Recently, the underground music scene of Bangladesh has emerged into a greater community with growing number of talented bands. There has been many local releases of discs which range from LPs to compilations. Numerous bands have been engaging with labels overseas, thus promoting Bangladesh to the global arena. My interview with one of the most renowned musician in the scene, Mr. Torsha Khan known for his majestic heavy metal high-pitched shrills to black metal shrieks, renowned for his works with one of the most prominent bands in Bangladesh, the mighty Stentorian. Mr. Torsha, currently active in Shadow Realm (Australia - https://www.facebook.com/ShadowRealmMetal) and Blackpriest (Bangladesh - https://www.facebook.com/BlackPriest), talks about various aspects of the local scene.
We start to talk about the cons, and the probable fixes. The vital element of a live gig is the sound itself and Torsha goes on, " The sound engineers who rig up the setup in an underground gig are usually stuck at some level. So musicians are hardly getting the desired sound while performing. Money is another factor. If the organizers are investing more capital in the shows, there are greater chances for a better outcome. But then again the rock industry isn't pumping much money too. If you think, it's 2015 where a gig ticket in Bangladesh costs from 150 - 200 Tk. How do you expect organizers to hire a better arrangement with that cut-off budget. And on the top of it they are keeping their profits as well."
He agrees with the fact that this is somehow reduces the enthusiasm. Torsha continues, "One thing that really strikes me, is the fact that we are still based on areas. It's like a band is labeled as "Dhaka" or "Chittagong" whereas not Bangladesh. There has been some bands who started visiting districts out of Dhaka but then not most of them are in the pack. I see in Australia, interstate link (between organizer and bands) are solid. If this problem goes on like that in BD, then the metal scene will be divided into pieces (already has maybe)."
What does Mr. Torsha think as fixes of such problems that are cracking this rock industry? Torsha says, "It takes bigger man and balls to resolve this. When I see that a band from Sylhet or Chittagong or Rajshahi has been called and selected for a mixed album with other big names. I love that. And it's happening quite often"
Torsha regrets about the fact that organizers cannot afford bands from outer districts. Again money puts the resistant hook on a developing scene. "If you invite a band from other district you have to provide them accommodation food and transport. Organizers cannot afford to do that. That's what happen to a third world country. I am afraid, I am also a part if it.
Where there is no stability of our five basic needs, (Food, clothes, medicine, education, accommodation) how do we expect that the entertainment will have the upper hand?"
I inform him about Brazil, a struggling country too with greater band acts like Sepultura. It's about the acceptance of metal and rock in the society. The embracing of the sound we play, yes that's how it goes on. According to Torsha, " View point of society will have to change for a metal platform."
Why is the commercial scene dominating ? Torsha replies, "Commercial music will always have big bucks because... Erm it's commercial.When something is easy to grab, or easy to listen or easy to digest is always popular."
I ask, why cant we then commercialize our sound too? and he says, " Firstly, metal is hard to digest to start with. Secondly, our background (Bangladeshi background) has different feel into it. Think about folk or classical, none of those doesn't have any rock root in it. Where as in Western culture, they are used to it. Country music has got to with guitar, drums. We, the Bangladeshi doesn't like the sound of guitar or drums or bass. To us these are western, and to some people that's "অপসংস্কৃতি".
But again, Bollywood was never our root. So why a mass acceptance to that? Torsha replies, "They have the melody and classical spice in it which we kind of familiar with, Bollywood music .And again, the cable TV.And the downfall of our own Bengali / Bangladeshi movie quality. Coming back to cable TV. In the 80s why heavy metal was having their golden days? cause MTV was a big help for that, Within mid 90, metal scene died away.
Mr. Torsha concludes expressing his hope for a better future for the local scene in Bangladesh.
It was a pleasure having a massive discussion with Mr.Torsha, who brought up some really thought provoking issues of Bangladeshi underground scene.
