Presenting a high energy, festive song that combines Bangla folk genres ‘Shaari’, ‘Jaari’ and ‘Pala Gaan’ with electrifying urban grooves, Coke Studio Bangla released its fifth track “Deora” on Sunday (May 07) night across all its digital platforms. Composed, produced, mixed and mastered by Pritom Hasan – one of the most versatile contemporary musicians, “Deora” is dedicated to the boatsmen’s rhythm and energy during ‘Nouka Baich’ or traditional boat race, popular in rural Bangladesh and held during the monsoon and autumn seasons. The title of the song refers to ‘brother-in-law’ in the regional dialect of north Bengal, and this type of song is performed during the boat races – cheering on the racers – from the banks of rivers. The biggest surprise in the song has been the superlative performance by Islam Uddin Palakar, renowned in the ‘Pala Gaan’ tradition of Bangla folk songs. “The rich heritage of this genre usually requires elaborative theatrical performances where the actor takes on multiple roles – sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, and sometimes an inanimate object – to present stories to their audience. These performances can take up to 8 hours without a break.” – Coke Studio Bangla describes. Read More: Web series Hotel Relax hits a new record: Bongo Pritom jointly penned the lyrics with Fazlu Majhi, a boat racer himself who also performed in the song with his team. The first Bangladeshi Grammy Award-nominated artist Armeen Musa and her ‘Ghaashphoring Choir’ added another dimension to the song. Describing the fusion in detail, Coke Studio Bangla mentioned on the song’s YouTube description, “…’Shaari Gaan’, usually associated with physical labour, and ‘Jaari Gaan’ known for its motivational lyrics – the perfect combination for a sport that requires the participants to have quick bursts of intense energy for rowing their boat across the finishing line.”

After releasing nine fusion songs since its launching in February this year, season one of Coke Studio Bangla comes to its conclusion with the launch of the latest song, “Hey Samalo.” The team of Coke Studio Bangla released this song at a gala event and exclusive screening for 500 fans at hotel Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden on Thursday night. A tribute to the undying spirit and the rebelling nature that can be found among all Bangladeshi netizens, the song came as a majestic fusion of Salil Chowdhury's 1946–1948 Tebhaga movement–inspired original song of the same name and Abdul Latif's 1952 Language Movement–inspired the song "Ora Amar Mukher Bhasha." The biggest artistic collaboration of the season, “Hey Samalo” is sung by 15 prominent Bangladeshi singers - Bappa Mazumder, Samina Chowdhury, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Sunidhi Nayak, Rituraj Baidya, Dilshad Nahar Kona, Warda Ashraf, Armeen Musa, Sanzida Mahmood Nandita, Masha Islam, Rubayat Rehman, Jannatul Firdous Akbar, Sinha Hasan, Ripon Kumar Sarkar (Boga Taleb), and Animes Roy. The music video of the song also contains musicians belonging to the Mro community in Naikhongchari of Bandarban, who performed a mesmerizing flute performance and a Raibenshe folk martial dance. Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Music Producer of Coke Studio Bangla said, “We tried to explore something different for the finale by using Gono Sangeet in an effort to bring musicians and artists from different genres and backgrounds in unison. Everyone synced together beautifully, and the bond we created through this song was the real magic.” “This song brings out the undying spirit of the Bangladeshi people and I hope our audience will feel the same passion we felt when we sang together,” he added. “Bengalis have always fought for their rights throughout their lifetimes, whether it was during the anti-British movement, the struggle for independence from Pakistan, the fight for the mother tongue, or the anti-dictatorship movement. We wanted to close the first season with the spiritual strength that our nation never lost,” Coke Studio Bangla Creative Producer Syed Gousul Alam Shaon said about the song. The maiden season of Coke Studio Bangla featured a total of 10 songs from different genres including its rocking opener “Nasek Nasek,” followed by “Prarthona,” “Bulbuli,” “Bhober Pagol,” “Chiltey Roud,” “Bhinnotar Uthshob,” “Shob Lokey Koy,” “Lilabali.” “Dokhina Hawa” and lastly, “Hey Samalo.” The season featured a star-studded lineup of Bangladeshi legendary musicians, such as Momtaz Begum, Bappa Majumdar, Pantha Kanai, Dilshad Nahar Kona, Samina Chowdhury, Mizan, Tahsan Khan and more, along with new promising singers from music industry such as Animesh Roy, Boga Taleb, Nandita, Makhon and others. Also read: Coke Studio Bangla concert held at Army Stadium

