Jaatishshor - reincarnating their musical values
Jaatishshor – reincarnating their musical values
by Faizul Khan Tanim
If you are a traveller in mind and musician at heart, then you will realise that the band’s musical taste has travelled wide across the world in search of divine tunes and genres but Jaatishshor is set firmly in their native Bangladeshi oeuvre.
Powerful and energised folk-jazz-rock-funk fusion,friendly grooves under folk-inspired melodies,mystical flute, tabla beats, bass, drums and craftedvocals - the album covers almost all variations ofharmony and divinity.
This is one CD which caters to the taste and smell ofBengal – I mean, it will drive you to a villagewedding with water splashes and romantic boat rides;continue with happy tunes involving juvenile love,capture the essence of urban romanticism and, finally,take you to the realisation of our inevitable destiny.
Listening to Shopno, a lover, holding onto pastmemories of his lost beloved, we ask the eternalquestion – Shopno dekha shikhiye amay harale oikolahole…cholei jodi jabe tobe shopno kanodekhiyechile? As the song ends with high notes of richcomposition, the end message is pretty positive –don’t stall your life for some one, life isprecious…so move on.
Their own song Dhol baje is a remarkable pieceincorporating happiness and love in a village wedding- a nostalgic track for our grand parents who hadtheir ceremonies in the rural parts of Bengal.
And, if the phrase ‘happiness is followed by sadness’is true, then the band’s song arrangement is justifiedbecause the next song Megher din-e almost seems like alyrical prequel to ‘Shopno’. Only here, it isaccompanied by darker tunes and a gloomy atmosphere.The guitar tune weeps with heartbreaking drum beats,dark keyboard tunes and a wounded vocal tune with sadharmony; indeed, the band presented a truly sad songwith exceptional flair. But, the most melancholic songhas to be Bilap according to the title, and, it is.Interestingly, the track becomes very powerful withthe use of raag and the flute tunes conjure up theimage of a dead body being taken for burial.
However, if you crave for happy feelings, you can beback on the game as the award for the best song in thealbum affectionately goes to Tomar duchokhe. One halfof the two lyricists – Amit, who also sang thisbeautiful song says, ‘it's about a typicalcollege/university student from Dhaka city who takeslife as it comes.’ To me, it’s the happiest song fullof life and energy. Listeners will most definitely behelpless against its catchy build-up of tunes andgreat singing. If there was a genre called jibonmukhiromantic songs, then most definitely this would be thesignature track.
Title song Jaatishshor has captivating use of RaagYaman (Bangla pronunciation - Imon) and partly RaagAsavari (the changes) and is an enthralling jammingtrack.
The CD has four collected songs. Taking traditionalsongs of Lalon and Sachin Dev Burman and rounding themoff with great groove has certainly proved aresounding success.
The boys certainly proved that they can be subtle whenthe need arises. The group’s rhythmical beat istotally contagious and by the time you finishlistening to the CD, you might put it back again. So,a little bit of something for everyone - crackingperformances by them and if this is your first listento Jaatishshor, I’m sure you’ll be thirsty for more!
Powerful and energised folk-jazz-rock-funk fusion,friendly grooves under folk-inspired melodies,mystical flute, tabla beats, bass, drums and craftedvocals - the album covers almost all variations ofharmony and divinity.
This is one CD which caters to the taste and smell ofBengal – I mean, it will drive you to a villagewedding with water splashes and romantic boat rides;continue with happy tunes involving juvenile love,capture the essence of urban romanticism and, finally,take you to the realisation of our inevitable destiny.
Listening to Shopno, a lover, holding onto pastmemories of his lost beloved, we ask the eternalquestion – Shopno dekha shikhiye amay harale oikolahole…cholei jodi jabe tobe shopno kanodekhiyechile? As the song ends with high notes of richcomposition, the end message is pretty positive –don’t stall your life for some one, life isprecious…so move on.
Their own song Dhol baje is a remarkable pieceincorporating happiness and love in a village wedding- a nostalgic track for our grand parents who hadtheir ceremonies in the rural parts of Bengal.
And, if the phrase ‘happiness is followed by sadness’is true, then the band’s song arrangement is justifiedbecause the next song Megher din-e almost seems like alyrical prequel to ‘Shopno’. Only here, it isaccompanied by darker tunes and a gloomy atmosphere.The guitar tune weeps with heartbreaking drum beats,dark keyboard tunes and a wounded vocal tune with sadharmony; indeed, the band presented a truly sad songwith exceptional flair. But, the most melancholic songhas to be Bilap according to the title, and, it is.Interestingly, the track becomes very powerful withthe use of raag and the flute tunes conjure up theimage of a dead body being taken for burial.
However, if you crave for happy feelings, you can beback on the game as the award for the best song in thealbum affectionately goes to Tomar duchokhe. One halfof the two lyricists – Amit, who also sang thisbeautiful song says, ‘it's about a typicalcollege/university student from Dhaka city who takeslife as it comes.’ To me, it’s the happiest song fullof life and energy. Listeners will most definitely behelpless against its catchy build-up of tunes andgreat singing. If there was a genre called jibonmukhiromantic songs, then most definitely this would be thesignature track.
Title song Jaatishshor has captivating use of RaagYaman (Bangla pronunciation - Imon) and partly RaagAsavari (the changes) and is an enthralling jammingtrack.
The CD has four collected songs. Taking traditionalsongs of Lalon and Sachin Dev Burman and rounding themoff with great groove has certainly proved aresounding success.
The boys certainly proved that they can be subtle whenthe need arises. The group’s rhythmical beat istotally contagious and by the time you finishlistening to the CD, you might put it back again. So,a little bit of something for everyone - crackingperformances by them and if this is your first listento Jaatishshor, I’m sure you’ll be thirsty for more!
First published in NewAge Glitz magazine February 8 2007
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