Still the guitar gently weeps

It was the first Bangladeshi wedding of its kind in that city — two “young” people meeting, falling in love, and marrying, with no family in the continent, friends were all they had to share their joys with. The night before the wedding, there was a little get-together at the groom’s apartment. There was a lot of nostalgia, fuelled by intoxicants of many kind. 

And then the music came on — Bang-la-desh, Bang-la-desh … followed by a wailing guitar — there were no dry eyes in that room.

Bangla Rocks

Lagaan may be a groundbreaking Bollywood film, but a Bollywood film it is, with its fair share of songs and dances.  My favorite song-dance sequence is the one where the villagers, well Gauri and Bhuvaan and their friends, celebrate Krishna’s birthday.  In the song, the girl complains that Radha is anxious about Krishna’s philandering ways and the boy replies that Radha should be understanding because there’s no one else in Krishna’s heart but Radha.  When the meaning of the song is translated to her, Elizabeth asks Gauri: Is Radha Krishna’s wife?  

Oh no, Krishna’s wife is Rukmini! — is the reply.  Of course Radha-Krishna are anything but married — here is what wiki says about them. Imagine the shock the Victorian girl would have felt upon realizing that the villagers were celebrating an extra-marital affair in such exuberant manner.

Not just that little village in the high noon of Raj, Gita Govinda and other songs celebrating Radha-Krishna are sung in every modern Indian language.  And not just in India.  Songs on that theme were thriving in one unexpected place, in one unexpected time.  Among the Bangladeshi youth, in the early years of this century, when the country seemed to increasingly Islamicising.  Partly influenced by the music coming out of the diaspora in Londonistan, songs like this one, celebrating the union of Radha-Krishna in the Nikunja Temple became massive hits.

Over the fold, let me note a few examples of Bangla rock (let’s not be pedantic here — I’ll use rock as a shorthand for western-influenced urban music, including pop, reggae, hip hop and other genres).

Azam Khan lives…

… in his music.

Source: Prothom Alo.

All translations are by Naeem Mohaiemen.  Songs are collected from his Facebook page.

Rust never sleeps

It was the first Deshi wedding of its kind in that city — two ‘young’ people meeting, falling in love, and marrying, with no family in the continent, friends being all there was.  The night before the wedding, there was a little get together at the groom’s apartment.  There was a lot of nostalgia, helped by intoxicants of many kind.  And then the music came on — Bang-la-desh, Bang-la-desh… followed by a wailing guitar…  there was no dry eyes in that room.

Rock and roll can never die, Neil Young said.  Eto shundor duniya, kichhui robey na, Azam Khan said.  It’s better to burn out than it is to fade away, said Neil Young.  Jala, jala, jala, frustration, Azam Khan said.

They were both right.  The stars will shine less bright tonight.