Rock icon Faruq Mahfuz Anam James is coming up with another brand new song soon after releasing "I Love You" during this year's Eid-ul-Fitr. The song is just a month away from its official release, Rubaiyat Tagore Robin, told UNB Wednesday. "The latest track of Guru (James) is yet to be titled and is still a work-in-progress. But we can assure you that it is set to be released within one month and we will officially announce the release date through a press conference." After 12 years, James released his latest track I Love You the night before the Eid-ul-Fitr on the official YouTube channel of Bashundhara Digital. Read: Ayub Bachchu trending top of Twitter Asia The song received mixed reviews from the audiences and critics, but for the diehard fans of James, that could not dampen the excitement. The upcoming track will also be released from Bashundhara Digital, whom the rock legend praised for initiating his return with a brand new single after more than a decade.

Pouring heartfelt tribute to all the mothers, a special song titled ‘Ma’ by eminent singer Fahmida Nabi has been released on Sunday. The song is written by Samina Salam, and composed by popular music director Foad Nasser Babu. Also read: Mother’s Day returns with happiness, celebrations after two deadly pandemic years A music video of this song has also been released, featuring veteran actress Dilara Zaman, actress Sallha Khanam Nadia and child artiste Affa Anjum. Fahmida Nabi has sung about her mother before and specifying this song she said, “The word “Ma” is a short word, but the impact of mothers in our lives is uncountable and unimaginable. I feel honoured and lucky to voice this beautiful track and hopefully, this song will mesmerize the audiences.” Samina Salam said, “I wrote the song after the passing of my mother, who was my universe. I had a lot to say which I could not express to anyone, thus I wrote this song to express those unspoken verses.” Eminent actress Dilara Zaman also shared her emotional experience regarding the track, saying: “This song is pretty special for me, both as an artist and a mother. As sweet as the word “Ma” is, its meaning is incredibly deep and impactful. A girl has written and composed a song about her mother, and this is the first time in my life I got the opportunity to play the role of mother in the music video of that song, which is very special to me.” Also read: 2022 Happy Mother’s Day: Five Athletes Who Make a Big Comeback After Becoming Mothers Created by Alamgir Hossain, the music video of the song has been released and is now available on Samina's Creative World YouTube channel.

In tribute to the young generation to boost their morale amid the pandemic, Mizan Malik, a renowned journalist, poet, and lyricist, has penned a new song titled 'Aastha' which was released on August 23, 2021, on his official YouTube channel. Close-Up One famed singers Putul and Vashon sing the song 'Aastha', tuned and composed by Zahid Bashar Pankaj. The song, 'Aastha', got released at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has afflicted the entire world and the youth are going through a critical phase due to the prolonged closure of the educational institutions. Many have abandoned the reading table in favour of their smartphones. Time is passing in a state of trauma, as the young generation does not know when life will return to normal. In such a reality, lyricist Mizan Malik wrote the 'Aastha', suggesting the youth not to give up and not to abandon their innate positive spirit. "Our new generation is spending idle and hopeless moments without having entertainment during the deserted time as if dust has accumulated on their dreams," Mizan Malik stated of the song. "Basically, I wrote the song to stimulate their morale." READ: Pandemic fiction: Fall books include stories of the virus Expressing her joy about the song, singer Putul said, "I feel good after a long time singing a song that has a different dimension. He has written the song with passion and care, and we are expecting everybody would enjoy the song." Last year, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Mizan Malik wrote several inspirational songs, including 'Kheya', 'Prarthana', 'Bangladesh', 'Aradhana', and 'Matobad', to name a few. Over the last 15 years, Mizan Malik has created a name for himself by creating songs for prominent singers including Andrew Kishore, Rabi Chowdhury, folk singer and Member of Parliament Momtaz Begum, Biplob, Sumon Rahat, Fakir Shahabuddin, Sohel Mehedi, Khaled Munna, and Pritam. READ: Spl show to commemorate Aug 21 grenade massacre A well-known journalist in the country for his award-winning investigative journalistic works, Mizan Malik is currently serving as the Deputy Editor of Amader Shomoy and President of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh-CRAB.

