Shironamhin

Shironamhin (Bengali: শিরোনামহীন Śirōnāmahīn English: Untitled) is an independent band from Dhaka, Bangladesh.^[1] Their music has a mixture of a wide variety of influences, including classical and folk traditions of Bengali music and rock music.They have infused traditional classical instruments such as sarod, esraj, mandira and dotara along with rock music.

It was founded in 1996 by Ziaur Rahman Zia with Jewel and Bulbul. In 2000 Tanzir Tuhin joined the band as a vocal. Their first album Jahajee was released in 2004. Since they have released 5 studio albums and several mixed albums. Their latest album titled Shironamhin Shironamhin was released on 19 July 2013^[2][3][4] Present members of this band are Ziaur Rahman (bass and compose), Tanzir Tuhin (vocal), Diat Khan (guitar), Ahmad Shafin (drums) and Rashel Kabir (Keyboard).

1996: early years

Formation

Shironamhin was founded by Ziaur Rahman Zia with Jewel as guitarist and Bulbul as vocal in 1996. In the beginning, they used to jam and perform in the university campus gossip areas and street crowd. Later, they started performing in the campus stage live performances bringing in some changes in the use of their musical instruments. They introduced plugged guitar and sarod along with drums in their music. Most of the songs they used to perform in stage shows were their own songs which were completely new for the audience. Their performance earned some fame for the lyrics and tune of their music.

During their early years of their band formation, in time to time they tried to record their own compositions in various studios which did not work in a result for a complete album. In the year 2000, Tanzir Tuhin joined Shironamhin as main vocal. He was a classmate of Ziaur in BUET. Farhan and Tushar joined the band in 2003. Farhan used to play sarod, dotara and Tushar played guitar. Kazi Ahmad Shafin joined the band in 2003 as a drummer. The band participated in the final round of the 2nd 'Star Search Competition' arranged by Benson & Hedges. The listeners’ feedback made them feel the urge to frame their creations into an album. They had more than 50 songs which they used to sing on live performance. They compiled 10 out of them for their debut album jahajee.

Diat khan as guiterist and Rashel Kabir as keyboardist joined the band in 2009 and 2010 respectively.^[5]

Band naming

At first the band was formed without a name and their very first performance was held at a programme at TSC auditorium, University of Dhaka. They went to perform there very casually and were not bothered to have a title of their group. But the audience became amazed by their stage performance and were asking about the band name. Then they instantly came up with the name Shironamhin which literally means untiltled.^[6]

2004–present

Shironamhin, released their first album in 2004 after 8 years of the formation of the band. Last album of the band is Shironamhin Shironamhin was released on 19 July 2013. On 1 August 2008 Shironamhin obtained the membership of Bangladesh Music Bands Association (BAMBA)^[7]

Jahajee (2004)

Jahajee was based on urban lifestyle and struggling. The title track of the album, itself speaks so. Shironamhin, tried to portray the usual daily life and elements from middle class career seeking young sailor of a Bronx. The cultural interest, the gossip in a crowded cityscape, the life of mono busy traffic etc. were conveyed with metaphor and events by this album. Jahajee was the only album from the band Shironamhin that was refused and rejected by every known record label company of Dhaka.

Line up

• Zia: Bass, Guitar, Keys & Drums Midi sequences.
• Tuhin: Vocal
• Tushar: Guitar
• Jewel: Guitar
• Farhan: Sarod, Dotara
• Shafin: Drums

Ichchhe Ghuri (2006)

Ichchhe Ghuri was second album of Shironamhin released from the record label company G-Series in 2006. They tried to do some experiments, draw some maturity in compositions, suited compositions for Live performances and fix in a style for Shironamhin’s own. Shironamhin is keen on lyrics from nature. They tried to convey urban crisis in this album in which they did not to draw any comment or did not even try to draw any suggestion. Shironamhin just wanted the listeners to get the message with their own understanding and draw the images or characters with own personal fantasy. They mostly worked on certain topic or events on short-time span. They loved to talk about urban life, draw the urban texture. Cafeteria was a story of one second judging from vivid angles. It is based on a moment someone entering into his campus cafeteria and feel two silent eyes among so many noise and fumes around from the cafe gossiping. Shironamhin tried to make the listeners recall their own cafeteria in their campus life.

Line up

• Zia: Bass
• Tuhin: Vocal
• Tushar: Guitar
• Farhan: Sarod
• Shafin: Drums
• Prince: Keys

Bondho Janala (2009)

Bondho Janala was a bit challenging for Shironamhin as they were very much used to with sarod sound compositions. In the album they had to explore many more acoustic instruments like esraj, silver flute, trumpet as the album was enriched with vivid orchestration. Lyrically the band Shironamhin tried to work on their already established genre of urban life talks with some bigger aspects and along with historical events or movements. It was released by the record label company G-Series in 2009.

