Rezwana Choudhury Bannya

Rezwana Choudhury Bannya is a Bangladeshi singer. She is an exponent of Rabindra Sangeet, the songs written and composed by Rabindranath Tagore. She has won several major awards for the genre.

Rezwana was born in Rangpur, Bangladesh to her parents Mazharuddin Khan and Ismat Ara Khan. Since her childhood, she had been attracted to music which quickly grew into a passion with the encouragement and help of her parents. Her early singing lessons started with her uncle Abdul Ali that continued later under the tutelage of Sanjita Khatun and Atiqul Islam at Chhayanat and Bulbul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA) in Dhaka. As she continued taking lessons in music and singing, she also joined the Economics Program at the university after completion of her schooling. However, soon her inner- self-came to the realization that music was her destiny. She received a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to study in Santiniketan, the university that was founded by Tagore himself on his philosophy of complete natural learning. Her true love for Rabindrasangeet started at Santiniketan and only became deeper by the days under the loving care of all of her gurus such as Kanika Bandyopadhyay (affectionately known as Mohordi), Nilima Sen, Shoilajaranjan Mazumdar, Santidev Ghosh, Gora Sarbadhikary, Manju Bandyopadhyay and Asesh Bandyopadhyay.

Bannya performing to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore in Kolkata (May 2011).

Bannya is currently an associate professor in the Department of Music at the University of Dhaka. She also founded Shurer Dhara in 1992, a school for learning music in Dhaka.

In 2010, in order to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, she brought out a complete audio version of Gitobitan, called Sruti Gitobitan.

Bannya was awarded:

• Ananda Sangeet Puroshkar in 2002, for being the best female Rabindra Sangeet artist
• Gaane Gaane Gunijon Shongbardhona (Bangladesh) in 2011
• Sangeet Samman Puroshkar from the Ministry of Culture, India in 2013
• Independence Day Award (Bangladesh) for 2016.

• "Rezwana Choudhury Bannya | Most Popular Bangladeshi Rabindra Sangeet Singer". bikkhato.com. Retrieved 10 January 2014. 
• Rezwana Choudhury Bannya awarded, 1 October 2011 
• "বন্যাকে 'সংগীত সম্মান পুরস্কার'". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 2015-08-16. 

• Swapner Aabhashe(2014)
• Sokal Saajhe
• Bhorer Aakashe (2012)
• Laguk Haowa(2012)
• Apan Pane Chahi
• Pran Khola Gaan (2011)
• Elem Nutan Deshe
• Sudurer Mita
• Maatir Daak
• Khelar Saathi
• Gethechinu Anjali (along with other artistes)
• Moner Majhe Je Gaan Baaje- Sanchayan
• Mor Dorodiya
• Surer Ashonkhani
• Surer Kheya
• Patar Bhela Bhasai
• Shraban Tumi
• Chinnopotro (2004) (along with Bratati Bandyopadhyay)
• Kabi Pranam 2008(along with other artistes)
• Baaje Rammyabina (along with other artistes)