The acoustic vagabonds of Bangladesh - Shahed and Dipto's albums reviewed

The acoustic vagabonds
by Faizul Khan Tanim

Dipto’s debut album Akta Shorol Onko talks about a carefree wanderer, a determined writer, celestial relationships, and finds solace in complexities of the daily life

The title is deceiving. Deciphering this album will take more than one try. Its concept is simple but the rendering generates a lot of personal and emotional energy.

Dipto invites listeners to a session of chilled out rock and intimate storytelling. He tells his tales in narrative melodic lyrics woven into funky, groovy and psychedelic compositions. The melodies are balanced with overlapping beats on the snare and crash, and acoustic guitar strumming.

In a nutshell, for anyone who loves to reflect on life through music or find beautiful elucidation by applying simple math — as Dipto suggests in this album’s track — the reaction to this album would interestingly be more of a pleasant WOAH! than the ordinary Hmmm!

The music is addictive and it grows on you as you keep listening, I got myself addicted after going through the entire album for the twelfth time.

The compilation speaks to the writer in me, I feel as if it catches the essence of my inner soul. Especially the last song, Lekha Jhoka, which is about a writer who is asking his consciousness to never stop writing, for fear that he will forever lose the sanctity of manifesting his emotions through his poetry.

Then there is the song Ke Torey Bhalobashey, celebrating the birth of a child. It waxes poetic about the bizarre beautiful baby noises, the love of parents, the dawn of existence and most importantly, the joy of becoming a father. It seem the music of the song and words were so inspiring that even the composition itself joined into the celebration.

This album has a lot of passion, and a positive energy flowing through most of the songs, for example Ontor Nai, Dighir Jol, Nichhokh Onubhuti and of course, Oshukh Korena, which hums the carefree life of a charming wanderer.

Shahed’s album Classroom-e Boshey Shekha sports honesty, romance, bohemian lifestyle and simple living. If uncomplicated words and tunes bring happiness, then this album is a sure shot for urban pessimists
This album leaves me dreaming that I am part of a fictional cult called ‘acoustic vagabonds.’ It is a world of musicians in torn denims, blemished shirts, acoustic guitars, and a king Shahed. And he would be singing the lines Tui pagol tor baap puro pagol, pagol pagol korishna…ami pagla, tui pagli, amra shobai pagla pagli…pagla chhara duniya jomena.

Although this chorus from the song Pagla Chhara Duniya sound extremely comical I felt that these words are honest to the core. The rest of the songs contain similarly undeniable truths. They have a deliberate bohemian appeal, accompanied by the lively guitar strumming, sentimental riffs, ballad effects and folk-ish chord structures. Even the song titles filled with colloquial expressions, scream similicity — Jhumpak Jhakkas, Shundori, Bondhur Rong, Amar Akta Bou Dorkar and many more.

Shahed’s songs are written in the spirit of honesty. They are a candid retelling of intimacies and perpetual desires — ones that represent one’s most natural wishes and instincts.

Many of his fans feel the album is a compilation of songs that represent various phases in his life. Although some songs outshine the others, each one describes people and memories Shahed hold dear, just like the song Khola Chul.


The albums are available at audio outlets throughout the country and online at www.amadergaan.com/shop for legal download.

*This article was first published in New Age's XTRA Inaugural Magazine Issue - June 13 2008