In a career spanning 62 years, legendary singer Runa Laila was to give her first solo performance at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. She was due to sing on the main stage of the academy’s National Theatre Hall on 18 July, and was also to be honoured at the event. But the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has, for now, postponed the programme because of the country’s ongoing flood situation.
Runa Laila said the decision had been taken in view of the overall situation in the country. The academy will announce a new date once the flood situation improves.
Shilpakala Academy public relations officer Sabina Yasmin said: “If everything is favourable, there is a plan to hold the programme within this month. The 25th of July is being considered as a possible date, but that too will depend on the flood situation.”
Later this month, Runa Laila is set to take part in two concerts in Australia, with performances scheduled in Sydney on 1 August and Melbourne on 8 August — her first time singing on an Australian stage in about a decade. She plans to leave the country with her musicians on 29 July.
The academy wants to complete the tribute programme before her foreign tour. At the event, Runa Laila will perform her popular songs, and eminent figures from the music world will recall memories and contributions from her six-decade career.
“Programmes like this are important for passing the history and memory of music on to the new generation,” Runa Laila said. “This will be my first solo concert at the Shilpakala Academy.”
Under the patronage of the Culture Ministry, the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has been honouring the country’s celebrated artists since last year. Earlier honourees include Sabina Yasmin and Syed Abdul Hadi.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report