Suzana Ansar
Encyclopedia
Suzana Ansar is a British
Bengali
singer and actress
.
, Leyton
, East London
, United Kingdom
to British Bengali ex pat parents, UK community activist (Jenney) Syeda S Karim, and chartered accountant/businessman Mohamed Ansar Uddin. She is one of two children.
She grew up in Woodford Green
, receiving private school education at Ilford Ursuline High School, and then Forest School. She further went on to read Mathematics
and Business Finance
at University of London
and is a part qualified Chartered Certified Accountant
.
Growing up in England, her parents encouraged her to connect with both her eastern and western cultures thus taking up harmonium, tanpura, sitar and Bengali and Arabic lessons as well as learning to play the piano.
Her grandparents are from Mymensingh
, Brahmanbaria
, and Chandpur
originally, but are settled in Dhaka
, which she calls her second home. Her aunt is current Bangladeshi foreign minister
Dr. Dipu Moni MP
.
from a very young age from gurus (late) Golok Mohon Chowdhury and then Pandit Haridas Ganguly, she sings genres ranging from Kheyal, Nazrul Geeti, Hindi to Bengali
Folk
and Fusion
.
Having spent her childhood singing traditional Bengali songs, she participated and won several song contests in London. First performing on stage at the age of 5 at a Bengali International event, later in adulthood, she went on to be music teacher at the same organisation and many others. She also has her own music school 'Suzana Ansar Music School' which produces television programmes like Suzana n Kids.
As a teenager she worked with fusion
and asian underground
music alongside State of Bengal on his debut album Audio Visual released in 1998 with a song co-written by her. She is seen by many as a role model for young British
Bengali
growing up abroad by the manner in which she blends both her British and Bengali heritage which has been written about on many occasions including a case study on her in the book, A Tale of Three Generations.
She has represented the works of revolutionary Bengali poet
Kazi Nazrul Islam
though her music, and live shows and continues to create music to increase awareness of him
She released her solo debut album, 'Suzana Ansar with Khansar
', from leading Bangladeshi record label
G-Series/Agniveena featuring her band, composed of herself, her brother Syed Shahdin Ansar (Saadi) Tabla
player Yamin Chowdhury (Shagor), and Imran Khan in November 2009.
She performs regularly billed in concerts across USA, Spain, France, Italy, Bangladesh, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, India, Canada to name a few alongside Bangladeshi superstars Ayub Bachchu
, Baby Naznin, Runa Laila
, Asif Akbar
, Momtaz Begum
James Nagar Baul Habib
as well as indian star Sonu Nigam
etc.
UK (Poboner Boytha, valentines special, Series Rupban), Channel S
(Suzana n Kids, Sur Jolsha), NTV UK (Phoney Phone Gaan), NTV (Bangladesh)
(Amaro Gaitey Ichhey Holo, Musik Jamz) ATN Bangla
Boishakhi Special,) Ekushey Television
(Ta NA NA NA, Tommy Miah
's Recipe), Zee TV
(Antakshari 1998).
She is seen on television to both, sing live, and also as a television presenter.
and Bengali dialect
like Mayar Taney (UK) Friends 1 and 2 (UK) Projonmo (UK).
She has also recently filmed Bangladesh TV serials Fifty Fifty on Bangla Vision (alongside Mosharaf Karim) and The Graduate on NTV (Jahid Hasan, Tisha, Mostafa Kamal Raj, Siddik). She features in telefilm Life Partner(with Hasan Masood, Joya) and has shot a mini series in Thailand called Borishaila Mama Bhaigna Aite Shaal Jaite Shaal' (alongside Chanchal Chowdhury, Chadni, Dr Ejaz, Tushar Khan) and Colours Of Cambridge (with Mosharaf Karim) for ATN Bangla. 'Dead End- 30 days is her most recently shot drama (alongside Partha Barua, Tania, Jenny) also shot extensively in Thailand
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
singer and actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Background
Ansar was born in Whipps Cross University HospitalWhipps Cross University Hospital
Whipps Cross University Hospital is an NHS-run University Hospital in Whipps Cross, Waltham Forest, London, United Kingdom which housed London's first Hyperbaric Unit....
, Leyton
Leyton
Leyton is an area of north-east London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, located north east of Charing Cross. It borders Walthamstow and Leytonstone; Stratford in Newham; and Homerton and Lower Clapton in the London Borough of Hackney....