So Fakir Alamgir bhai is gone and with him goes a cultural world which can never be resurrected as the world that produced it is gone. He came from a world where arts and politics lived together and both were supposed to belong to the people. They were songs of the pre-digital era and sounded best when sung to a crowd of cheering lads who wanted social change. He was into Left politics too, when some of the best were there. Today’s FB radicals wouldn’t be able to recognize that era when social change was just thought to be a few songs away. It didn’t happen of course, and for many reasons including history - but the legacy of the music stayed on. The past of a “people’s” cultural movement is now part of our memory but a strong one too. And much of that belonged to Fakir Alamgir bhai, now gone at 71. The 70s were the great years where culture flourished. There was no money, no dhandabazi - so those drawn to it were citizens genuinely interested in the arts. There was the mainstream so to speak but the sub-stream was no less strong. Often they would draw huge crowds. Part of that was because so many were part of the 'Great Dream': although none were fully sure what it was, it was a shared dream. Also read: Folk music legend Fakir Alamgir leaves the stage for the last time In the mass media era Fakir Alamgir sang all over Bangladesh but his favourite haunt was Dhaka University Arts building chattor. That’s where the young came to hear him and he sang for them. But by the end of the 70s the world had started to change in most ways and Left politics or whatever it was went into a steep decline from which it never recovered. Slowly as the economics grew mass media began to be strong. And the songs which most people will remember him by – his Sokhina songs – gained popularity on BTV reaching millions. Many of those who had heard him sing at DU were now tuning in their TV sets. We had been together in our 70s era but times were changing. I don’t know how much he knew that but there was a new crowd , new demands and a new society where many more products were competing. His original loyalists were now spread all over the world with remittance generation lovingly remembering him and spreading it on Youtube but he was never far away from the live crowd. Even as his voice aged and the lungs no longer reverberated with the pain and rage of the migrant forced to the city for survival longing for an imagined rural paradise they may never have had, the songs remained. Also read: Folk music legend Fakir Alamgir in ICU with Covid-19 The era closes In the end, he belonged and symbolized an era, one where songs contributed to social change, an active ingredient. Today’s songs are more reactive, produced by change and lifestyle. Almost everyone is a stranger here and now who belonged to his era. But he has still prevailed. That he is remembered for his songs decades after they were sung shows that the digital era actually served him, his songs and those who love him. So farewell Fakir Alamgir bhai, move on singing to another call from the crowd to sing one of their favourites again.  

IPDC Finance Limited has been awarded Intellectual Property Protection Award 2021 for its contribution to protect and present Bangla Folk music to the youth.  The award was announced in an online seminar on the importance of copyright on protecting intellectual property to celebrate International Copyright Day organized by the Bangladesh Copyright Office, according to a press release. State minister for the Ministry of Cultural Affairs K M Khaled was present as the  guest. Managing Director, and CEO of IPDC Mominul Islam represented IPDC Finance.  Also read: IPDC: Mominul Islam re-appointed MD, CEO for 4th time  Cultural Affairs secretary M Badrul Arefin, Department of Patent, Design & Trademarks secretary Md. Abdus Sattar, additional secretary of Ministry of Cultural Affairs and president of copyright board Shabiha Pervin and registrar Bangladesh Copyright Office Jafor Raja Chowdhury also attended the program.  The ministry has taken this initiative to attract creative personalities, intellectuals, eminent artistes, writers, and those closely involved in creative activities in the education and research profession.  IPDC has been awarded for its cautious effort of preventing the oblivious extinction of folk music and rekindle admiration among the younger generation.  Read IPDC Finance donates Tk 2 crore to PM’s Relief and Welfare Fund "With IPDC Amader Gaan, we have taken the initiative; however, our culture is glorious. I invite all to come forward and enrich this native culture. As we are economically advancing, our culture will be an asset for us; we must preserve it,” said MD and CEO of IPDC Finance Moninul Islam  To promote Bangladeshi folk music globally, IPDC Finance Limited created a virtual platform, 'IPDC Amader Gaan,' in September last year. Since its inception, the platform has released nine folk songs on its YouTube channel with the same title.   Also read: IPDC, BSCMS launch ‘Bangladesh Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2020’ The platform exclusively features diverse musical influences and offers studio-recorded performances by promising singers of the country.  Penned by several mystic bards, including Fakir Lalon Shah, Shah Abdul Karim, and Palli Kabi Jasimuddin, several covers received unparalleled popularity.  The channel alone has got 10M+ views, while the total views of the songs of 'IPDC Amader Gaan' on different channels of Youtube and Facebook have exceeded 100M. Read 'Folk Empress' Momotaz conferred honorary doctorate by Indian university