Balaram Saha on dhol. Picture by Diptendu Dutta

Siliguri, April 14: Dinabandhu Manch was not a wedding venue but Azimuddin Mia?s soulful rendition of Aaj bujhi torey jabe loiha reminded the audience of one.

?These wedding songs are no longer part of modern Muslim marriages and this is the only way left for us to keep the tradition alive,? said the 60-year-old singer. ?At concerts like these, we let urban people know of the tradition they have never heard before.?

Besides jhari gaan (wedding song), the hexagenarian and his troupe, including his son Sattaruddin, today presented murshidi (devotional folk songs sung by fakirs) on the first day of the two-day cultural festivity, Anyo Parbon, organised by a Siliguri-based theatre group, Uttal.

Expert on folk art and culture Bimalendu Mazumder, who is also a member of The Asiatic Society, and Sripada Das, a former station director of Siliguri All India Radio, were felicitated at today?s function.

?Murshidis or jharis, there are very few takers for any folk art these days,? said Azimuddin, who plans to retire next year.

Balaram Saha, an expert on dhol, also regaled the audience with his performance. ?This was his first solo performance on stage,? Palak Chakraborty, the director of Uttal said. ?So far, he had played at weddings and folk operas only.?

The organisers said the event, which is being organised for the second time this year, is aimed at popularising folk art forms among the urban population. ?Many of us, specially the youths, are not aware of the varied folk art forms of north Bengal. Through Anyo Parbon we want to establish the link,? he said.