‘It’s the music that binds us’ - BANGLA performing in Germany

‘It’s the music that binds us’

Bangla has undoubtedly come a long way - from a group of youngsters singing for fun to forming a popular folk-fusion band to performing in Germany this week with bands of eight countries, writes Tahmina Shafique and Faizul Khan Tanim
photo Andrew Biraj

Bangla has undoubtedly come a long way — from a group of youngsters singing for fun to forming one of the most popular folk-fusion bands in the country to becoming internationally acclaimed artistes. In 2002 when Bangla, then featuring Anusheh, Buno and Arnab, released its maiden album Kingkartabyabimurha (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’s position at home but also earned it international acclaim. Bangla will perform in Rostock, Germany this week 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 will be the only band from Bangladesh in the concert and share the stage with bands from eight other countries, including South Africa. Last week, amidst last-minute preparations and daylong practice sessions, we caught up with Bangla. Even in the late hours of night, the well-furnished and neat studio on the top floor of Jatra, a crafts shop owned by Anusheh, was abuzz with well-wishers, fans and artistes who had thronged there to celebrate the band’s success. ‘It is still difficult to digest that we will be sharing the stage with so many great artistes,’ said Buno, the bass guitarist and vocal of the band. Amidst the tension and nervousness, the spark of enthusiasm in their eyes was unmistakable. ‘Just being part of a musical concert such as this is a great honour,’ he said. 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 will be performing overseas. It has performed in England, France and India. ‘We have travelled 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. Ishmail, who is primarily working with Jazz and also Shakti, is now a strong part of the band’s 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’s just not something you hear all the time.’ Ishmail played with them for their recent album. ‘Playing with them is a unique experience.’ 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. As Bangla hits the stage today in Germany, for a great cause, fans here and abroad know that the band has taken yet another quantum leap.