Friday, January 22, 2010

Nokia Music Concert in Chittagong


Music lovers, particularly those of the younger generation, swayed with the rhythm and tunes at a concert titled “Nokia Music Carnival” at King of Chittagong, a community centre here in the port city last Sunday.

Popular bands LRB, Dolchhut and Artcell enthralled their fans with their hit numbers.

Nokia organised the concert as a part of series of events to be held in Rajshahi (December 18), Khulna (December 22) and the capital (December 26).

The concert opened with performances by bands of Chittagong. Led by Bappa Majumdar, Dolchhut began with the song “Din Bari Jaye” and continued with the band’s other popular songs. Artcell jolted the audience with heavy music and started with “Prarthona”.

Finally, the senior-most of the bands, LRB — led by Ayub Bachchu — took the stage amid rounds of applause. The rock guru recalled two renowned musicians — Happy Akhand and Niloy — and began with covers of their songs.

LRB also performed its songs “Ekdin Ghum Bhanga Shohore”, “Meye Tumi Ki Dukkho Chino” and others.

Nokia launched a promotion for six mobile phone sets - Nokia 5530 XpressMusic, Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, Nokia 5310 XpressMusic, Nokia 2730 classic, Nokia 2700 classic and Nokia 6303 classic at branded retail and other outlets all around the country last month.

With the purchase of these sets and upon activation, each consumer was given a concert coupon. The coupons were used to collect tickets for the concerts

Latest Warfaze album to be released on XpressMusic



Nokia is set to lure Bangladeshi music lovers with 5130 XpressMusic - the newest addition to the brand’s XpressMusic range and a first of its kind to team up with musical powerhouse Warfaze with the exclusive release of the band’s Album on Nokia 5800, according to a press release.

Prem Chand, general manager for Nokia’s emerging Asia markets, recently announced the launch of 5130XpressMusic in Bangladesh. “For many people in emerging markets like Bangladesh, their mobile devices are their favourite, and sometimes only, source of entertainment. The appeal of music is universal and so should be music lovers’ access to their favourite songs. The 5130 XpressMusic, with its highly competitive price is targeted at music enthusiasts and will make mobile entertainment more accessible. The release of an album on a mobile device instead of traditional use of CDs is also unprecedented. It is the first of its kind here,” he said.

Hyder Husyns latest solo album Na Bola Katha released




Hyder Husyn’s latest solo album, “Na Bola Katha” was released on September 15 at Sheltech Tower, Panthapath.

After catapulting to success with his first album “Tirish Bochhor Por”, the artiste follows the same genre of songs in his new album.

Hyder Husyn has always strived to convey a significant message through his songs and this album is no exception. The album features 11 songs–”Buddhijibi”, “Gonotontro”, “Muktijoddha”, “Swaadhinota”, “Hartal”, “Bhul”, “Bangladesh”, “AIDS”, “Nesha”, “Shustha Jiboner Protishruti” and “Bhikkhuk.”

Sponsored by Sheltech, the album is produced by Rage Records.

Among others, eminent singer Partho Barua, Dr. Toufiq M. Seraj, managing director of Sheltech Pvt. Ltd, and Adnan Karim, owner of Rage Records, were present on the occasion.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Face to Face with Arnob


Face to Face with Arnob
Arnob talks straight to his fans about current Bangladeshi music scene, advice for aspiring new mucians, personal likes dislikes and message about his songs in just released CD "Chaina Bhabish".
Interviwed by Imtiaz Ahmed

Y&I: What are your views about the current Bangladeshi music scene?

Arnob: We have a lot of bands around that are pretty good. However, sometimes I feel that they lack originality. Sometimes when I listen to some of the songs it seems to me that if I just replace the Bangla words with English the songs would turn completely western. I think there is a lack of identity in some of our bands. Even the way some bands sing in our mother tongue seems like they are suffering from an identity crisis! The way some bands sing, the style, the way they rendition their songs basically seems to portray to me that they have lost their Bangladeshi identity. I feel they should do a bit more to preserve their roots. However, musically the bands are absolutely great, but lyrically we have to develop more.



Y&I: What is the secret behind the soulful lyrics and mesmerising music of your songs?

Arnob: (Smiles) First of all, when I produce a song I don’t create the tunes first; instead I try to write the lyrics. Basically the lyrics which my wife, friends and I write inspires me to create a tune for it. There are certain lyrics that whenever you read it you instantly like it and it arouses a certain feeling or emotion. Using that feeling I create tunes that supports the lyrics, keeping the lyrics as the main priority. Sometimes if you try to force a tune into a song the lyrics get suppressed. So, I try not to disturb the lyrics and create tunes that would support the lyrics and enhance the song. That adds depth to the song. For my songs at least, the lyrics don’t allow me to try and experiment with tunes that much. The lyrics are so deep that it doesn’t allow the tunes to be too adventurous! It demands certain type of tunes.



