Abar Esheche Ashar: A celebration of nostalgic melodies

The month of Ashar carries a music of its own — one that does not need words or melody to stir the soul. It is in the distant rumble of thunder, in the soft drizzle on corrugated rooftops, in the scent of earth made anew. For Bangalis, Ashar is a reminder that the heart, like the soil, still remembers how to be moved.

On the evening of 27 June, or 13 Ashar, Sheraton Dhaka's grand ballroom embraced that very spirit. Though the weather did not seem Ashar-like, the air inside the hall was waiting to welcome the festive month through our very own literature and music—through the voices of singer Adity Mohsin and actor Jayanta Chattopadhyay.

The event, aptly titled 'Abar Eshechhe Ashar', was organised with the support of HSBC Bangladesh. 

Jayanta's voice—deep, steady, and rich with years of performance in theatres, stages, and on screen—opened the event with a recitation. He spoke of Ashar as Tagore saw it in his literature. The rain, he seemed to suggest, was only a metaphor for something far more human.

Following Jayanta's opening, Adity took her place with the grace and calm that had come to define her. She began with the song that gave the evening its name: 'Abar Eshechhe Ashar'. The hall seemed to breathe differently as she sang.

The pair seemed to work harmoniously, with Adity being a renowned Rabindra Sangeet singer and Jayanta being a professional reciter.

The music rose like mist, bringing with it a gentle ache. The lyrics combined nostalgia and longing—of rains gone by and hearts that remember too much. Yet, the song was not sorrowful, but rather hopeful. 

Her second song, 'Ogo Tumi Panchodoshi', turned the focus inward. Here was not nature, but the interior landscape of a young girl on the edge of womanhood. 

The song touched something delicate — those first stirrings of love that arrive as suddenly as the first summer storm. With the help of subtle accompaniment and Adity's emotive control, the audience was transported to that fragile threshold between childhood and awareness.

By the time she began 'Bojromanik Diye Gatha', the room had surrendered itself completely. This song — spirited, celebratory, and deeply personal to many — was met with quiet delight. In the audience, an elderly gentleman raised his hand ever so slightly, his fingers dancing to the rhythm

Personally, I had been humming this song on and off ever since Ashar began. So when Adity started singing it that evening, I caught myself quietly singing along—drawn in by a tune that had already become part of my season.

Between each cluster of songs, Jayanta Chattopadhyay returned with his voice. He recited from Tagore's poems and stories—each selection carefully paired with the mood of the music. 

His recitations simply extended the mood of the songs. His words were like bridges, weaving one piece of art into the next, which made the performance feel like one long, flowing monsoon narrative.

Adity continued with a carefully selected repertoire of 12 songs in total. One of the most anticipated was 'Badal Diner Prothom Kadam Phul', where the music seemed to hover in the air like the first flower touched by rain. 

But it was her concluding piece, 'Emon Diney Taare Bola Jaay', that left the audience speechless. The song is a quiet confession, an expression of love or longing that only the monsoon can witness.

Jayanta concluded the evening with one final recitation, his voice carrying the weight of closure with a sweet ache. 

Besides the artists with different instruments, the performances of Ashikul Islam on the esraj and Yousuf Khan on the sarod deserve applause. During Jayanta's recitations, their background melodies created an almost sacred space, allowing his voice to inhabit the room fully.

Md Mahbub ur Rahman, CEO of HSBC Bangladesh, also shared his thoughts and HSBC's support for culture and art, reminding the audience of the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural heritage, especially at a time when tradition often risks being drowned in the noise of urban life.