Alaur Rahman
Alaur Rahman আলাউর রহমান | |
---|---|
Born | 1960 (age 63–64) Alagdi, Pailgaon, Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) |
Origin | London, England |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Instrument | Vocals |
Years active | 1985–present |
Labels |
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Alaur Rahman (Bengali: আলাউর রহমান; born 1960) is a Bangladeshi-born British singer.
Early life
Rahman was born in Alagdi, Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, Sylhet District, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). He attended Madrasa, primary school and The Aided High School, where he would also sing hamd, na'at, qasida and other religious songs as well as songs dedicated to Bangladesh. In 1977, at the age of 14, Rahman came to the United Kingdom with his parents.[1] He attended Pandit Horidas Ganguly School[2][3] where he learned North Indian classical music.
Career
In 1985, Rahman appeared on BBC programme Naya Zindagi, Naya Jeevan and sang ghazal and modern songs live.[1] In the same year, Rahman recorded a 12-track debut album Smaranepare (Shoronay Poray). Rahman composed music for all 12-tracks, which were arranged by Qutbuddin and the lyrics were written by Abdul Mukit, Nurul Ghani, Delwar Khan and Shamsheer Qureshi. The album was produced and released by Jhankar Music.[2][3] In 1986, he performed on Bangladesh Television (BTV).[1]
In 1992, he performed on television programme about he Bangladeshi community of East London.[4] In the 1990s, Rahman became one of the leading singers in Britain's Bengali community and went on to sell numerous songs.[2][3] His musical influences are Mohammed Rafi, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali,[1] Nurul Ghani[2][3] and Talat Mahmood.
Rahman moved onto making spiritual and religious music and was selected by Ekushey Television to be the voice of the Adhan (call to prayer).[2][3]
Rahman has released 40 albums, which include Hindi and Bangla songs. His best of album Best of Alaur Rahman was released by Serengeti Sirocco.[2][3][5][6] His songs are about the loss of a sense of belonging and the material conditions that underpin his life in Britain.[4]
Awards
Rahman has won numerous awards globally. These have included awards from Zee TV, Channel i, ATN, Bangla TV and Channel S, where he has won awards for being the best singer.[2][3]
Personal life
In 1986, Rahman married Rozi Rahman. They have two sons Rabi and Raid, and a daughter Aniqa.[2][3]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Iqbal, Jamil (7 April 2006). "Mr. Alaur Rahman". Manchester: Swadhinata Trust. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (July 2008). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 165. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Karim, Mohammed Abdul; Karim, Shahadoth (October 2011). British Bangladeshi Who's Who (PDF). British Bangla Media Group. p. 100. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ a b van der Veer, Peter (1995). Nation and Migration: The Politics of Space in the South Asian Diaspora. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 199. ISBN 1119973104.
- ^ "Best of Alaur Rahman – Bengali". Amazon.com. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
- ^ "Alaur sings for diversity". Manchester: Manchester Evening News. 14 August 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
External links
- Alaur Rahman on Facebook
- Alaur Rahman on British Bangladeshi Who's Who
- Iqbal, Jamil. Mr. Alaur Rahman. Swadhinata Trust. 7 April 2006
- 1960 births
- Living people
- Bangladeshi Muslims
- British Muslims
- Bangladeshi emigrants to England
- British people of Bangladeshi descent
- Bangladeshi male singers
- British male singers
- Hindi-language singers
- Bengali-language singers
- Urdu-language singers
- Singers from London
- People from Jagannathpur Upazila
- The Aided High School alumni
- University of Dhaka alumni
- British singer stubs