On July 21, a symposium on Bangladesh art was held in the gymnasium at Fukutake House on Shodoshima. Talks on Bangladesh painting, crafts and music were followed by a performance of traditional dance, an ensemble of sarod, sitar and tanbur, and hymns to the land of Bengal sung by Chandana Roy. What most impressed me, however, was the speech by Dr. Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
speechBangladesh, he told us, is a new country, established only 43 years ago, but it has a history of 4,000 years. The people of Bangladesh live in a land shaped by countless waterways, tributaries to three great rivers that run through it. The history of the nation of Bangladesh has been continuously exposed to the wave of globalization, but it took as its identity not the clash but rather the fusion of culture and civilization. This is the power of a culture founded on art in daily life. The fight for independence 43 years ago, which lasted about one year, was actually the struggle to use and protect the Bengal language.
So surprised and impressed by the content of his speech, I could not help but jump to my feet to applaud this wonderful expression of pride in Bengali culture and language. I look forward to seeing how much of that essence the Bengali performers and artisans convey to us over the summer. We have so much to learn from them.
speechBangladesh, he told us, is a new country, established only 43 years ago, but it has a history of 4,000 years. The people of Bangladesh live in a land shaped by countless waterways, tributaries to three great rivers that run through it. The history of the nation of Bangladesh has been continuously exposed to the wave of globalization, but it took as its identity not the clash but rather the fusion of culture and civilization. This is the power of a culture founded on art in daily life. The fight for independence 43 years ago, which lasted about one year, was actually the struggle to use and protect the Bengal language.
So surprised and impressed by the content of his speech, I could not help but jump to my feet to applaud this wonderful expression of pride in Bengali culture and language. I look forward to seeing how much of that essence the Bengali performers and artisans convey to us over the summer. We have so much to learn from them.
