Artist Detail

Biography

Arup Rahee is a poet, singer, composer, writer, columnist, public intellectual and activist.


Music, Poetry, Fashion, Lifestyle :

One of the major figures of poetry and music since the late `90s in Bangladesh, Rahee is the founder, main vocalist, lyricist, composer and leader of the musical ensemble ‘Leela’. 

Arup Rahee, also known and as the ‘Rock Sai(n)ji” among friends and fans, has been a fashion statement of the late `90s, teaming up the lungi with the waist pouch to create a comfortable yet stunning style that shatters the obligations of the westernized formal wardrobe. 

Rahee creates music as much as music creates him. To him, music is a state of being. He does not do music to simply thrill or entertain but to connect himself and his listeners in musical thought. Arup Rahee’s music does not pour honey into the ears, it piques us and it confronts us with ourselves. His music has no imitation or exoticization so common in the popular, mediocre music scenario of today that carries us passively through our frantic lives in a nerve-numbing distraction. In Rahee’s music, his powerfully poetic lyrics, and his open and honest voice, all this melts away and history sheds off its pretensions to resonate with truth through the search for love and shared joys. 

He does music to engage in a dialogue with the world and the people in it. His full-bodied vocal is capable of leaving one enthralled, shaken, and with a new sense of recognition of the self and its place in the world. And the delivery, the natural ease with which Arup Rahee performs momentous music both solo and with his ensemble is an experience to live by, a bang that promises of an unprecedented musical experience. 

One of the major Lalon singers of the country with his unique gayaki, Arup Rahee is privileged with an extensive exposure of the baul-fakir tradition of Bengal as, hailing from a remote village of Pabna, he has maintained a close interaction with baul-fakirs since childhood. It has been more than two decades that Rahee has been actively involved in Lalon and baul-fakiri-sahajia culture and scholarship. He has researched on Lalon philosophy and culture extensively and has had his write ups published in different publications.


As a lifestyle activist, Rahee believes that radical lifestyle plays a vital role in challenging and changing the repressive, discriminative, unjust social, cultural and political system and its hegemonic institutions. 

Inspired by thoughts of Lalon, Chaitanya, and Badiou, radical lifestyle according to Rahee is the individual and collective PRAXIS of LIBERATED DESIRE. From production to consumption. From attire to love. For example, in a capitalist, masculine-patriarchal, sexist and consumerist society and culture, ‘love’ becomes a commodity and an item of luxury; to put it in another way, the principle contradiction of the current age is capito-patriarcho-sexist-masculinity versus LOVE. 

Thus, Rahee's claim is that through revolutionary praxis of LOVE, we can live a worthy present and future of ourselves, and that a radical lifestyle is the praxis of BARTAMAN which produces truth through art, science, politics and LOVE.



Research, writing, lecture, etc:

He has worked as a journalist and researcher with different institutions at different times. 

Rahee has been working with social movements on the issue of politics of development, globalization, environment and ecology, knowledge and culture, media and the public sphere, and the politics of lifestyle, among others. 

Rahee writes mainly in bangla and english on issues of culture, politics and philosophy. Rahee’s works are mainly inspired by shahajia, baul, fakiri, sufism, dialectic materialism, feminism and other revolutionary thoughts emerged around the world.

He gives talk and lecture on different issues ranging from current affairs to critical theory, specially on national and international politics, the politics of 'development', on baul-fakir-sahajia tradition, on indian philosophy, media and public spehere, culture and lifestyle, 'civil society', democracy and 'governance' issues.

Activism:

Rahee is active in anti-imperialist, anti-patriarchal and all other movements for radical social transformation for a free and just society. Through music,writing and other form of deliberations, through different organizations, networks and initiatives, Rahee with his fellow activists plays a pivotal role in strengthening the movements both locally and globally. 

Arup Rahee is a founding trustee and the Chairperson of Leela Foundation
https://www.facebook.com/Leela.Foundation

Arup Rahee is a founding trustee and the general secretary of the Center for Bangladesh Studies-CBS
https://www.facebook.com/cbsbd


Journey with Lalon tradition:

Having born and brought up in a rural Bengal, Rahee is privileged to get exposed of rich folk music tradition of Bangladesh. Born in mazidpur, a village in pabna, where he were used to listen to the farmers singing folksongs in the field, or a village baul singing lalon songs…. On the other hand, Rahee came to Dhaka at the age of 19, experienced the growing spectacle society of metro Dhaka. 

These are something made huge impact on Rahee’s outlook about our music, our culture. Convinced about our philosophical and cultural resources, equipped with local and global perspectives, it is evident in Rahee’s presentation.

Though Rahee sings rock, fusion and folk songs, he has gotten an extra ordinary style of rendering folk, especially lalon songs.

Rahee’s confident presentation of folk songs, specially lalon, makes a unique case of musical experience for the audience. Rahee has performed in numerous gigs and occasions, to different audiences, including exclusive lalon song programs for television channels.

Rahee has been actively involved in lalon and baul-fakiri-sahajia culture for more than two decades, have the exposer with lalon traditions and practices in different parts of Bangladesh. He has researched on lalon philosophy and culture, write ups published in different publications; Rahee is one of the major lalon song singers emerged recently.

(http://arts.bdnews24.com/?p=68)

Beside lalon, Rahee sings the songs of Jalal Uddin Fakir, and the songs of other major baul and sufi shadhaks.

