Migrant songs 1950s-80s: Preserving Bangladeshi musical heritage in the North West

Aimed at Bangladeshi audiences in the North-West, ‘Migrant songs 1950s-80s: Preserving Bangladeshi musical heritage in the North-West’  has been designed to showcase folk music in tribute to the migrant experience in the region. 

Led by Anindita Ghosh, Professor of Modern Indian History, it consisted of a series of events organised in the North West – across Manchester, Oldham and Bradford - with the explicit purpose of bringing the history of Bangladeshi migration and the role of music in it, to younger generations of Bangladeshis, showcasing their rich heritage.

As part of the project, Professor Ghosh teamed up with a leading community-based theatre group, Ayna Arts, to produce an original play on Bengali folk music and migration at the OBA Oldham Millennium Centre. 

Telegram is based on real life experiences of Bangladeshi migrants who came to work in the mills and factories in North West England from the 1950s onwards, and resonated with first and second generation South Asian migrants in the audience, irrespective of background or location. It was reported in a community (Pakistani) based news channel, Dunya TV, and was shown across not just the UK but also in Europe, USA, Hong Kong, the Middle East and South Africa. 

The event was posted through the Creative Manchester platform, and funded by the Faculty Research Recovery Funds.