ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio USA

By Harvey T Minus (www.t-minus.co.uk)

London, UK, Feb 21, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio) Precision twinned with flawlessness, Ravi Bal and Surjit Khan continue to push boundaries from their first 'Headline' maker.

"BEEN" - Official Music Video

The good news is that Surjit Khan, whose career is now spanning long past a decade, is recording his magnificent instrument which is still to this day retaining plenty of its power and agility. Set out to reignite passion into the genre with his magnetic persona and fiery songs reminiscent of days past, Khan has a voice so forceful it can roll back time. Being blessed with a deep and distinctive voice; his timbre is authoritative, but also warming to the ear.

Much to the excitement of his already sizeable army of fans who have experienced diamond gem discs including 'Akhian Ladha Lai Chup Karke,' 'Hassia Na Kar' and 'Balle Ishqaa,' his newest offering ‘Headliner 2’ sees Surjit Khan reignite the formidable collaboration with renowned production pioneer, Ravi Bal. As Khan’s career has progressed, he's also come to ally it to something of a Ravi Bal signature sound, based around intrinsic musical compositions, sometimes all coated in an energy-filled, structured sheen.

Calcutta, Feb 19, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio / Penning Creations) Meeting Pt. Rupak Kulkarni turned out to be an enlightening experience. Within a very short span of time, the flautist unfolded stories of his life, much like the soulful melodies emanating from his flute. Born into a family of musical traditions, Pt. Kulkarni recollects his earliest introductions to music by his father, late Pt. Malhar Rao Kulkarni, who held tabla classes at home for more than 200 learners.  Soon enough, he began taking rigorous tabla lessons from his father, undergoing sessions that began at the crack of dawn and continued till late in the evening. The austere discipline soon bore fruits, as he first performed publicly at an unripe age of 18 months. From then onwards, his musical sojourn has taken a natural progression towards excellence.

Meet Pt. Kulkarni in an exclusive candid and intimate video interview with WBRi.

Sandip Ray’s Royal Bengal Rahasya was released online by Databazaar media a couple of days back and that’s how we, the people of North America had the chance of watching one of Satyajit Ray’s classic short story featuring Feluda, turned into a film.

Calcutta, February 11, 2012 (Washington Bangla Radio / Penning Creations): Did you ever think why you keep a fast on a certain festival? When you go for “anjali” (offering to God) in different temples or puja pandals, did you even try to find out the meaning of the Sanskrit chanting that you repeat after the priest? Did you ask yourself why you make a hefty donation in the temples when a number of beggars are sitting right outside pleading for a penny or two?

If your answer to these questions is “NO” then “Krishan vs. Kanhaiya” is a must watch for you!!! If “YES” then you are already in sync with our story tellers and will be thoroughly enjoying this show!!! This Paresh Rawal starrer play was enacted for the 4th time in Kolkata at Vidyamandir auditorium on February 10th.

The theater production compels you to question the customs which you have followed till date. This is the story of an atheist, Krishanlal Mehta who owned an antique store. He used to sell various worthless items at exorbitant prices by adding a religious angle to them, which always was untrue (a piece of long cloth was sold by him to someone as Draupadi’s sari). This shrewd business man is only one facet of his personality as otherwise he is a responsible and caring husband, a true friend and a man who only went by logic.

His life turned topsy-turvy when his shop was destroyed in an earthquake and his insurance claim was declined. It was said that earthquake is an act of God and insurance claims can be approved only for man-made disasters. Infuriated by this, he files a case in the court against God. The plea was: If his shop was destroyed by God, either he or any of his representatives like the temples or the religious organizations must compensate for the loss but if it is proven that there is no existence of God the insurance company is accountable to pay him the money.

Read the complete review of Paresh Rawal's play Krishan vs Kanhaiya on WBRi.

Rajkumar Patra has been writing poems since November of 2011. In addition to being a creative writer and poet, Rajkumar is also a professional model and actor.

Rajkumar, who also goes by Raj and Raja, lives in Bankura, West Bengal. As a actor-model, Rajkumar has worked in telefilms, TV shows and Bengali TV serials. He has also worked as a model in some photo-shoot projects.

Rajkumar changed his look (in December 2010) by growing his hair and worked in a motivational photography project. His poems have been recently published in a book. Rajkumar is now also involved with a project with the Tollywood Kolkata Bengali movie industry.

Rajkumar Patra can be contacted by e-mail at rkpatra.rajkumar [at] gmail [dot] com.

To submit your creative writings for publication on the WBRi Online Bangla Magazine section, send an e-mail to submissions@washingtonbanglaradio.com.

Read Bengali poems (Bangla Kobita) and also English poetry on WBRi Online Bangla Magazine.