, East London
East London
East London is a city on the southeast coast of South Africa, situated at 32.97°S and 27.87°E in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality of the Eastern Cape province. The city lies on the Indian Ocean coast, largely between the Buffalo River and the Nahoon River, and is the country's only river...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to British Bengali ex pat parents, UK community activist (Jenney) Syeda S Karim, and chartered accountant/businessman Mohamed Ansar Uddin. She is one of two children.
She grew up in Woodford Green
Woodford Green
Woodford Green, formerly in the county of Essex, is part of the North East London suburb of Woodford, on the edge of Epping Forest, mostly within the London Borough of Redbridge with a small part on the western side of the green within the London Borough of Waltham Forest .-History:Woodford Green...
, receiving private school education at Ilford Ursuline High School, and then Forest School. She further went on to read Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Business Finance
Corporate finance
Corporate finance is the area of finance dealing with monetary decisions that business enterprises make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions. The primary goal of corporate finance is to maximize shareholder value while managing the firm's financial risks...
at University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and is a part qualified Chartered Certified Accountant
Chartered Certified Accountant
Chartered Certified Accountant was historically seen as a British qualified accountant designation awarded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants . However, although ACCA is UK based, it is a global body for professional accountants with 147,000 qualified members and 424,000...
.
Growing up in England, her parents encouraged her to connect with both her eastern and western cultures thus taking up harmonium, tanpura, sitar and Bengali and Arabic lessons as well as learning to play the piano.
Her grandparents are from Mymensingh
Mymensingh
Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...
, Brahmanbaria
Brahmanbaria District
Brahmanbaria is a district in east-central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Division. It was part of greater Comilla District until 1984. Before 1830 the Sarail Pargana was a part of Mymensingh district...
, and Chandpur
Chandpur District
Chandpur is a district in east-central Bangladesh. It is located at the mouth of the Meghna River. It is a part of the Chittagong Division. The town of Chandpur is terminus of a metre gauge branch of Bangladesh Railways. It also has a water terminal situated here.-Geography:Chandpur district has a...
originally, but are settled in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, which she calls her second home. Her aunt is current Bangladeshi foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
Dr. Dipu Moni MP
Dipu Moni
Dipu Moni is a Bangladeshi politician and diplomat and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2009.-Early Political Career:Until now the principal focus of her work has been women's rights and entitlements, health legislation, health policy and management, health financing, strategic...
.
Music
Having trained in Indian classical musicIndian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
from a very young age from gurus (late) Golok Mohon Chowdhury and then Pandit Haridas Ganguly, she sings genres ranging from Kheyal, Nazrul Geeti, Hindi to Bengali
Music of Bengal
The music of Bengal, also referred to as Bangla music, comprises a long tradition of religious and secular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium...
Folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and Fusion
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
.
Having spent her childhood singing traditional Bengali songs, she participated and won several song contests in London. First performing on stage at the age of 5 at a Bengali International event, later in adulthood, she went on to be music teacher at the same organisation and many others. She also has her own music school 'Suzana Ansar Music School' which produces television programmes like Suzana n Kids.
As a teenager she worked with fusion
Fusion (music)
A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...
and asian underground
Asian Underground
Asian Underground is a term associated with various British Asian musicians who blend elements of western underground dance music and the traditional Asian music of their home countries in South Asia...
music alongside State of Bengal on his debut album Audio Visual released in 1998 with a song co-written by her. She is seen by many as a role model for young British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
growing up abroad by the manner in which she blends both her British and Bengali heritage which has been written about on many occasions including a case study on her in the book, A Tale of Three Generations.
She has represented the works of revolutionary Bengali poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
though her music, and live shows and continues to create music to increase awareness of him
She released her solo debut album, 'Suzana Ansar with Khansar
Suzana Ansar with Khansar
Suzana Ansar with Khansar is the title of the debut band album of Suzana Ansar, alongside band members Syed Ansar, Imran Khan and Yamin Chowdhury...
', from leading Bangladeshi record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
G-Series/Agniveena featuring her band, composed of herself, her brother Syed Shahdin Ansar (Saadi) Tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player Yamin Chowdhury (Shagor), and Imran Khan in November 2009.
She performs regularly billed in concerts across USA, Spain, France, Italy, Bangladesh, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, India, Canada to name a few alongside Bangladeshi superstars Ayub Bachchu
Ayub Bachchu
Ayub Bachchu is a famous Bangladeshi rock musician and a guitarist in the country. During 1980 - 1990 he was a member of Souls as lead guitarist...