Y&I: What/who are your favourite bands/artists?

Arnob: I like pure musical bands like Shakti and Return to Forever. Lyrics wise I like Bob Dylan and David Gray. I also like Radiohead and U2.



Y&I: From your own music, which song is your favourite?

Arnob: (Laughs) Well, I’m not yet satisfied with any of my songs 100%. But there are one or two which, I may term as favourites like "Chilte Rodhe" and "Amar Hariye Jawa." These two songs are okay.


Y&I: Advice to aspiring young musician

Arnob: You have to listen to music a lot. At least everyday one or two hours you have to listen to different types of music from different countries. And never develop a disliking against any genre of music. Never develop a taste for music i.e. not listening to a certain genre of music, because taste kills creativity. So, it’s better to listen to every genre. Also you have to create a habit of buying CDs. Go to shops and buy CDs of good artists and bands, you have to listen to a lot of music.



Y&I: Message to your fans


Arnob: I’m grateful to everyone that they liked the song "Shay jay boshe achey" and my songs from Bangla like "Tui Gaan Ga" and "Mon Torey" for it gave me a lot of confidence. For the popularity of these songs told me that what I am doing is being appreciated. Sometimes I get confused about my songs about how they shape up because I create it on my own and don’t get a chance to take other people’s opinions. So, I would ask my fans to tell me if they like my songs and why did they like it and more importantly if they have disliked any of my songs and tell me or write me the reasons for it. That would be a big help, I would appreciate that. I would also want to tell them that I’m releasing my debut solo album so they should all buy it and listen to it and hopefully they would like it. If they don’t like it then they should never listen to it again! Lastly, my message to all my fans would be not to buy pirated CDs.

Black


Interview with Black
By Zeeshan


Nobody reading this piece probably needs an introduction to Black. Arguably the most popular band in Bangladesh now, Black's creative compositions, unique style and electrifying live performances catapulted them from underground obscurity to superstardom. But just when the future was looking bright and the fans were expecting even greater stuff from them, fate intervened. On the night of April 20 this year, on their way back to Dhaka from Chittagong, Black suffered the most terrible accident of their lives. The accident caused the death of reputed sound engineer and band musician Imran Ahmed Mobin, as well as severe injuries to Black's bassist Meraj and drummer Tony.

They say time heals all wounds. But how far has it healed the wounds of our beloved musicians? Recently, we at the RS had the privilege of having a chat with them. So here's the story of their harrowing experience, and their struggle to live beyond it, from their own mouths.

Tell us about the accident.
Jahan: We were in a hurry that night as two of us had exams the next day and Mobin bhai had to face the embassy again. The organisers couldn't arrange a good car for us and the driver was also careless. He was probably drowsing on the wheels, when all of a sudden, we crashed. It was a terrible accident something which was so sudden and unexpected for us that we could neither believe nor comprehend what was happening around us.

How were you all physically affected?
Jahan: Apart from Mobin bhai, a friend of ours, Tanim, was also accompanying us. He was thrown out of the car and suffered injuries to his chest, left arm and the left side of his face. Tahsan, Jon and I escaped with minor injuries. Tony suffered serious injuries to the elbows of both hands and his left toe. But Meraj was the one most severely injured among us. He suffered severe injuries to the left side of his body, including multiple fractures to his left arm, elbow, ring finger, little finger and the left femur.

So, how far have you recovered?
Tony: Jon, Jahan and Tahsan have no physical problems now. As for me, I'm pretty irregular with my physiotherapy. So, it might take some time before I fully recover. But I'm confident once I'm back on the drums, I'll be all right.

How is Meraj doing now?
Meraj: After the accident, I was admitted to Pangu Hospital in an unconscious state. But after receiving primary medical aid there, I was moved to Eden Multicare Hospital, where I stayed for about ten days. Then, on April 29, my parents took me to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. There I underwent surgeries on my left arm, left femur and knee. But my femur had broken into more than 25 pieces. In order to heal it, I'll have to undergo a complicated surgical procedure known as bone grafting. I'll be going to Singapore very soon for the operation and I request everyone to pray for me.

How did you cope with the tragic demise of Imran Ahmed Mobin after the incident?


