OP-ED: Remembering Mita Haque

Commemorating the passing of a master singer, and a great friend
After the passing of Indra da (Indramohan Rajbongshi) last week, I wrote to my friend, “Who’s next?” I meant who is next in our music circle. I did not think of Mita Haque, although Mita was not in her best health the last several years. Finally, corona joined the march of other cruel maladies, and she lost the battle.

My acquaintance with Mita goes back to the early 70s. We were a few years apart, and her husband -- late Khaled Khan Yuvaraj, the noted actor -- and I were mates in Dhaka College, a relationship that further cemented over the years. As I write this eulogy, many fond memories with Mita along the lanes and by-lanes of our musical pursuits crowd my mind.

Besides on the stage of Ramna Batamul, Mita and I had performed on a good number of stages and TV programs at home and overseas. She came to Melbourne and stayed with us in 2008. It was a Pohela Boishakh program organized by Shurolok in the famed Federation Square.

Mita spent a good number of days visiting her students’ homes, and enjoyed the seafood and coffee that Melbourne could offer.

It is hard to comment on Mita’s mastery of singing. Great voice? Holding the notes perfectly? Sustaining them with great power? Understanding and delivering Tagore’s melody and words in a most balanced way?