Momtaz Begum
Encyclopedia
Momtaz Begum better known as Momtaz for short, is a Bangladesh
i music artist, singer and producer of Bengali folk music and Baul
music. She is also known as The Music Queen, popular for her unconventional use of music lyrics. During her international career spanning two decades, she has recorded around 700 albums, in 2009 she was appointed a member of the Parliament of Bangladesh. Momtaj married her guru Abdur Rashid Sorkar(teacher of folk song)She learn music from her guru matal razzak dewan who is also a famous folk artist. she learn 1st music from her father Modhu boyati, 2nd from Matal Razzak Dewan 3rd from Abddur Rashid Sorkar, who was her husband later.
Momtaz has performed and held hundreds of concert
s across Bangladesh, including outside Bangladesh mainly in Britain
and the United States
. She has performed numerous events for the diaspora
communities, in particular in London
, where she is very popular among the crowds of the Baishakhi Mela
of Manikganj
, though she did go to school to pursue higher studies, she spending most of her childhood learning music from her father, Modhu Boyati who was also a singer., and aside Matal Razzaque Dewan was another of her guru who she considers her mentor.
Mumtaz Begum's initiation into music occurred early. She was a mere child when she accompanied her singer father Modhu Boyati at first as an audience but very soon as a co-performer. She took to music almost unknowingly, but then she must have dipped deep into the sea of music and come out intoxicated, for ever. She never looked back again and never even distantly thought of doing something different. The kind of music she used to perform like Marfati, Boithoki, Murshidi can roughly fall under the genre of mystic songs.
Though Mumtaz sings other varieties than those of mystic songs her concentration remains there. One of Mumtaz's great achievements has been to broaden the audience base of mystic songs which has been largely confined to rural areas and rural people. And most surprisingly today's middle class urbanite youths also make a part of her fans.
, in her native village Joymontop, under Singair upozila the Manikganj District
of central Bangladesh. The hospital was established in the memory of her father, Modhu Boyati, himself a much-loved recording artist, lost his eyesight as he could not afford cataract
operation due to poverty.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i music artist, singer and producer of Bengali folk music and Baul
Baul
Baul .Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable. In 2005, the Baul tradition was included in the list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.-Etymology:The origin of the word...
music. She is also known as The Music Queen, popular for her unconventional use of music lyrics. During her international career spanning two decades, she has recorded around 700 albums, in 2009 she was appointed a member of the Parliament of Bangladesh. Momtaj married her guru Abdur Rashid Sorkar(teacher of folk song)She learn music from her guru matal razzak dewan who is also a famous folk artist. she learn 1st music from her father Modhu boyati, 2nd from Matal Razzak Dewan 3rd from Abddur Rashid Sorkar, who was her husband later.
Momtaz has performed and held hundreds of concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s across Bangladesh, including outside Bangladesh mainly in Britain
British Bangladeshi
A British Bangladeshi is a person of Bangladeshi origin who resides in the United Kingdom having emigrated to the UK and attained citizenship through naturalisation or whose parents did so; they are also known as British Bengalis...
and the United States
Bangladeshi American
Bangladeshi Americans are Americans of Bangladeshi descent. The overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi Americans are Bengalis. Most of them have immigrated from Sylhet region with a long trading history. Bangladeshi immigrants arrived in the United States especially since the early 1990s to become...
. She has performed numerous events for the diaspora
Bangladeshi diaspora
The Bangladeshi diaspora consists of people of Bangladeshi descent who have immigrated to or were born in another country. First generation migrants may have moved abroad from Bangladesh for better living conditions, to escape poverty, or to send money back to families in Bangladesh.The world's...
communities, in particular in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where she is very popular among the crowds of the Baishakhi Mela
Early life
She was born in a village Joymontop in SingairSingair Upazila
Singair is an Upazila of Manikgonj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Geography:Singair is located at . It has 44151 units of house hold and total area 217.38 km².-Demographics:...
of Manikganj
Manikganj District
The district of Manikganj consists 3575 mosques, 160 temples, 10 churches, five Buddhist temples and a pagoda.-Literacy and education:Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 26.9%; male 33.7%, female 20.1%...
, though she did go to school to pursue higher studies, she spending most of her childhood learning music from her father, Modhu Boyati who was also a singer., and aside Matal Razzaque Dewan was another of her guru who she considers her mentor.
Mumtaz Begum's initiation into music occurred early. She was a mere child when she accompanied her singer father Modhu Boyati at first as an audience but very soon as a co-performer. She took to music almost unknowingly, but then she must have dipped deep into the sea of music and come out intoxicated, for ever. She never looked back again and never even distantly thought of doing something different. The kind of music she used to perform like Marfati, Boithoki, Murshidi can roughly fall under the genre of mystic songs.
Career
It was not always rosy though. There were also occasions when she did albums entirely free of cost and when those albums became popular the producer offered her Tk 2,000, not for the ones she had already done, but for the one she would do next. That too on the condition that if it didn't sell well she would be bound to pay the honorarium back. Mumtaz didn't have to pay back—the album sold out instantly and suddenly Mumtaz became extremely busy. At times she was recording two albums a day. "I used to be handed down the lyrics and the music tracks minutes ago and there used to be hardly any time for rehearsal and I had to record it at one go," she reveals in an interview with the Daily Star last May. Some of her most famous music albums include Return Ticket, Ashol Boithoki, Murshider Talim, Ronger Bazar etc.Though Mumtaz sings other varieties than those of mystic songs her concentration remains there. One of Mumtaz's great achievements has been to broaden the audience base of mystic songs which has been largely confined to rural areas and rural people. And most surprisingly today's middle class urbanite youths also make a part of her fans.
Charity work
As a person Mumtaz is a woman of great kindness who is ever ready to extend a helping hand to people who come to her. She established a 50-bed Momtaz Eye Hospital with support from Orbis InternationalORBIS International
Orbis International is an international non-profit non-governmental organization dedicated to saving sight worldwide. Orbis programs focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries...
, in her native village Joymontop, under Singair upozila the Manikganj District
Manikganj District
The district of Manikganj consists 3575 mosques, 160 temples, 10 churches, five Buddhist temples and a pagoda.-Literacy and education:Literacy and educational institutions Average literacy 26.9%; male 33.7%, female 20.1%...
of central Bangladesh. The hospital was established in the memory of her father, Modhu Boyati, himself a much-loved recording artist, lost his eyesight as he could not afford cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
operation due to poverty.
External links
- Cover Story - Momtaz - The Music Queen The Daily Star
- Singer Momtaz Speaks to VOA (26-May-2006) VOA, Washington.
- Momtaz BanglaMusic.com