As a lalon singer, Rahee renders the `akhra style’ of presentation with his unique gayaki.He takes up the challenge of singing in akhra style, in some cases with improvisation /fusion maintaining the `bhab’ of lalon songs. It is not an easy task, but Rahee has proven his capacity to do so.

Rahee maintains that, one who wants to sing lalon songs, must have that bhab and bhakti toward the philosophy and practice, that is , the politics of lalon and his followers, and try to practice for him or herself.

Opposed to western consumerism and culture of irresponsibility, Rahee thinks that Lalon and other baul and sufi tradtionss have the resources to answer this. Rahee is committed for a culture of care, responsibility and love.



Some of Rahee's publications:

Civil society: political analysis. ed. by Rahee.1999

Rooppur( collection of poems and songs). 2000, 2006

Khonar bijnan(the science of khona) ed. by Rahee. 2006

Lungi Kahinee: a contrubution on praxis and political economy (collection of poems, songs, debates and interviews). 2009.

'Bollywood tarokara jibito noy,mrito!'
Notes on society, culture and politics. 2012

Audio-visual release:

music album:

`Bhab Boithoki', Bichar Gaan,Duet album by Arup Rahee & Lipi Sarkar.Produced by NTV, Published by G Series.2007.

NAYAK, by the ensemble LEELA. lyrics, tunes and vocals by Rahee. Produced by BAHIRANA. Distributed by Agniveena-G-series. 2009.

''Robena e Dhon, Jibon o Jouban''.
lyrics : lalon fakir. vocal and music arrangement: Arup Rahee
Produced by BAHIRANA. Distributed by Agniveena-G-series. 2010.
...........................
some vdo links:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=arup+rahee+lalon&aq=f

piasha by LEELA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv8nuCtZh3Y

'ami tomar majhe jhirjhiriye boite cheyesi' by LEELA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnp9uxPUgpU

Lalon geeti

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewhY2bL-f6E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4NMdClrj5c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR11XaisXmM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC6ILY-oj4I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQNYJR1GBZ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gEmwXS81hg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGuaAHiwyp4

........................


Some links of recent columns by Rahee

???????, ???????? ? ??????????? http://budhbar.com/?p=5988 

‘??????????’ ? ‘??????????’ : ???? ?? ????? ????? ?????? ?????http://budhbar.com/?p=4631


???? ????? ???????????? ?? ?????-???? ?? ???????? ‘???? ?????’
http://wp.me/p7kIx-14


???? ????????? ???????? ????? ???????? http://budhbar.com/?p=5856#respond

????????? ??????? : ??? ??? ???????? http://budhbar.com/?p=5481

‘???????’, ‘??????’ ? ‘??????’ ????????? ??????? : ??? ????, ??? ??????http://budhbar.com/?p=5409


????-??????? ??? ??????? : ??????????? ????????? ????? ?????????http://budhbar.com/?p=4922

??????? : ??? ??? ???????????? ????? http://budhbar.com/?p=4823

?????????-??????? ????? ??? : ????????? ???

http://www.kalerkantho.com/?view=details&type=gold&data=University&pub_no=471&cat_id=3&menu_id=137&news_type_id=1&index=3&archiev=yes&arch_date=26-03-2011

?????????? ??????????? ???????? : ?????????? ?????

http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/print_news.php?pub_no=490&cat_id=3&menu_id=141&news_type_id=1&index=17


.............................
More titles( edited/compiled by Arup Rahee)

“WB-IMF-ADB : ‘Development’ Aggression in Bangladesh”

“Who looses, who gains when you are under control of WB-IMF-WTO”

“Shell Terrorism: A case study of Shell profit and principle stand"

“Corporate Terrorism: Unocal and Co.
A case study of corporate terrorism“

“PRSP: A New Strategy for Development Aggression”

“What is WB-IMF-ADB”

"Six decades of development aggression: WB –IMF-ADB in Bangladesh"

"Food Sovereignty: an activist’s guide"

"Corporate Globalization and people’s health: an activists Guide"

"OnnoJibon, onno orthoniti: reader on alternative economy and sustainable livelihood"

'Politics and philosophy of climate change' etc.


Reports, features, articles on Rahee/ Interviews of Rahee


??????? ???? ???????
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bengali/multimedia/2011/11/111109_mb_gaangolpo_rahee.shtml


?????? ????????? ????????? ?????? ????????? ???? 
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15626467,00.html


????? ????? ??????????? ?? ???? ???????? ???- ??????????? ?? ????????- ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ??????-???? ????

https://www.facebook.com/notes/arup-rahee/?????-?????-???????????-??-????-????????-???-???????????-??-????????-????-??????/10150501407510190



http://www.theindependentdigital.com/contents/2011/2011_04_03/content_zoom/2011_04_03_29_2_b.jpg


????? ??? ???? ????????? ??? ????
http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2010-10-03/news/27228


Change through life
http://www.theindependentbd.com/paper-edition/city-life/12416-face-2-face.html


Interview with Ekusher Dupur, ETV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nYYbzG1VMU

http://www.dailykalerkantho.com/index.php?view=details&archiev=yes&arch_date=01-10-2010&type=gold&data=Airline&pub_no=298&cat_id=1&menu_id=17&news_type_id=1&index=2

http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2010-10-07/news/99293



Blogs by Rahee

https://rahee.wordpress.com/

http://www.somewhereinblog.net/blog/raheeblog