Jon: I don't know if we can ever cope with it. But we're trying to forget everything by keeping ourselves busy, whether it's studies or hanging out. For example, we've decided to do concerts again. Those things keep coming back in flashes to haunt you. So, I guess we should just hope to keep going. (continued...)

Face to Face with Habib


Face to Face with Habib
Kajalie Shehreen Islam

It has been described as everything from Bhangra to folk to fusion. It's catchy with fervour, fresh yet traditional. It'll make you nostalgic and it'll make you dance. Playing in markets and restaurants, at parties and weddings, it has attracted folk music lovers and techno audiences alike. Songs from the depths of Bengal and Bangla music put to contemporary beats that draw listeners of all ages. Only about two months old, it is definitely a hit.

If you've ever wondered about the man behind the recently released folk remix album Krishno, Habib is it.


The 23-year-old Music and Audio Engineering graduate from London's School of Audio Engineering was born “surrounded by music” and started picking up tunes on his father's keyboard at the age of four or five. One would expect little less from the son of one of the country's popular singers, Ferdous Wahid. But Habib is definitely carving out his own niche in the field, and remixes are only the beginning.

“Remixing was never really my cup of tea,” he says. “While in London, I worked with a DJ and worked on a remix for Virgin Records with Nitin Soni under the name Nasha Experience.”

“We started out with Krishno extremely casually. I had the concept and even the tracks arranged a while ago and was looking for a vocalist while I was in college in London.” Habib ran into Kaya through some common friends, he recalls. “He wasn't even a professional singer and was nervous himself about doing this.”

A Sylheti restaurant owner in London, Kaya had the deep Baul, and most importantly, new, fresh voice Habib was looking to feature in his folk remixes. “Kaya's a really fun-loving person and a huge music lover,” Habib says. “I heard him sing and he heard my tracks and agreed to do the vocals. We weren't even really serious at the beginning. Only after a couple of the songs came out on a mixed pirated album about a year before Krishno's release and were a real hit did we take up the work seriously.” Judging from the huge crowd response in both Dhaka and London, their work has paid off and videos of the songs “Krishno” and “Kala” are already in the making.

Next in line is another remix album featuring a female singer, Julie. The songs featured are old Indian Bangla songs like “Deshlai” and Lata Mangeshkar's “Moina go”. “Probably the reason my remixes are somewhat different,” says Habib, “is that I never listen to the originals. I pick out some CDs and listen to about thirty seconds of the tracks to pick out the ones I like. Then I give the names to my vocalists and ask them to learn the songs. They come back to me and I play them a basic beat and they sing the whole song for me. After that I arrange the tracks because I believe that if I listen to the originals even once I'll be influenced in some way which I don't want to be.”

“The thing I give most importance to when making tracks is groove,” says Habib. “Groove with melody, of course. The music has to be able to make you want to move with it, move your body, tap your feet along with it. I want my music to appeal to the masses.”

While Deshlai is due to be released in a couple of months, Habib's third project and first original featuring again, Julie, her brother, Warfaze vocalist Balam and two new voices, is already under way. “I'll consider my first product to be my original album,” he says. “So far, I've only worked with collected songs. Deep inside, I don't feel like my own identity has come out yet.” This one will feature a variety of music, ranging from pop to modern.
Photo: Habib


“I believe there is a lot of hidden talent in our country and I want to discover them,” says Habib with passion. “I get a thrill out of it. I plan to tour the country searching for fresh, new voices. I want to do something for those with talent but no backing.” New and different artistes will bring variety to the music scene and open up people's minds, he believes. “I also find new artistes to be extremely dedicated.”

So does the musician himself sing? Not professionally, as yet, but he does have a terrific recording of his own from the days back in London. He's not even sure if he'll feature the soft, nostalgic piece in his own CD if and when he ever ends up putting it together. “I don't push myself to meet any deadlines,” he says. “I work into late hours of the night in my studio just thinking up tunes as they come to me and then I work on them during the day. I don't know when I'll have my own CD out. Maybe I'll do two or three tracks a month, maybe one. When I have about ten, I might put them together as an album.” What he does aspire to bring to all his works is versatility, and in his own songs, he wants to bring in Arabian and Latin tunes, among others, with Bangla lyrics.

Another exciting project up the pipeline is Dangerman, featuring father Ferdous Wahid in the lead character in a James Bond type action tele-film. The demo for the promotional is almost ready to go on air while Habib is working on the music for the whole film. “This is the first of its kind in Bangladesh,” says Wahid, “with bombs exploding and all that. And I haven't heard the likes of such music in my thirty-year career,” he adds, looking with appreciative pride towards his son.

