Popular Bangladeshi musical group, Ghaashphoring Choir, launched their debut album, Kichu Kotha Kichu Gaan at the capital’s National Theatre Hall auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy on Saturday.
The album is the result of over 3 years of work and comprises of 8 tracks, which include new arrangements of Bangla songs of different genres, ranging from folk to contemporary Bangla music and one original piece.
It features Anusheh Anadil and Meghdol’s Shibu Kumer Shill, as well as other guest instrumentalists, and has been mixed and mastered by Buno of the Bangladeshi folk-rock band, Bangla.
The album launch concert featured performances by a number of acclaimed musicians, including Shibu, Rony, Kibria and Shaurov of the band Meghdol, Elita Karim, Sovvota, Leemon and Anik from the band Leemonade and Bappa Mazumder.
Bappa said: “I have always been a fan of Ghaashphoring and they have ushered in a new dimension of music in Bangladesh by focusing on choral harmony.”
The three and a half-hour-long concert sold out all its tickets a week before the event. The choir performed its entire setlist, which included a medley of Abbasuddin, songs of Lalon, Nazrul, Bappa Mazumder and Arnob, as well as its original number ‘Kichu Kotha Kichu Gaan,’ the title track of the album.
The choir was inaugurated by Berklee College of Music graduate and popular Bangladeshi musician Armeen Musa. She is also the founder of the choir and wrote the title track of the album.
Acclaimed Bangladeshi singer and mother of Armeen, Dr Nashid Kamal, said at the event: “Since childhood, Armeen has always been very passionate about music. I was lucky to connect her to the root, which follows our family’s lineage, that has remarkable contributions to the music of Bangladesh. Now, I see the same passion and values reflected in Ghaashphoring choir which makes me very proud.”
The choir will be performing over the coming weeks at various venues across Dhaka and Chittagong, including the Dhaka Lit Festival in November.
The album will be available for purchase at their concerts and digital copies will be available on all major music streaming platforms over the coming weeks.
The album’s cover photography was done by Ata Mohammad Adnan and the cover art was done by Sadia Marium and Omar Bin Parvez.
Their current lineup includes: Mahmud Al Jubair, Noor e Rezia Momo, Deepti Huq, Nandanangshu Purkayastha Dhrubo, Nanjiba Zahin, Moinak Kanungo, Sadia Seraj Saba, Rakil Alam, Sohara Mehroze Shachi, Muhammad Tahmid Hussain Sumit, Farah Mehnaz, Bishal Dhar Shuvo, Zillehuma Kabir, Armeen Musa, Mohammed Mustakin Chowdhury, Tasmia Kamal Proma, Scionara Shehry, Omar Bin Parvez and Atkia Sadia Rahman.
