About
Chanchal Khan
Tagore exponent, researcher, singer and director of music and documentaries
Education and Training
- PhD in Public Policy (Washington); MPA (Oklahoma); Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honors), Dhaka University.
- Trained in Rabindra Sangeet at Chayanaut (1976-1980).
- Private training in Kolkata under Debabrata Biswas.
Career as an Artiste
- Chanchal Khan has over 40 years of active pursuit as a Tagore singer and 20 years as a trainer in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Australia and USA.
- Recognized as a cultural diplomat by media for promoting Tagore songs, literature and other Tagore works internationally, especially among western audiences.
- Ten albums in olden cassette and CD forms published, including three from India (HMV/Sa Re Ga Ma; Cozmik Harmony; UD series). His first album (Porobashi) was published under the direction of Shubhash Chowdhury eminent Tagore exponent, and was approved by the Biswa Bharati Music Board in 1995 (as per the Biswa Bharati Copyright rules at that time).
- Other albums published from India and Bangladesh were a combination of thematic features of Tagore songs and experimental research based contribution, such as Tagore songs from his plays; Tagore’s parody songs; and songs with Western influence. Among the albums published, two were duet albums with Papia Sarwar and Lily Islam.
- Performed in numerous stage shows, TV and Radio programs both in Bangladesh and India (West Bengal and Tripura based channels). Participated in state programs in Bangladesh, and in various national day programs hosted by Shilpakala Academy and Bangladesh missions overseas.
- Participated in talk shows on Rabindranath and on cultural issues in various media platforms in Bangladesh, India, Australia, and UK. Interviewed by Voice of America and BBC.
Contribution to Knowledge Management
Documentary Direction
Planner and director of two documentaries on Rabindranath that is widely acclaimed globally:
(1) ‘Bangladeshey Rabindranath’ (2011) on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore. It was a public-private production, funded by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and BEXIMCO.
This documentary was featured in the state program on the occasion of Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary celebration that was attended by the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the Vice-President of India.
This documentary was based on the work of eminent researcher Dr Ahmed Rafique and contained songs of eminent, artistes and cultural personalities of Bangladesh, such as Mita Haque, Lily Islam, Said Mohammad, Fahim Hossain Chowdhury, Rokaiya Hasina Neely, Tanjina Toma, Aniruddha Sengupta; litterateurs like Selina Hossain, Nirmolendu Goon; recitation by Asaduzzaman Noor, Bhaswar Bondopaddahay, Dalia Ahmed and Late Khaled Khan.
Sub-titled in English, this documentary was screened extensively in India and Bangladesh in media, cultural forums (such as ‘’Shurer Dhara’’ festival) and University class rooms as part of their academic exercise. The documentary was screened also in London, Kolkata and Australia under the auspices of the Bangladesh missions.
(2) “Timeless Gitanjali’’ was published in 2015 under the sponsorship of India-Bangladesh Foundation that featured the history of Gitanjali and reflected the continued relevance of Gitanjali until the present time. Sub-titled in Bangla, this documentary was intended for educational purpose and was screened in several Universities, including University of London, University of Melbourne, and Biswa Varati University.
It featured interviews of Professor Anisuzzaman, Shamsuzzaman Khan, Korunamoy Goswami, and Ranjan Bondopadday. Chanchal Khan and Dalia Ahmed’s English narration was supported by eminent singers’songs from Gitanjali. The then Chief Minister of Tripura awarded prize to Dr Chanchal Khan in a special reception hosted by his government in Agartola in 2016. This documentary was considered a landmark cultural diplomacy object by the Government of India and was distributed through its official channel as well as by Foreign Ministry of Bangladesh to its various stakeholders worldwide.
Contribution as a Teacher, Mentor and Music Composer
Dr Chanchal Khan is a well regarded trainer of songs which he has been carrying out for the last two decades. He is a regular music director of Tagore songs in Bangladesh TV. He has directed albums for eminent Tagore singers of Bangladesh, and singers of other genre such as Jotileswar Mukhopadday of India and Shakila Zafar, as well as directed performance of key Tagore singers for his documentary ‘Bangladeshey Rabindranath’.
Dr Chanchal Khan directed music in ‘Balmiki Pratibha’’, ‘Shyma’, Çhirokumar Shobha’, and Çhitrangoda’ in Bangladesh and abroad. The ‘Balmiki Protibha’ production was a joint India-Bangladesh production under the aegis of ‘Shurolok’ and ‘Nrityanchal’ in 2010.
Dr Khan conducts music appreciation sessions for students in Bangladesh and India on a regular basis. Chanchal Khan founded a number of cultural and music appreciation and learning organizations in Australia, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Dr Khan has contribution as a composer of much acclaimed songs on poems by Poet Shamsur Rahman (Shadhinota Tumi Robi Thakurer) and Jibananda Das’s ‘’Abar Ashibo Phire”, sung by Fahmida Nabi and widely played in BTV and available in Youtube.
During the Corona lockdown, Chanchal Khan, on behalf of UNDP Bangladesh wrote a ‘’Gono Shongeet” titled “Jeetbo Mora” which was sung under his direction by artistes of two generations, such as Adity Mohsin, Khairul Anam Shakeel, Bappa Majumder, Kona and Konal.
Painting Journey and Translation Works
A self-trained painter by passion, Dr Chanchal Khan has been translating songs of Tagore on canvass using acrylic and oil medium for sometime now which was also featured in his solo exhibition in Dhaka in 2012. Prominent among these works are : Ámi Kaan Pete Roi”; “Jodi Haye Jibon Purono Nai Holo Momo’’; and “ Jete Jete Ekla Pothey”.
Dr Chanchal Khan has been translating songs of Tagore which were not translated by Rabindranath himself. Several of these translations were recited in various programmes in various functions in Bangladesh and elsewhere. These are expected to be published in the form of a book “Tagore through the nib of my pen’’.
