| Suzana Ansar | |
|---|---|
Suzana Ansar with Khansar on stage |
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| Background information | |
| Born | Leyton, East London, United Kingdom |
| Origin | Woodford Green, North London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Kheyal, Thumri, Nazrul Geeti, Bengali Folk, Hindi, Qawwali, Sufi, Bhajan, Adhunik, Fusion |
| Occupations | Singer, actress, music teacher |
| Instruments | Vocals, harmonium, tanpura, sitar, piano |
| Years active | 1998-present |
| Labels | G-Series/Agniveena |
| Associated acts | Syed Ansar Yamin Chowdhury Imran Khan |
| Website | Official website |
Suzana Ansar is a British Bengali singer and actress.
Contents |
Ansar was born in Whipps Cross University Hospital, Leyton, East London, United Kingdom to British Bengali ex pat parents, UK community activist (Jenney) Syeda S Karim, and chartered accountant/businessman Mohamed Ansar Uddin. She is one of two children.
She grew up in Woodford Green, receiving private school education at Ilford Ursuline High School, and then Forest School. She further went on to read Mathematics and Business Finance at University of London and is a part qualified Chartered Certified Accountant.
Growing up in England, her parents encouraged her to connect with both her eastern and western cultures thus taking up harmonium, tanpura, sitar and Bengali and Arabic lessons as well as learning to play the piano.
Her grandparents are from Mymensingh, Brahmanbaria, and Chandpur originally, but are settled in Dhaka, which she calls her second home. Her aunt is current Bangladeshi foreign minister Dr. Dipu Moni MP.
Having trained in Indian classical music from a very young age from gurus (late) Golok Mohon Chowdhury and then Pandit Haridas Ganguly, she sings genres ranging from Kheyal, Nazrul Geeti, Hindi to Bengali Folk and Fusion.[1]
Having spent her childhood singing traditional Bengali songs, she participated and won several song contests in London. First performing on stage at the age of 5 at a Bengali International event, later in adulthood, she went on to be music teacher at the same organisation and many others. She also has her own music school 'Suzana Ansar Music School' which produces television programmes like Suzana n Kids.
As a teenager she worked with fusion and asian underground music alongside State of Bengal on his debut album Audio Visual released in 1998 with a song co-written by her. She is seen by many as a role model for young British Bengali growing up abroad by the manner in which she blends both her British and Bengali heritage which has been written about on many occasions including a case study on her in the book, A Tale of Three Generations.[2]
She has represented the works of revolutionary Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam though her music,[3] and live shows and continues to create music to increase awareness of him[4]
She released her solo debut album, 'Suzana Ansar with Khansar', from leading Bangladeshi record label G-Series/Agniveena featuring her band, composed of herself, her brother Syed Shahdin Ansar (Saadi) Tabla player Yamin Chowdhury (Shagor), and Imran Khan in November 2009.[5]
She performs regularly billed in concerts across USA, Spain, France, Italy, Bangladesh, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, India, Canada to name a few alongside Bangladeshi superstars Ayub Bachchu, Baby Naznin, Runa Laila, Asif Akbar, Momtaz Begum James Nagar Baul Habib as well as indian star Sonu Nigam etc.
She is a well known face amongst Bengalis living in Europe through her live shows[6] television appearances on Bangla TV UK (Poboner Boytha, valentines special, Series Rupban), Channel S (Suzana n Kids, Sur Jolsha), NTV UK (Phoney Phone Gaan), NTV (Bangladesh) (Amaro Gaitey Ichhey Holo, Musik Jamz) ATN Bangla[7] Boishakhi Special,) Ekushey Television (Ta NA NA NA, Tommy Miah's Recipe), Zee TV (Antakshari 1998).
She is seen on television to both, sing live, and also as a television presenter.
She has acted in 8 UK produced telefilms in the Sylheti and Bengali dialect like Mayar Taney (UK) Friends 1 and 2 (UK) Projonmo (UK).
She has also recently filmed Bangladesh TV serials Fifty Fifty on Bangla Vision (alongside Mosharaf Karim) and The Graduate on NTV (Jahid Hasan, Tisha, Mostafa Kamal Raj, Siddik). She features in telefilm Life Partner(with Hasan Masood, Joya) and has shot a mini series in Thailand called Borishaila Mama Bhaigna Aite Shaal Jaite Shaal' (alongside Chanchal Chowdhury, Chadni, Dr Ejaz, Tushar Khan) and Colours Of Cambridge (with Mosharaf Karim) for ATN Bangla. 'Dead End- 30 days is her most recently shot drama (alongside Partha Barua, Tania, Jenny) also shot extensively in Thailand