Bangla band Shonar Bangla Circus throws light upon the Bangladeshi music scene

Bangla bands are no longer a rare concept. While here, there may be a handful, in Bangladesh, the Bangla bands are going strong, with Dhaka’s Shonar Bangla Circus emerging as one of the most recent and impactful bands. The band members were on a week-long tour in Kolkata, and we had a quick chat with frontman Probar Ripon at What’s Up! Café, where they were performing to celebrate Bhasha Dibosh.

If you could tell us how Shonar Bangla Circus formed?

Our band was formed in May 2018. I connected with each of the band members, mostly by networking, or by meeting them through mutual friends. Our band consists of a group of talented musicians who have met by sheer luck and have come together for the love of creating amazing music.

Tell us how different is the Bangladeshi music scene is from West Bengal?

The basic difference is that in West Bengal it’s pretty limited to Kolkata, whereas, in Bangladesh, it’s a whole country of Bengali-speaking people creating Bengali music. So, the scope is wider. And unlike West Bengal, the concept of creating independent music is way stronger. I won’t say it is good or bad, but it’s just that the preferences are different.

Even at a time of modernisation, how do you maintain that rusticity in your notes?

Modernisation in music mostly happens with the usage of instruments and the creation of soundscapes. But we as artistes are still very connected to our roots, so, you find that connection and rusticity. The lyrics and the tunes still have those undertones of Bengal’s folk music, stories and the vibe of its countryside.

Why is independent music so popular in Bangladesh?

Band culture is still very popular in Bangladesh and that never lets the independent music scene die down. Just like, people across India listen to Hindi music; the same is the case for Bangladesh audiences listening to Bengali music.

How influenced are you by western music?

We are influenced by all kinds of music, it helps us grow and create more avenues while creating music. We have to keep experimenting and playing with different soundscapes, or else, things will become stagnant.

Streaming on major audio platforms.