Bangla has undoubtedly come a long way - from a group of youngsters singing for fun to
forming a popular folk-fusion band.
In 2002 when Bangla, then featuring Anusheh Anadil, Faiyaz Rashid Buno and Shayan
Chowdhury Arnab, released its maiden album Kingkartabyabimur(confounded), the response was tremendous. Unique tunes, soulful lyrics, masterful combination of folk and
fusion made every number of the album hugely popular and earned the band the acclaim of
being a leading folk-fusion exponent in the country.
Then came its second studio album 'Pratyutpannamatitva' (ready wit) last year, after a break of almost two years. Another instant hit, the album not only consolidated the band
position at home but also earned it international acclaim.
Bangla performed in Rostock, Germany recently in a concert, titled Your Voice against
Poverty, organised by an anti-poverty movement with the support of one of the biggest
icons in world music, Bono, the lead singer of U2. Bangla was the only band from
Bangladesh in the concert and share the stage with bands from eight other countries,
including South Africa.
Bangla’s journey began sometime in 1999; its founder members were then students of
Santiniketan. ‘Our music came from our sour-searching addas,’ Buno said.
The initial challenge was to raise enough money to get the band going and release its first
album, he said. ‘We had very little money. The three of us worked tirelessly to raise the
funds and give life to our aspirations.’
Now, the challenge is to make the time to be together, Arnab said. ‘Now that we have all
grown up and have separate lives, it is difficult to make the time to get together and
perform. But, at the end of it all, I guess, it is the music that binds us together.’
‘I think we understood each other musically and that’s what brought us closer,’ Buno said.
Despite the challenges, the band has managed to stay strong and, over the years, has
developed and expanded. It now has two members—Kartik, a renowned guitarist of the
country, and Ismahil, who has played for internationally acclaimed bands like 'Shakti'.
The Rostock concert is not the first time that Bangla performed overseas. It has performed
in England, France and India. ‘We have traveled so much and performed at so many places,
both in and outside the country. All of that was a wonderful experience,’ Buno said.
‘In England, France and India, more than just being able to perform, the honour was to
meet great artistes like Vikku Vinayakram, Sam Mills, Illa Pandey, Tonmoy Ghosh, members
of Shakti and so many others. We obtained a wealth of knowledge from these people who
are undoubtedly some of the greatest musicians in the world,’ Buno added.
Their second album 'Pratyutpannamatitva' is perhaps the continuation and development of
their first album. ‘Our music in many ways comes from our personal experiences and life and
much of what we do is reflected through what we produce,’ Buno said. ‘This album took us a
long while, because we are developing, discovering, learning and trying to make another
unique tune.’
Indeed, the music this time is very ‘off the mainstream’, reflecting perhaps how the band
has matured over time. The songs in this album are vivid as they portray true feelings
regarding the recent atrocities in the country in the name of religion and God. Some of the
famous age-old compositions have been fashioned by the group with a mixture of
instruments like tabla, mrindangam, ektara, dhol, bangla dhol, trumpet, guitars, drums, etc.
While countless fans, celebrate its success, the band is more enthusiastic about being able
to represent Bangladesh in a big event such as this. They have already performed at Halle
(near Leipzig) on June 1. The concert at Halle was sponsored by Netz Bangladesh, a German
NGO dedicated to reducing poverty in Bangladesh.
Bangla’s journey of unique and heritage sound of Bengal has taken them onto many
international stages, continues to motivate the young generation to listen to our traditional
music and visit our roots.
Ishmail, who is primarily working with Jazz and also
Shakti, is now a strong part of the band
development. ‘Getting an opportunity to do
something different and that too a unique tone is an
amazing experience itself,’ he says. ‘I think Bangla
has a different flavour to its music — the kind that
just not something you hear all the time.’
Ishmail played with them for their recent album.
‘Playing with them is a unique experience.’
