My Publications

Zoe & Idris Rahman in concert Idris and Zoe Rahman are talented musicians from the UK. Acclaimed with various titles in the contemporary jazz scene of Europe, they came to Dhaka, recited stories of Bangladesh through their music and left the crowd mesmerised. Writes Faizul Khan Tanim . Photos by Andrew Biraj Zoe was playing as if her fingers were moving like butterflies and the flute of Idris sounded like the powerful wind. Anyone who went to see Idris and Zoe Rahman in concert on March 24 and 25 came out besotted by the beauty and dexterity of their performance. The show was organized by the British Council Dhaka at the Shaheed Zia Auditorium of the National Museum in Dhaka. Their set comprised of musical scores of popular Bangla modern and Tagore songs like Cholona ghure ashi, Abar hobe toh dekha, Purano shei din-er kotha, Muchey jawa dinguli and more. The tunes were frequently merry but occasionally melancholy, incorporating an interesting fusion and striking a love-struck balan

3, 2, 1, Action – We, Cricket and Bangladesh Grameen Phone’s new musical advertisement creating emotional waves by Faizul Khan Tanim Bangladesh has been depicted on Television commercials in different ways over the years, but has any one managed to send a shiver of patriotism down your spine? I am not a huge fan of Cricket but this particular advertisement gave me goose-bumps. This ad has become so popular that, discussions regarding it in online forums could be found plenty and, even a low graphic quality of it is put on You Tube, the fastest growing video streaming site. Although, like others, this ad aims at human expressions to cash in on the sentiment of the consumers, there is no denying that it carries a spirit of achievement. The 150 seconds ad titled ‘We, Cricket and Bangladesh’, the concept and script of the advertisement for Grameen Phone (GP) was developed by the creative agency Cogito Marketing Solutions. Amitabh Reza directed, camera operator was L Apu Rozario and Half S

Love to be the ‘Power-slave’ Legendary metal band Iron Maiden took the stage in Bangalore and Aced High. Faizul Khan Tanim and company took the flight of the Icarus, avoided the prowler, had a brush with Charlotte the harlot and, came back home with the phantom of the opera following them Phots by: Gibran Tanwir and AFP C lose your eyes for a moment! Imagine the memorable words - Woe to thee Oh Earth and Sea, for the devil sends the beast with wrath because he knows the time is short. Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast, for it is a human number its number is six hundred and sixty six . Now, try to see in your mind’s eye - Bruce Dickinson chanting those words ‘Live’ in front of you. Yes! A journey began, as we were high on a monstrous pill called Iron Maiden, for they rocked our world and captivated with their music, rock stunts and 20 tonnes of exclusive stage equipments. Better believe it! It was a Maiden voyage for few of us from Bangladesh who tr

A coral dream-house Faizul Khan Tanim takes a spontaneous trip to St. Martins Island and returns besotted by its beauty photos by Md Nazrul Islam & Md Asif Ali If you crave for a little bit of adventure, an impulsive trip that does not call for passport and visas, then touring Saint Martins Island might just be it. It is a small coral island in the northeast part of the Bay of Bengal, about nine to ten kilometres south of the tip of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. From what I have heard about the island in the past, a lot has changed. Now, there are hotels, towers (reception of cell phones absolutely clear), restaurants brimming with tourists, chit-chatter and the clattering noise of forks and spoons- in a nutshell, it is not at all a deserted place anymore. The white and grey sand dune, looking stunning under a bright sunshine, and plenty of breezes, still, however, preserves its natural feel. The most thrilling part, though, is that there is no electricity, making every

Casting Tagore in a new light - Sahana Bajpaie releases her debut album By Faizul Khan Tanim ‘I am not originally a singer…I just sing because I love music’, said Sahana, at the launch of her début album, ‘Notun kore pabo boley’ earlier this week at the Bengal Gallery in Dhanmondi. Perhaps it was such humility that stirred the audience to listen even more avidly to her musical soirée. Her voice was pure magnetism and she blew away the audience with her live set of songs, mainly from the new album. When asked about the title of the album, she explained that it was because she sang ‘contemporary renditions of old classic songs, always discovering more and more layers to the songs as [she] worked’. Prof Firdous Azim of BRAC University, who hosted the inauguration ceremony, recalled emotionally how Sahana used to hum while wandering along the corridors of the English department and how magical it was to see the transformation from that casual singing to this beautiful album. Through her us

A coral dream-house Faizul Khan Tanim takes a spontaneous trip to St. Martins Island and returns besotted by its beauty photos by Md Nazrul Islam & Md Asif Ali If you crave for a little bit of adventure, an impulsive trip that does not call for passport and visas, then touring Saint Martins Island might just be it. It is a small coral island in the northeast part of the Bay of Bengal, about nine to ten kilometres south of the tip of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. From what I have heard about the island in the past, a lot has changed. Now, there are hotels, towers (reception of cell phones absolutely clear), restaurants brimming with tourists, chit-chatter and the clattering noise of forks and spoons- in a nutshell, it is not at all a deserted place anymore. The white and grey sand dune, looking stunning under a bright sunshine, and plenty of breezes, still, however, preserves its natural feel. The most thrilling part, though, is that there is no electricity, making every night

Boka Manushta is back with a BANG! Sumon of Aurthohin is now a slim and happy man, healthier than ever. And, recently, he came back after a long break to release his 4th solo studio album – Boka Manushta -collaborating with 35 well-known artistes. Writes Faizul Khan Tanim If you love listening to music in an ambience where words bask in a pool of tunes and compositions make each song brew like a cup of rich, frothy, creamy and delightful coffee mocha, then, this album could be your treat. Go ahead! Relax on your couch and hit the play button. The album cover is different and can be funny at first sight – reminding us that Sumon lost a lot of weight. To me, it’s more like a musical journal playing stories from different phases of his real life (trust the lyrics). The collaborating artists poured their vivid voices, exhilarating guitar riffs, solos, bass, keys and drum work. The result? A rich collection of songs with a long shelf life! It took me several days to love the