- Nasima Akter
Coke Studio Bangla Pays Tribute to Hason Raja
Coke Studio Bangla concluded its highly acclaimed second season on Saturday with a touching tribute fusion titled 'Dilaram' dedicated to the legendary music icon and poet-lyricist Hason Raja of Sylhet.
This heartfelt fusion featured the vocals of Hamida Banu, who hails from Sylhet, and was complemented by "Amay Dhore Rakho," a song created by Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, the creative producer of Coke Studio Bangla. "Amay Dhore Rakho" was originally penned in 2009 and served as the inaugural song for Arnob and Friends during a world tour aimed at raising funds for underprivileged children, organized by Dristipath.
“Hamida Banu is a great singer. She has a deep connection with the heritage of Hasan Raja. At times, she has even worked with the family of Hasan Raja’s great-great-grandson Samirun Dewan, and at times, she has been a member of the Hasan Raja Museum. Working with them allowed me to gain a lot more knowledge about Hason Raja’s history than I already did. I will always treasure this incredible experience,” Arnob said in a comment on the video on YouTube.
"Dilaram is an emotion, a plea to keep your loved ones close to your heart. Life comprises moments - some of which at times put our hearts to the test. These are the moments we turn to our Dilarams who appear in the form of a confidant, or inner voice,” Coke Studio Bangla described.
"The great Bangladeshi poet from the 19th century, Hason Raja, pens this emotion in ‘Dhoro Dilaram,’ where in the song, he urges Dilaram, his closest companion to hold on to him tight at times he feels that he is slipping away.”
"The same emotion can be felt in the song "Amay Dhore Rakho" in which Arnob too calls out to anyone who was ever close to him, to stay by his side because at the time life seemed to be struggling. Decades apart the hearts of two musicians sang the same appeal for togetherness because in togetherness there is #RealMagic," they continued.
The song, which was mixed and mastered by Saadul Islam, originally comes from the pen and composition of Hason Raja, while "Amay Dhore Rakho" is Shayan Chowdhury Arnob's own creation.
Arnob dedicated this song to the memory of Rajib Ashraf, a young and respected lyricist who recently passed away. On Facebook, Arnob shared the song and wrote, "Remembering Rajib very much on this occasion. May everyone find some peace."
Following a successful first season last year, Coke Studio Bangla made its return on this year's Pahela Falgun and Valentine's Day.
The much acclaimed second season showcased 12 songs: 'Murir Tin' (Riad Hasan, Pollob and Towfique Ahmed), 'Bonobibi' (Meghdol), 'Nahubo' (Animes Roy, Daughter of Coastal), 'Darale Duaarey' (Mukul Mojumder Ishaan, Sanzida Mahmood Nandita), 'Deora' (Pritom Hasan, Fazlu Majhi, Islam Uddin Palakar and Ghaashphoring Choir), 'Nodir Kul' (Ripon Kumar Sarkar), 'Kotha Koiyo Na' (Arfan Mredha Shiblu, Aleya Begum), 'Dewana' (Murshidabadi, Tasfia Fatima Tashfee, Shuchona Shely), 'Shondhatara' (Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Sunidhi Nayak), 'Ghum Ghum' (Fairooz Nazifa), 'Anondodhara' (Adity Mohsin, Bappa Mazumdar) and 'Dilaram' (Hamida Banu, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob).
