Rezwana Choudhury Bannya

Rezwana Choudhury Bannya is a Bangladeshi singer. She is an exponent of Rabindra Sangeet, the songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore. She has won many awards including Bangladesh's highest civilian award the Independence Day Award (2016).

Rezwana Choudhury Bannya
রেজওয়ানা চৌধুরী বন্যা
Bannya performing in New Jersey, United States (June 2017)
Background information
Born13 January[1]
Rangpur, origin from Patuakhali, Bangladesh [1]
GenresRabindra Sangeet
Occupation(s)singer, associate professor[2]
InstrumentsVocal, harmonium, esraj
Websitewww.rezwanabannya.com

Early life

Rezwana was born in Rangpur, Bangladesh to her parents Mazharuddin Khan and Ismat Ara Khan.[3] Her early singing lessons started with her uncle Abdul Ali that continued later under the tutelage of Sanjida Khatun and Atiqul Islam at Chhayanaut and Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) in Dhaka. As she continued taking lessons in music and singing, she also joined the Economics Program at the university after completion of her schooling. However, soon her inner- self-came to the realization that music was her destiny. She received a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to study in Sangit Bhavana at Santiniketan, the university that was founded by Tagore himself. She took lessons from artists including Kanika Bandyopadhyay, Nilima Sen, Sailajaranjan Majumdar, Santidev Ghosh, Gora Sarbadhikary, Manju Bandyopadhyay and Asesh Bandyopadhyay.

Career
Bannya performing to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore in Kolkata (May 2011).

Bannya is currently Professor and founding chair of the Department of Dance at the University of Dhaka; previously, she had been an Associate Professor in the Department of Music at the same university.[2] She also founded Shurer Dhara in 1992, a school for learning music in Dhaka.[4]

In 2010, in order to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, she brought out a complete audio version of Gitobitan, called Sruti Gitobitan.[5]

Awards
  • Ananda Sangeet Puroshkar for being the best female Rabindra Sangeet artist (2002)[4]
  • Gaane Gaane Gunijon Shongbardhona (2011)[6]
  • Sangeet Samman Puroshkar from the Ministry of Culture, India in 2013[7]
  • Independence Day Award (2016)
  • Banga Bhushan (2017)
  • Firoza Begum Memorial Gold Medal (2017)
  • Sangeet Maha Samman (2017) by the Government of West Bengal
  • Doctorate of Arts honoris causa from Asian University for Women (2019)[8]

Albums
  • Swapner Aabhashe (2014)
  • Sokal Saajhe
  • Bhorer Aakashe (2012)
  • Laguk Haowa (2012)
  • Apan Pane Chahi
  • Pran Khola Gaan (2011)
  • Elem Nutan Deshe
  • Sudurer Mita
  • Maatir Daak
  • Khelar Saathi
  • Gethechinu Anjali
  • Moner Majhe Je Gaan Baaje
  • Mor Dorodiya
  • Surer Ashonkhani
  • Surer Kheya
  • Patar Bhela Bhasai
  • Shraban Tumi
  • Chinnopotro (2004)
  • Kabi Pranam (2008)
  • Baaje Rammyabina

References
  1. "My Life". Rezwana Choudhury Bannya's official website. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  2. The University of Dhaka, Department of Music Archived 2015-06-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. সংগীত শিল্পী রেজওয়ানা চৌধুরী বন্যার মায়ের মৃত্যু. bdnews24.com (in Bengali). 31 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. "Rezwana Choudhury Bannya | Most Popular Bangladeshi Rabindra Sangeet Singer". bikkhato.com. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  5. "'SHRUTI GITOBITAN' (শ্রুতি গীতবিতান)". Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  6. "Rezwana Choudhury Bannya awarded". 1 October 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  7. বন্যাকে ‘সংগীত সম্মান পুরস্কার’. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 2 April 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  8. "AUW Confers a Doctorate of Arts, honoris causa, Upon Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya". Asian University for Women. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
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