Bangla bands: Striking a chord

I was never a fan of any Bengali rock group or ‘Bangla bands’ as they are called. Whenever I was told about them, I used to have a disgusted look on my face. I always thought whatever songs they sang were either translations or adaptations and their audiences were restricted within the college campus and youth circuits. However, that was till the time I was in Calcutta.

Now, it has been more two and half years that I have been away from the city. For the first time after leaving the city, I realised my true love for Calcutta and everything with a Bengali flavour, and that includes Bangla bands as well.

I realised, their songs were not mere adaptations and their popularity was not just with youngsters, but with a wide cross section of people. With the growing popularity of Bangla rock and fusion bands, it is very difficult to ignore them.

Bands like Parosh Pathor, Lakkhichhara, Fossils, Cactus, Chandrabindoo, Krosswindz and Bhoomi have carved a niche for themselves globally. While Cactus, Bhoomi and Chandrabindoo have performed in the US, the Krosswindz song Tangra Tobu Katon Jaye was nominated for Best Indian Classical/Traditional Song in 2006 at Just Plain Folks, a music awards in the US parallel to the Grammy.

Apart from this, now even prestigious music companies and websites from America such as ‘Apple’ and ‘Broadjam’ are selling Bangla music in the West.

What I like the most about their songs is that they are Calcutta-like, with lyrics that speak about the ordinariness of everyman, daily battles won and lost, self disgust, concern for youth or the rebellion against authority, among others.

Be it the anthemic hit Bhebe Dekhecho Ki by Mohiner Ghoraguli, who are touted as the first Indian rock band, the unforgetable Ami Shudhu Cheychhi Tomay by Cactus from the soundtrack of the Bengali film Nil Nirjane or the haunting tunes of Adorer Nouko by Chandrabindoo, I get a nostalgic feel every time I listen to them.

Bangla bands are just rocking. They strike an instant chord with the listener as they speak the language of the Bengalis. Their music has attained a new avatar. It is going places, with a new look and feel. With more international shows and collaborations in the offing, the guys and girls wearing white kurtas with namaboli prints, blue jeans and red dupattas are sure to attain even greater heights in the days to come.

And that is something that I am proud of.