Strand Three Profiles and Interviews - Mr.Abdul Lotif

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Mr.Abdul Lotif

Age: 66

Interview date: 01 _ Apr _ 06

Interviewed by: Jamil Iqbal, Abdul Aziz and Riza Momin

Mr. Lotif is the lead singer of Ektara Group and a well-known Baul singer. He is one of the few British Bengalis who sings Baul songs in Europe. He still sings Baul songs with his ektara and has inspired many young British singers.

Abdul Lotif

I have spent all my life in this Britain, in my early life I worked in factories and had a lot of friends and close ones. At first I worked at the High Commission of the then Pakistan. I then came to Aldgate and took job in factories here and then I established a factory. I practiced and performed music during all these busy days. From the very beginning I had many company, some of them are still alive and some are late but I have spent all my life with joy. I worked hard and also fond of music.
In January 1971, I went to Bangladesh; the war began and I suffered a lot, at the end, on 5th September, PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) had a flight to Britain. I was on that flight and came back to England. Life in Bangladesh was terrible and I took shelter in jungles for many times. All my well wishers forbade me to board that flight. But I was desperate and committed to avail that specific flight and I came, after returning to the Britain, we were only six Bengali people on that flight.
When I came to London, I found Abu Sayed Chowdhury here, and people were donating to the Bangladesh Fund. No one left anything for their own; everybody gave what ever they had. There were many people in my home and all donated without any hesitation. I also joined the party and was always thinking of Bangladesh. We were worried about our families back in Bangladesh and everyone was participating with what ever they had. Most of the Bengalis here in Britain were single then and everyone worked hard for the sake of the independence.
We the people in Britain did according to our ability and the people in Bangladesh suffered beyond description, I am an eyewitness to the atrocities. Many people died on the roads and so many dead bodies were floating in the rivers.

Abdul Lotif

I have first hand experience, I spent so many nights in the fields, in the morning we used to observe the fume and we ran against the direction. I was not alone, people of all ages were on the run, and there were children, women and also elderly people running for their life.
I helped so many freedom fighters and other people to go to India. Once 80 people of my village were arrested and taken to Beanibazar, all the people of the village were crying for their family members. We were finding someone to go to try to save them. On that night the group was freed from there. We were not able to hide anywhere, including houses of our relatives.
We suffered a lot that can’t be described in language. And after all these the independence was achieved.
We can never repay, Mr Osmani; so much he had done for our country.
We took part in demonstrations here in Britain, when Sheikh Mujib was arrested. Today Bangladesh is the reality. When you are in a country which is not your own, here no one is in a permanent situation. Here we are but our homeland is Bangladesh. As it is our birthplace, she is our mother, because we were born there.
The people who dealt the situation in 71, they are not active now, those who are leading the community now; most of them were not active in 71, the very few are involved in the community matters now. I do not usually talk about it.
But as we have a independent country now, but the people living here in Britain do not feel peace when they go back to Bangladesh, there is some problem for everyone.
You will not get any peace of mind if you go to any office of Bangladesh, now the recording of the land is going on, and people are suffering to get their job done. The people saved there hard earned money, even by starving, and they have bought land there. No one thought at that time, that we will settle in UK, we very few people had come here and all our family and relatives stayed back. And now you see the suffering of the people, you will find no help from any of the government agencies. You will find no peace.
If you go to any office, you will have to pay bribe for any kind of job. We are day labourer here in Britain but we are sending money to the country, and we are getting the suffering back.
We are getting news about the country, by the television channels now but we were in dark in the past.
If we had peace in Bangladesh! Why do we the expatriates go to Bangladesh, to see our families and relatives and the countryman as we go to our mother, we have three mothers, one is the earth, one is our country and one is Ma’Fatima. I am telling all these because I have a bleeding heart. We worked for the whole week; we sang song to leave behind all the tears. We wanted to forget the sorrow.
People came here, and I wanted to serve people of all ages.
I am the person who is holding on to the historical Baula music, in Europe. I participated in all the exhibitions and in all other places. No one can claim credit of keeping this alive. I have spent all my life with the people. I like nothing in the world except the human.
If I claim to be a great one, I am not a great one.
I demanded nothing of anyone, but I have gone to every part of Europe for the music.
I am now 66, still now I play music and sing. I sing because my dream, my patience is music. I find music as one who sings song from his heart; he will never speak a lie.
Allah does not love him, who is not loved by man. The world is a temporary place to live, and man is the greatest creature of Allah almighty. From the very childhood I was fond of music. I started singing from the very beginning of my life.
When I came to London, there were very few Bengalis, most of them were students and the Punjabis were dominating. I came to Aldgate; in a weekend I found some Bengali people were singing here, some came from London and some from Birmingham. They were using Ektara, and Dotara. We started singing; we were united and started singing together. One Gulam Mostafa from Moulvibazar was the greatest singer of Baula songs, in the whole Britain. He was the disciple of Yaqub Miah of Mymensingh. He is my teacher and I learned Baula songs from him. We were few people at that time, and I used to sing with Ektara. Many of them are dead now, including Gulam Mostafa. Suruj Ali was another singer from Chatok. I played Dofki, Mundira and all other instruments what ever was needed. I was completely absorbed in music, and I was fond of Ektara. I have lived all my life with the music.
My sons started to play musical instruments from the very beginning of their life, and they are capable of playing all the instruments. But I am alone now. I formed a group called ‘EKTARA GROUP’ at a later stage. We started to gather here every Saturday, and sing songs. My first stage performance was at a fare, in the Wapping area; later I performed in the House of Commons. I have many certificates and medals given to me as recognition of my performance. At the last some people tried to stain my name and fame, but I was determined, and had full confidence on Allah. So I started anew with the help of my children. I was invited to Edinbourgh Festival, and all the festivals in Brick Lane

