Ekok by Shams Qabid

Free
Performance
Visual Art

The Old PWD Complex

14th December

05:00 PM - 06:00 PM

Ekok meaning ek, one, alone, solitary — a metaphor Shams invokes for a persecuted people: subjugated to treachery, deception and deceit; emotional and physical evictions, deportations; relegated to the margins — the edge, the drifters.

Shams sets the tone to tell his own story and that of his community — the Bengali-speaking Muslim “Miyas” of Assam — an integral part of Assamese culture and language, yet marked by a term that has become a derogatory salutation in that part of the country.

His music turned into auto-activism as a response born of circumstance and identity. The constant reminder of his “place” in society compels him to write and compose, transforming himself into a quiet yet resolute voice — curious, questioning, and rooted in inner strength.

Sung in the community’s dialect of Bhatiali, Goalparia and some in Baul, Shams thematic renditions range from erosion to eviction, environmental degradation to identity and belonging. Ekok comprises of 7 songs with English translations/explanations after every song.

Amin Nozmul Islam AKA Shams Qabid presents ‘Ekok’ as a part of ‘Murmurations’ curated by Ravi Agarwal