, Baby Naznin, Runa Laila
Runa Laila
Runa Laila is a singer of the Indian subcontinent who is from Bangladesh. She started her career from Pakistan film industry and is effective in Ghazals also. She made a hit pair with famous singer Ahmed Rushdi after replacing Mala. She also has done numerous playbacks for movies in Bangladesh,...
, Asif Akbar
Asif Akbar
Asif Akbar is a Bangladeshi pop singer.His debut album was released 30 January 2001 and was a great hit and acquired a lot of popularity for him in Bangladesh with the hit song Oh Priya Tumi Kothay! [ ও প্রিয়া তুমি কোথায় ]...
, Momtaz Begum
Momtaz Begum
Momtaz Begum better known as Momtaz for short, is a Bangladeshi 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...
James Nagar Baul Habib
Habib
Habib is an Arabic male name with the meaning "beloved", or "darling", it also appears as a surname. The name is popular in the Middle East, Africa, and France.-Given name:* Habib Beye , French-Senegalese footballer...
as well as indian star Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
etc.
Television
She is a well known face amongst Bengalis living in Europe through her live shows television appearances on Bangla TVBangla TV
Bangla TV is a UK-based satellite television channel targeting the Bengali speaking people in the United Kingdom, and in Europe.-History:Launched in 1999, Bangla TV was the first Bengali language television channel in the UK...
UK (Poboner Boytha, valentines special, Series Rupban), Channel S
Channel S
Channel S is a UK-based, free-to-air television channel targeting the British Bangladeshi community. The channel was established on 16 December 2004, by Mahee Ferdous Jalil - a Bangladeshi businessman in London. On Sky it had a timesharing deal with ATN Global, and then in 2005 it started to...
(Suzana n Kids, Sur Jolsha), NTV UK (Phoney Phone Gaan), NTV (Bangladesh)
NTV (Bangladesh)
NTV is a Bengali language satellite television channel based in Bangladesh. It started operation in 2003. It is one of the most popular Bengali TV channels in the country. In the anniversary of the channel, the founder expressed interest in creating NTV2 to satisfy the watchers further, however he...
(Amaro Gaitey Ichhey Holo, Musik Jamz) ATN Bangla
ATN Bangla
ATN Bangla is a Bengali language digital cable television channel. It transmits from its studio in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The channel is transmitted in South Asia, the Middle-east, Europe, and North America. The channel offers a wide variety of programming including news, movies, dramas, talk shows,...
Boishakhi Special,) Ekushey Television
Ekushey Television
Ekushey Television is a private terrestrial channel in Bangladesh,. Official transmission began on April 14, 2000, after a very short time of transmission it became the voice of the nation and the most popular TV channel in Bangladesh through its news and other innovative programs...
(Ta NA NA NA, Tommy Miah
Tommy Miah
Mohammad Ajman Miah , better known as Tommy Miah, is a British celebrity chef of Bangladeshi origin. He is an internationally renowned chef, being one of the leading Bangladeshi businessman in the United Kingdom. He owns an award-winning restaurant; his flagship restaurant is located in Edinburgh...
's Recipe), Zee TV
Zee TV
Zee TV is an India-based satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which broadcasts various programmes in Hindi and other regional languages of India. Broadcasting is also present in various nations of South Asia, Europe, the Middle East,...
(Antakshari 1998).
She is seen on television to both, sing live, and also as a television presenter.
Acting
She has acted in 8 UK produced telefilms in the SylhetiSylheti language
Sylheti is the language of Sylhet, which is also known as the Surma Valley and is located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, and also spoken in parts of the Northeast Indian states of Assam and Tripura...
and Bengali dialect
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
like Mayar Taney (UK) Friends 1 and 2 (UK) Projonmo (UK).
She has also recently filmed Bangladesh TV serials Fifty Fifty on Bangla Vision (alongside Mosharaf Karim) and The Graduate on NTV (Jahid Hasan, Tisha, Mostafa Kamal Raj, Siddik). She features in telefilm Life Partner(with Hasan Masood, Joya) and has shot a mini series in Thailand called Borishaila Mama Bhaigna Aite Shaal Jaite Shaal' (alongside Chanchal Chowdhury, Chadni, Dr Ejaz, Tushar Khan) and Colours Of Cambridge (with Mosharaf Karim) for ATN Bangla. 'Dead End- 30 days is her most recently shot drama (alongside Partha Barua, Tania, Jenny) also shot extensively in Thailand