“My parents have been my greatest inspiration,” Habib himself says. “I couldn't have done it without them. Or my schooling. I believe what we really lack in Bangladesh is technology and that makes all the
difference.”

The music graduate can feel the difference in his knowledge of music and his works before and after getting his degree. “I believe the greatest musicians in the world, no matter how great their ideas, need the technology and schooling to really do something with them.”

Any favourite music personality? Definitely! “I've been a huge fan of his ever since Roja came out in 1995 or so. And I always had this extreme urge to meet him some day,” he says. So, imagine the young musician's awe when he ran into Indian music icon A. R. Rahman at Heathrow Airport during the production of Bombay Dreams and got to speak to him personally for almost twenty minutes! “I asked him to pray for me,” says Habib, “and I think he must have.”


After bringing out a few more albums featuring some more new artistes, Habib wants to put together his own concert, with not only his own music but choreography, lighting, the works -- “Full entertainment!” as he describes it. “It's just going to be four or five artistes under one banner, singing for three or four hours. If I can get it together, I'm sure it'll be a success.” Regarding his plans for the future -- “I just want to produce good music and make people happy,” he says very simply.

Krosswindz


Krosswindz Biography



Primarily a progressive world/fusion band, now focusing on world music and soulful songs, lyric oriented. Professionally performing concerts all over india for the last fourteen years. Krosswindz is a crosspollination of rural folk music of India with the sounds of folk traditions from around the world. The result, a potpouri of sounds deeply rooted in the soil that touches the heart and speaks the common language of humankind.

Music Style : World, Folk, Ambient progressive fusion

Musical Influences : Pat Metheny, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Joni Mitchell, Basudev Baul, Ghulam Ali, Eric Johnson, Sting, Brian Eno, etc.

Similar Artists : Suzanna Vega, Protima Barua(folk singer), Yossou n' dour, U2, Sting, Cranberries, Santana.

Artist History : Band was formed in 1990, has toured all over india and playing at all major college festivals and stadium concerts. The band is still busy gigging all over the country. The band has performed and collaborated with internationally reputed names like HERBIE HANCOCK(USA), SKY HIGH(SWEDEN), TIZIAN JOST(GERMANY), PANDIT RAMESH MISHRA(INDIAN SARENGI PLAYER OF INTERNATIONAL REPUTE), THE JAZZ AMBASSADORS(USA). The music of Krosswindz has been featured in numerous documentary films and commercials. Presently the award winning film "THE WAY BACK HOME" by film maker SUPRIYO SEN featured the vocals of CHANDRANI(KROSSWINDZ) prominently as a background score for the film. Supriyo Sen has received a grant from the prestigious Jan Vrijman Fund (of the The International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA) on the basis of a worldwide competition of scripts for the production of his fourth film “Way Back Home”.

Group Members : Vikramjit(Tuki) - Lead guitar/Backing vocals/Songwriter,Producer, Chandrani - Lead vocals/Songwriter, Dwaipayan(Doi) - Lead vocals/Drums/Percussion, Nitin - Bass guitar, Ratanjit - Keyboards, Avinash - Drums.

Instruments : Guitar, Nylon string guitar, Mandolin, Khamak, Dotara(Indian Folk Instruments), Dhol, Djembe, Khol, Drums, Congas, Timbales, Cabasa, Guiros, Triangles, Shakers, Bass guitar, Keyboards, Computer based sequencers, Samplers etc.

Albums (Discography) :

Singles - BMG Crescendo(India)
Poth Geche Benke - Sagarika
One World - Kosmic Music
Bhebe Dekhecho ki - Kosmic Music
Compilations - Aabar Bochor Kooree porey - Mohiner Ghoraguli
Khyapar Gaan - Mohiner Ghoraguli
Moni Chara Shunno Laagey - Various Artists
THE MUSIC OF THE GLOBE - JOE ANTHONY PRODUCTIONS(USA).
Jhiko Jhiko - Sagarika Acoustronics (Latest Album 2004)

Albums (Discography) :

Singles - BMG Crescendo(India)
Poth Geche Benke - Sagarika
One World - Kosmic Music
Bhebe Dekhecho ki - Kosmic Music
Compilations - Aabar Bochor Kooree porey - Mohiner Ghoraguli
Khyapar Gaan - Mohiner Ghoraguli
Moni Chara Shunno Laagey - Various Artists
THE MUSIC OF THE GLOBE - JOE ANTHONY PRODUCTIONS(USA).
Jhiko Jhiko - Sagarika Acoustronics (Latest Album 2004)