an initiative to portray National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's musical genius in new light and popularise his spirited songs, released the music video of “Jhor Jhonjhaye Orre Nishan” today, marking December, the month of Victory. This is the sixth production of the initiative, led by eminent Nazrul Sangeet exponent Sadya Afreen Mallick.

Kazi Nazrul often used storm as a central metaphor to his spirited songs, as proficiently in his popular songs as “Durgom Giri”, “Mora Jhonjhar Moto Uddam” and “Notuner Gaan” as in lesser-known songs such as “Jhor Jhonjhaye Ore Nishan”. Gems of Nazrul's vision is to record and produce the Rebel Poet's lesser-known spirited songs to disseminate among the music-loving audience and introduce them to the vast treasure-trove of Nazrul's musical catalogue, and this song fits that bill perfectly. 

A number of noted and promising singers, including Shaheen Samad, Fatema Tuz Zohra, Nashid Kamal, Sheikh Jasim (who was also in charge of the musical arrangement for the track), Shelu Barua, Nasima Shaheen, Shahid Kabir Palash, Chhanda Chakrabarty, Bijon Chandra Mistry, Mahmudul Hasan, Tanjina Karim Swaralipi, Karim Hasan, Waqeel Ahad and others joined Sadya Afreen Mallick in the song, sung entirely in chorus. 

The message of the song is loud and clear: a call to wake up in the face of an impending storm and march on, like a river flows into the sea powering through any obstacle that comes its way. The symbolic lyrics also calls to walk into battle and to make flowers bloom on a barren desert, and ends with a message of universal inclusion in the world, with “Sthan dite hobe aji shobaye, bishwo-sobha majhe”. The dramatic ups and downs of the song also demonstrates Nazrul's prowess as a composer, playing with different musical scales in different sections of the songs to evoke the essence of each part. 

With the song released in the month of Victory, the video of the song - produced by Pinhole Films --has the flag of Bangladesh as its central element. People of all walks of life hold up the green-and-red flag in a show of unity, interspersed with visuals of nature and storm, and the singers standing shoulder to shoulder in singing the song. The video of the performance was also shot at a very appropriate location -- the Suhrawardy Udyan. The two monuments – the ever-flaming Shikha Chirantan (The Eternal Flame) and the Swadhinota Stombho (Independence Monument) glass tower provide fitting backgrounds to the spirit of the song.

“Jhor Jhonjhaye Orre Nishan” is set to hit the airwaves from today, and will be aired on various TV channels throughout the month. The song and its video have been sponsored by IFIC Bank and Duncan Brothers (Bangladesh) Limited. 

Gems of Nazrul started their journey in August 2016 marking the death anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, and have done a stellar job in producing six songs so far -- “Dao Shourjo Dao Dhoirjo”, “Joy Houk”, “Shongka Shunno Lokkho Kontthe”, “O Bhai Khati Sonar Cheye Khati”, “Bajre Beena Baj” and now “Jhor Jhonjhaye Orre Nishan”. However, sponsorship struggles have troubled the project since its inception, with various organisations lending support for each song but no coordinated, stable sponsor. The project aims to eventually release many more songs of the kind, and greater financial support could do wonders for this ambitious yet important project.