Line up

• Zia: Bass
• Tuhin: Vocal
• Tushar: Guitar
• Shafin: Drums
• Rajib: Keys

Shironamhin Rabindranath (2010)

In 2010, Shironamhin released their fourth studio album, which features rock interpretations of Rabindra Sangeet, titled Shironamhin Rabindranath, under the banner of Laser Vision. ^[9] Shironamhin, thinks that, Rabindranath Tagore was a cultural institute for them. As a Bengali with a minimum sensibility for culture can not live without knowing him. Tuhin academically learned Rabindra Sangeet when he is in Bulbul Lalitakala Academy (BAFA). The album was a Rabindra Sangeet album and tribute to Tagore.^[10] Zia, thinks that, many of there fans, particularly teenagers, are not that familiar with Rabindra Sangeet. The album is an attempt to generate interest in Bengali poet Tagore among the young audience.^[11][12]

Line up

• Zia: Bass
• Tuhin: Vocal
• Tushar: Guitar
• Shafin: Drums
• Rajib: Keys

Shironamhin Shironamhin (2013)

Artistic cover art of the album Shironamhin Shironamhin

This is the fifth studio album in self-titled of the band.^[13] This album is a collection of 10 track which is selected from 25 track.^[14] Shironamhin tried to compile confession, demand, rage, hope & anticipation in their self-titled album to invite a new light through old windows. From lyrical point of view, this album is more specific on topic, searching the positive sides of a negative living. Musically Shironamhin tried western classic orchestration based on violin, cello, contrabass section fused with rock guitar, bass & drums accompaniment. Shironamhin recalled all the members & persons who worked for Shironamhin once and forever, expressed their gratitude to those who carried shironamhin to their journey and dedicated their songs to the listeners whom shironamhin is comfortable to call friends.

Line up

• Tuhin: Vocal
• Zia: Bass
• Shafin: Drums
• Diat: Guitar
• Rashel: Keyboard

Band members

Current members

• Tanzir Tuhin — Vocal, songwriter
• Ziaur Rahman Zia — songwriter, Bass, MIDI sequencer
• Rashel Kabir - Keyboardist
• Kazi Ahmad Shafin — Drums
• Diat Khan — Guitars, Banjo^[15]

Former members

• Jewel - Guitar
• Farhan - Sarod, Dotara
• Prince - Keys
• Rajib - Keyboards, Synths, Keys
• Tushar - Guitars

Musicianship

Style

Shironamhin plays wide variety of instruments and fuse them together in their music. This makes Shirohamin unique.^[16] Shironamhin, have developed their own style of blending of the popular western instruments like guitar, drum kit Bass and keyboard along with the traditional folk instruments like Bansuri, Dotara and Indian classical instruments and also instruments like Sarod, Esraj, Scottish, Bodhran, Banjo, Silver flute, African instruments like Mondo Mo Fa Head, Rainmaker; Western classic instruments like Violin, Cello, Trumpet, Coronet, Saxophone etc. Shironamhin effectively creates a very complicated hectic quality of lyrics by putting side by side contrasting allegory of urban myth, morose state of human soul and their expectation from life itself. Besides they paint ruthless landscape in the context of Lifescape of urbanity; they depict the rustic rural within a controlled yet personalized emotional content.^[17] The construction of lyric, tune & composition, the live sound producing, the album production with technical supports, the presentation of graphical skill and design made them much popular in Bangladesh.

In their 4th album Shironamhin Rabindranath 39 acoustic instruments were played for the composition which they had to arrange from all over the globe.^[18] For this album they used the rainmaker from Brazil, Darbuka from Egypt, Irish tin whistle and a Bodhran from Scotland.^[19]

Live performances

Shironamhin started to perform live by performing at the TSC, Dhaka University auditorium, along with the stage drama performance of Podatik Nattyachakra. They started with a total acoustic approach and later as they had to perform in front of thousands people lately, they applied changes for the sake of solid performance. Shironamhin performed in many underground and mainstream.Recently members of the band are performing in the mainstream open-air concerts mostly.

In 2014, Shironamhin attended the Sri Lanka's most famous musical festival titled Galle Music Festival where they enthralled the audiences.^[20]

Discography

Studio albums

• Jahajee (2004)
• Ichchhe Ghuri (2006)
• Bondho Janala (2009)
• Shironamhin Rabindranath (2010)
• Shironamhin Shironamhin (2013)

Awards and achievements

There are list of awards received by Bengali rock band Shironamhin.^[21]

Cultural Journalist Forum of Bangladesh

The award are given by the Cultural Journalist Forum of Bangladesh. Shironamhin have received 1 award.

Citycell-Channel I Music Award

The Citycell-Channel I Music Award are given by the telecommunication company Citycell and medea channel company Channel I in the Bangladesh. Shironamhin have received 1 award.

Android application

In April 2014, Shironamhin band launched their official android application titled "Shironamhin". Details about the band members, songs of their fifth album, song lyrics, images and updates of the band’s activities can be found through the application.^[22]

Television advertisement

Hashimukh (2004) (Bengali: হাসিমুখ), (album: Jahajee) is a widely used song in Bangladeshi Television advertisement.

References

External links

• Shironamhin official website
• Shironamhin on Facebook