“My comeback is very important to me”—Shawkat Islam
Shawkatul Islam started working in the Bangladeshi music industry in 2000. In his long career, he has worked alongside legendary musicians such as Andrew Kishore, Runa Laila, James, and Ayub Bachchu, and has received the BACHSAS award three times in a row from 2001-2003 as Best Music Director.
Known to his fans and peers as Shawkat, the artiste has aced it all – be it music composition, direction, or singing. Ranging from romantic ballad to pop melancholies, he has released 46 albums and composed over 600 songs since his debut.
Shawkat's first album "Eka Udashi Mone" was released in December, 2002. Later, his compositions were voiced by the likes of Shafin Ahmed, Maqsoodul Haq, Runa Laila, Andrew Kishore, Asif Akbar, Bappa Mazumder, Kaniz Subrna, Samina Chowdhury, Fahmida Nabi, S I Tutul, Tishma, Tipu, Nasim Ali Khan, Nazmun Munira Nancy, and Tishma, among many others.
"Till 2008, musical cassettes and CDs were popular among the listeners. However, with the emergence of technology, piracy plagued our industry" he shares. "I started feeling that I was not remunerated well for my work and thus, decided to take a break."
Shawkat's chemistry with the rock legends like James and Ayub Bachchu strikes a chord with the audience, even today. His albums "Achhol", "Noy Chhoy" and "Dil", featuring both the singers, were instant super-hits. "Bringing James and Ayub Bachchu together was like a dream come true," he adds.
The musician has composed 39 tracks for James. Some of the duo's most memorable numbers are "Pagla Hawa", "Prem Jamunar Kuley", "Rakheni Amai Keu" and "Jogoter Ghum", among others.
He also paired up with Ayub Bachchu for 48 songs. Their notable works include "Tomar Chokhe Dekhle Bondhu", "Nodir Bukey Chaad", "Sokhi", "Jeona Chole Bondhu" and "Ek Akasher Tara".
With his creativity, the artiste solidified his presence in films and television shows, notably producing "R Music". The show was hosted by Ayub Bachchu and S I Tutul, while Shawkat took care of direction alongside production.
He worked as a music director for the movie "Tomake Bou Banabo", featuring Shakib Khan and Shabnur in the lead. The title track was sung by legendary singer Runa Laila.
Shawkat has served in the Bangladesh Army for ten years from 1991 to 2001. He retired voluntarily as a captain to pursue his dream of doing music professionally.
The talented musician submerged behind the scenes in 2008. After a twelve year gap, he is set to return on the silver screen with his upcoming film "Nodir Bukey Chaad", which he also directs. The love story casts Pori Moni as Nodi and Symon Sadik as Chaad.
The first song of the film, "Tomar Kachhe Ashle", a duet by the composer and Nancy, was released this February. "We have finished shooting for the film already and hope to release it as soon as we are done with the post-production," he shares. His song "Facebook Love", featuring famed singer Akassh Sen from India, was also released online and is available on his official Youtube channel of Jaadu Music.
"After being away from the industry for 12 long years, my comeback is very important to me," he shares. "I finally see hope for musicians again, as now we have a place in the online streaming platforms – while being remunerated for our efforts."
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