Kalim Sharafi (8 May 1924 – 2 November 2010) was a Bangladeshi

Rabindra Sangeet ''Rabindra Sangeet'' (; ), also known as Tagore Songs, are songs from the Indian subcontinent written and composed by the Bengalis, Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore, winner of the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature, the first Indian and also the ...

singer. He joined at

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

. He gave his ideas in several publications regarding politics, culture, and Tagore. He is regarded as one of the best Rabindra Sangeet singers in the subcontinent.

Early life

Sharafi was born in Birbhum district of

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

on 8 May 1924. He was the only son of three children. He had two younger sisters. He was from a pir family, a tradition against music, and they came from

Sonargaon Sonargaon (; ; Literary translation, lit. ''Golden Hamlet (place), Hamlet'') is a historic city in central Bangladesh. It corresponds to the Sonargaon Upazila of Narayanganj District in Dhaka Division. Sonargaon is one of the old capitals of ...

. He was first influenced by his father who was a singer. His passion for music blossomed at an early age as he came across with renowned artists of pre-independent

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He said, "As a child I used to find Rabindranath's compositions naturally melodic and heart touching and would grasp them easily".

Politics

Sharafi was involved in politics at the age of 18 as he joined the Quit India movement in 1942. Consequently, he was arrested by the police from his village and spent more than a year in prison with other activists. It was in prison that his passion for Rabindranath Tagore was rekindled. During this period of his life, he became a member of Popular Theatre Association, which in Bengali is referred to as Bharatiyo Gononatya Shangha. He was important in breaking down barriers that prevented women from becoming involved in theater. As a result of his beliefs in communism, he was banned from the state-run radio Bangladesh Betar, which hurt his musical career. During the Bangladesh Language Movement, Tagore was also banned.

Career

Sharafi co-directed the 1962 film '' Sonar Kajol'' along with Zahir Raihan. Sharafi was a program director at Pakistan Television Corporation between 1964 and 1967. From 1969 and 1972, he was general manager of the Pakistan Gramophone Company Ltd. Sharafi also worked in Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation between 1974 and 1976. He was also the founder principal of the music school Sangeet Bhaban in 1983 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He served as the president of the "Bangladesh Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha".

Family

Sharafi first married stage actress Kamela Sharafi () in 1949 and got divorced in 1957. Later in 1963, he married Noushaba Khatun, a then faculty member at the department of psychology of the University of Dhaka. From the two marriages, he had one son and four daughters in total.

Death

Sharafi died at his residence on 2 November 2010 at the age of 86. He was buried in the Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.

Honors

Sharafi was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

in 1985 and Independence Day Award in 1999. He received the first Rabindra Award 2010 for his contribution in promoting and preserving Rabindra Sangeet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharafi, Kalim 20th-century Bangladeshi male singers 20th-century Bangladeshi singers Bengali musicians 2010 deaths 1924 births Rabindra Sangeet exponents Recipients of the Independence Award Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Burials at Mirpur Martyred Intellectual Graveyard Honorary Fellows of Bangla Academy Meril-Prothom Alo Lifetime Achievement Award winners Singers from West Bengal