Abdul Lotif at the Spitalfields Community Festival

and all other towns.

Q: Can you remember any specific festival that was tremendous?
I remember the Scotland festival; my performance was very high quality. I was not after money; people paid me according to their ability and satisfaction. People loved me and I believe people still love me a lot. But I am an aged person now and I have left my golden age behind me.
I tried to sing the songs specially the Baula songs. People invited me everywhere and I participated. Some people tried to confine me, but I am still singing, I sing every Saturday. People still invite me and attend in most of the cases.
I never say I am a learned person, I am a man with no knowledge, but I love company of people and people also love my company.
Now I am a diabetic’s patient, so I am a bit less active now, I was singing more in the past, and now I am singing less now a day. I used to sing at least 5 to 7 songs at a time in the past.

Q: Why are you interested in Baul songs?
In the whole arena of different types of songs, Baul is the mainstream music. All the music has evolved from the Baul songs, and the Ektara is the first instrument of Baul songs. Say for example Nazrul Geeti, Lalon Geeti, and songs of Jalaluddin have evolved from the Baul music. All the poets who have composed songs, either the pastoral songs or the local songs, or Lalon Geeti, all the music has their root in Baul music.
The Kirtoni tune of music is basically the tune of Baul. The pastoral tune is the local tune, and the tune of modern music has come from the Sanskrit. Baul has the essence of all the music. That is why Nazrul (Islam) and Rabindranath (Tagore) have written this kind of songs. Baul is the soul of all music.

Q: What is you comment about the music of the young generation, how is Baul going nowadays?
They are spoiling the Baul music. They are not maintaining the tune of the Baul music. The Mundira has a specific way of playing it, but they are not playing them accordingly. The Behala and the Ektara has a specific tune, which must be similar but they are not playing them to the tune.

Q: What is the future of Baul music here in Britain?
The Baul music is going out of its track; the tune is being changed. Theme of the song is the main things of Baul music. The heart will sing with the singer, and then it will be Baul music. But people are changing the tune and the theme of the Baul music. There are masters to teach the basic things of the song, but people are going according to their own will. They are trying to sing the songs but it is out of the main track. I have heard in the television that the Baul music is loosing its purity. I regret for the change of the basic tune of the pastoral and Baul songs. Jasim Uddin, Abdul Alim and Abbas Uddin were great singer of the pastoral songs.
The present day singers are altering the original tune of the Baul music.
Many people can sing the Baul music according to the theme of the Baul music. But in Britain there are very few or no singers who can hold the original tune, some singer from Mymensingh are expert and may be credited on this.
I have performed at Altab Ali Park, on Baishakhi Mela.
Amir Uddin was the best singer of Sylhet district. Abdul Karim was a good singer of high (scale) tune. Kamal Uddin is the top class singer in the Sylhet district.
No one has been successful to copy Amir Uddin, in true sense.
People are even changing the music of Lalon. One should sing a song according to the tune of the music, according to the writer who have written it and according to the tune he has sang the song.
All the instruments have its own tune in the music; the music will not be a complete one without any of the instrument. All the music has its own grammar, but people are not following the rule of the music basically.
I try to bring the basic tune and the theme of the music, when I sing.

Q: How many children do you have and how many of them are training in Baul music?
I have three sons who are singers. The other son doesn’t like the Baul music that much. The theme is the main thing of music. For example, Rabindranath (Tagore) had composed the national anthem of Bangladesh, he loved his mother very much, and so he had written the song from the bottom of his heart.

One who doesn’t have tunes can never sing a song in its original form. Everyone can’t sing, not all people can be knowledgeable priest, not all can be good Judges. Please don’t mind but every job has its own selected type of man. Everyone who is involved in something has a speciality in that specific field. We can’t see our soul, but what we see in the universe is present in the human body.

Q: Have you composed any song of your own?
No, I have my own song, but I haven’t written. I can find songs whenever I need, so I was reluctant to write it down. I was not interested in writing; otherwise I would have written some of the songs.

Q: What is your plan, do you plan to go back to Bangladesh and settle there in the future?
I have some properties in Bangladesh, so I go there sometimes. But my children are not interested in my property back in Bangladesh.