SUBRATA DHAR – a special breed of raw talent
By Aleesa Azim
Subrata Dhar, an upcoming talent in the Bangladeshi modern folk music scene, commenced his professional recording career with Dhaka Sessions with the song “কারে বলিস কালো কালো” (kaare bolish kalo kalo) written and sung by him, accompanied by the dotara, flute and bangla dhol.
Dhar had sent is his music to Dhaka Sessions for consideration of being selected for appearing in one of its recording sessions at the Bookworm in Dhaka. Following review by the judges of Dhaka Sessions powered by bKash, Dhar was invited to perform.
Folk music is music that reflects the culture and people of a certain region. The folk songs of each region sound different based on differences in culture. Dhar’s music embodies the sound of traditional Bangladeshi folk music with a modern theme, one that is not necessarily of the spiritual theme. His songs are rich with emotion. It evokes a certain indefinable feeling in the listener, perhaps of nostalgia, perhaps of melancholy. Even if you don’t understand the words, you understand the feeling the three musicians produced together, music that appeals to all generations.
Dhar traveled from Chittagong to perform for Dhaka Sessions, along with Shipon Shonaton on the bangla dhol. Sabbir Hossain from Dhaka was tagged on the flute by the producer of Dhaka Sessions, Chotu Khan. The sound of the flute and dhol blend together and perfectly complemented Dhar’s voice. The trio met, practiced for a short period, and performed with unfaltering chemistry.
Dhar writes and composes all the songs he performs. In his first song, he writes about the colorism and prejudice that is still very prevalent in our culture. One can feel the pain and hurt in his voice as he sings. The second, “তুমি যে আমার মনের মানুষ” (tumije amar moner manush) is about heartbreak and unrequited love. The other songs, “শ্রেষ্ঠবোকা” (sreshtho boka) and “মনের মতো মন মিলিলে” (moner moto mon milile) are equally stong. Dhar closes off the set with a witty song sung in his native Chittagong accent “এতদিন কডে আছিলা” (etodin code achila), which means ‘where were you all this while’. Each of his songs are rooted in personal experiences. He sings with a sense of humour and joy, with a smile on his face. It is clear that he truly enjoys performing. Subrata Dhar’s music showcases the sounds of modern-rural Bengali culture. It touches the soul in an extremely unique way.
Subrata Dhar is very much worth a listen, and Dhaka Sessions powered by bKash has a live recording of his music available to music lovers everywhere. Check it out for yourself on the YouTube channel and webpage of Dhaka Sessions.
