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Bangla
(Bangladesh)
An alternative folk music band
[ email ]
Anusheh - vocals ,
Buno - bass , Arnab - keyboards, guitar, vocals , Tipu - percussion , Kartik - guitar, Shantanu – drums
Bangla is a fusion group, located in Bangladesh,
which amalgamates Bengali folk songs with western music.
It was a chance meeting of six young musicians. Buno – Bangla’s bass guitarist had been searching for a niche of
his own in Bangladesh’s world of Band Music for a few years, having played for Oojan working with folk-music in
Sylhet; Ornob who plays the synthesizer, Esraj and guitar for Bangla, grew up in the musical environs of Pathobhavan,
the school Tagore had set up in Santiniketan; Anusheh,Bangla’s main vocalist,had a strict schooling in Indian classical
music under Ustad Sagiruddin Khan, the sarangi maestro; Shantanu, Bangla’s drummer is a percussionist at heart
and can extract rhythm from almost anything which makes noise; Kartik, youngest of them all and the lead guitarist,
is a gifted musician; and last of all Tipu on percussions who joins Bangla with ethnic drums from all over adding
new dimension to their music – both western and eastern. Their search for a music which reflected a bridging of
all the music that they loved to hear and play, ended in the formation of BANGLA – a musical band which sings with
a Bangali soul yet sounds global.
BANGLA was first formed by Ornob with his friends
from Santiniketan. A fortuitous visit by Anusheh to Santiniketan brought the two together. Anusheh had already
met Buno in Sylhet and had spent an evening discussing new experiments in music, finding much in common. Two thus
became three. The first public concert was at the Kolkata Boi Mela in January,1999 in India.
Of course, the Nescafe show in Sheraton in October,1999 was the first formal show of Bangla’s. In fact, Prothom
Alo in its 15 October,’99 edition even comments on the ‘jatra arambho’, or the beginning of the journey, of this
band . Then followed many concerts, both formal and informal, with Kartik, Shantanu and Tipu joining the three
along the way. BANGLA was now complete. Buno, Ornob, Kartik, Shantanu, Tipu and Anusheh. Six young musicians on
their way to stardom.
ANUSHEH ANADIL: Anusheh has a strong foothold on classical
music having trained in Indian raga music from a very young age. Anusheh also writes her own lyrics and found a
lot that she could relate to in the traditional spiritual folk songs of Bengal.It was the content which first attracted
her, and naturally with her love for vocal music, she was soon singing these traditional songs but with a unique
new style of her own. Anusheh is naturally creative and runs her own Crafts Shop called, ‘JATRA – A Journey into
Craft’ in Dhaka which is an extremely popular haunt of the young and trendy looking for craft and casual wear made
by local artisans with Bangladeshi material, believing in ‘ being Bangladeshi, and buying Bangladeshi products’.
FAIZAN RASHID AHMAD
(BUNO):Buno, besides
being a very innovative musician, has through the years collected a large number of folk songs, which he hopes
to experiment with in the near future. Buno also happens to be the mainstay of Bangla, managing the nitty-gritty
of marketing, production and generally keeping-the-band-together requisites. Trained in professional sound engineering,
Buno also takes care of the recording and mixing of Bangla’s music. Buno is also a gifted photographer and has
displayed his work in a number of exhivbitions. Most of Bangla’s visuals on the CD are by Buno. Buno happens to
be a professional tea-planter owning a tea garden in Sylhet, Northern Bangladesh.
SHAYAN CHOUDHURY (ORNOB): Ornob is a creative genius having worked
with various medias of art – music, fine arts, filmmaking and animation. His training in classical music on the
esraj and a childhood spent in Santiniketan learning the music of Tagore gives an unique touch to Bangla’s music.
Ornob has currently completed his Master’s in Fine Arts from the Kala Bhavan of Visva-Bharati University. He has
produced a couple of animated books of his own paintings with audiocassettes complementing the work. Ornob regularly
directs music for TV dramas and plays.
SHANTANU BARUA: Shantanu is a born musician and refuses
to try any work which is not linked to music. Besides drums he has played the tabla, khol, dhol, mandira and given
back-up vocals for Bangla’s album ‘Kinkortobbobimur’. Shantanu helps out other bands that have the same goals of
promoting Bangali music. He is a drummer much in demand among the Bangladeshi bands.
AL FAHMI KAZI BASHAR
(KARTIK): Kartik,
though still astudent, gives all his extra time to music. Besides playing the guitar, Kartik has training in tabla
and is presently engaged in learning to play the Esraj. Kartik is studying to be an Interior Designer but hopes
to continue playing Bangladeshi music, which is very close to his heart.
SHEIKH MONIRUL ALAM
(TIPU): Tipu has
been part of the Bangladeshi band scenario for quite a few years having started as the drummer of WINNINGS who
recently celebrated 20 years of music. He also plays for WARFAZE. Both are extremely popular bands. His love for
local music drew him to Bangla in whom he sees a lot of potential for making ‘music with a difference’. Tipu has
visited the UAE for professional musical concerts with WINNINGS. Recently, he has formed a music production company,
EKTAAR, with some other professional musicians where he is the Production Manager. Bangla’s first album was released
under Ektaar’s banner.
BANGLA’S MEMORABLE
CONCERTS:
| January 1999 |
Kolkata Boi Mela, India |
| June 1999 |
Art & Music Fest, Drik Art Gallery,
Dhaka |
| December 2000 |
Art College, Dhaka |
| April 2001 |
Benson & Hedges Heart and Soul,
Sheraton Hotel, Dhaka |
| October 2002 |
ETV Show, Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata,
India |
| November 2002 |
Juke Box Show, BCIC Auditorium, Dhaka |
| December 2002 |
Fund-raising Concert for Mentally Challenged
Children, Dhaka Museum Auditorium, Dhaka |
| February 2003 |
Army Stadium, Dhaka |
| March 2003 |
Mints Concert for Acid Victims, Chittagong |
| January 2004 |
Jazz Blues & Beyond 2004, Dalhousie
Institute, Kolkata |
Bangla on the net :
http://www.dailystarnews.com/200211/09/n2110909.htm
http://www.amadergaan.com/review/kkb.php
http://www.banglamusic.com/artists/bangla
http://www.bangladeshshowbiz.com/news/reviving_baul_music.htm |
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