Bangla Beatz

[self_shattered]

Ektaar’s dance compilation BANGLA BEATZ opens with a sparse and slow R’n’B groove on Lagay dola written and composed by Leemon with strikingly solid singing by Nigar Sultana SUMI, adjudged BEST SOLO ARTIST, STAR SEARCH (2003).

The 2nd track FREEDOM (shongeetay dio nako bandha... ) is a catchy song arranged over a heavy driving groove by newcomers PARVEZ & the SUPPORTERS. Parvez is a Bangladeshi living in Vienna (Austria) where he regularly creates and performs music with his band. This album showcases 3 original songs by them. Their MIDNIGHT , the album’s 6th track, sets out with a ska mix followed by Bush-speak and a Bangla verse telling it like it is. Their 3rd song DEVIL DANCE is the album’s closer.

The album’s 3rd track RAIT AISHO is by none other than the Empress of Banglamusic MOMTAZ, our very own Queen Latifah! The song opens with male vocals in Qawwali style before Momtaz belts out some raunchy(?) lyrics, simply irresistible!

The 4th track is a classy rearrangement of the old SDBurman favourite BAJENA BANSHIGO by LEEMON, that features a groovy guitar riff by the singer himself.

The album’s 5th track ayto kachhay dujonay is the Bengali version of another well-known SDBurman tune ROOP TERA MASTANA, excellently conceived and expertly rearranged by BAPPA MAZUMDER and sung by SANDIPAN, the winning combination that gave us SHONABONDHU.

Bangla Dhol, the 7th track, is a joyful Leemon original praising the beats played on the Bangla dhol and the sweetness of its boles (onomatopoeic terms signifying different sounds emanating from the dhol and played to different beat structures), expressed in a pun to also mean the Bangla tongue.

This is followed up with the already-popular SHYAM BALIKA (track 8) by RIGHT GROOVES of RONGPUR a trio comprising AL AMIN (songwriter) along with friends LEEMON and MAMUN.

The album’s 9th track is Habib’s MOINA GO featuring Julie on vocals and a fabulous heavy drum’n’bass arrangement.