What changes do you think 50 years can bring in the music industry of a country? To be more specific, how about a country that has existed in the world map for only about 50 years? Let me make things a little easier. This is the country in South-East Asia that has the longest sea beach in the world and for whom February 21st is celebrated as the International Mother Language Day each year. I am talking about Bangladesh, the country where I was born and raised. It is home to legendary band singers like Azam Khan, Ayub Bachchu and James who have crafted the way for present day band artists like Rafa, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Tasrif Khan, and others. These youngsters did not fail to live up to our expectations.
The beginning of the war-stricken country was not easy. The triumph of 1971 against West Pakistan (present day Pakistan) was glorious yet laden with challenges to achieve Shonar Bangla (translates to the Golden Bengal) in order to ensure prosperous lives of citizens. No one knew that music would become such an integral part of Bangladeshi lives in the coming days. As bands started to emerge in independent Bangladesh, band music continued to grasp the hearts of millions rapidly.
A Brief Timeline of Bangladeshi Band Music
A Brief Timeline of Bangladeshi Band Music (continued)
The images above represent a brief timeline of the bands that have existed since the birth of the country. The earliest bands of the country, Souls and Uccharon, were heavily influenced by Western music. They turned their love into their passion: took the risk of introducing Bangladeshi people with guitars, drums and keyboards. And they beautifully nailed it! Souls released their first album in 1982, named Super Souls. Before 1982, Azam Khan, the founder of Uccharon (who was also a Freedom Fighter in the 1971 Liberation War), boldly took charge and put his heart into rock music. For his utmost dedication, he was bestowed upon the title, King of Bangladeshi Rock Music. The cocktail of western instruments, rock genre and Bangladeshi touch was an instant success. While some of these songs exhibited the typical discotheque of Western music, others exhibited ambience. If you see a person either at home or abroad humming, Ore Salekha, Mon Shudhu Mon Chuyeche, or Abar Elo Je Shondha, that is undoubtedly a Bangladeshi individual. While Bangladeshi people enjoyed a new taste in these kinds of music, their lyrics vouched for further success. The storytelling depicted the struggles and melancholy of the post-war affected public and addressed various cultural and societal issues. Eventually, more creative minds felt the urge to use music as a way of expressing themselves effectively. The years 1977, 1996, 1998 and 2001 of this golden era gave us two new bands each year! Interestingly, 1999 is the birth year of three bands! That definitely testifies how the band music market grew stronger over the years.
Present Day Popular Bangladeshi Bands & Music
After Azam Khan, the two most renowned individual names would be LRB’s Ayub Bachchu and Nogor Baul’s James. Songs like Hashte Dekho, Shei Tumi, Baba and Taray Taray are masterpieces by these two legends. In the present day, bands like Artcell, Aurthohin, Warfaze, LRB and Nogor Baul have the most fan base. Over these years, artists have played around with different genres like rock, metal, folk etc. Folk is basically the genre that relates to Bengali culture and uses traditional instruments like flute, tobla etc. When infused with Western rock, it created something totally different. Yet, it was and is still well appreciated. Bands like Bangla, Lalon Band, Joler Gaan and Kureghor have significantly contributed to develop the bridge between folk and Western influence. The fusion ensured that both the tradition of folk and the uptempo of Western music existed.
Although some well-known bands gradually exited the limelight due to the expiration of a leading band member or for other reasons, their catchy songs will remain nested in Bangladeshi hearts forever. Again, that does not mean that the era of Bangladeshi band music has ceased. New bands are still forming while existing newbies plan to create more music. It is the nostalgia of these old bands that hit us sensually.
