Minar moves forward with music
So, what is the artiste looking for in a partner? “Well, she has to be a good, honest person, and that’s pretty much it.” While we are yet to have found the lucky woman with a lifetime of free passes to Minar’s concerts, here’s to hoping that we can finally write ‘original’ news about his wedding.
I’m respectful of Bangladesh’s rich musical heritage: Badshah
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Star, Badshah shared his insights and reflections on his recent trip to Bangladesh, shedding light on his experience and aspirations.
Must the show go on?
The tragedy of the Bailey Road fire which snatched away the lives of four dozen people is hard to digest, even for Dhaka-ites. Many cultural programmes seemed insipid amidst the shadow of death that loomed over one of the capital’s cultural hubs – leading to the cancellation or postponement of some.
Pavel brings globality to your ‘living room’
You might know him as the drummer for Chirkutt, but Pavel has been especially prominent in the music industry as a music producer, dominating the ad film market and lending his talents to films like “Saturday Afternoon”, “Television”, “Doob”, “Piprabidya” and more.
We invented Bangla Rap: Mc Mugz
After studying from grades one to four in New York, Syed Mohammad Sohel came back to Bangladesh, carrying a distinct passion for rap in his heart. Aiming to accustom his people with the previously unknown craft, the boy reinvented himself over the years and became Mc Mugz, and went on to be part of two of the biggest rap crews in Bangladeshi history: Deshi MCs and Jalali Set. On the brink of releasing his first solo album, we catch up with the pioneer himself.
The marvel that is Mithila
Truly a ‘jack of all trades’, Rafiath Rashid Mithila is a generational talent. Very active now in Tollywood, Kolkata’s film industry, she reached new heights with last year’s “Myself Allen Swapan”. The actor, development worker, singer, writer and PhD student drops by The Daily Star for a candid shoot and a chat.
The ever-evolving Safa Kabir
In a recent episode of The Daily Star's podcast, "Daraz presents A Peek Inside with Sadi", the “Kuhelika” actress discussed her journey in showbiz and her latest endeavours.
‘Was about to do a song with him, ended up marrying him’
Even though she started her journey in “Close Up 1” in 2006, Abanti Sithi finally gained the recognition that she deserved in 2018 in Kolkata’s “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” in 2018. Besides her prodigal singing prowess, she is also known as the ‘whistle-queen’ because of her pitch-perfect whistling skills. From a simple cup to a foil-paper, Sithi can make random paraphernalia sing as well. She has entered a new phase of life, and talks to The Daily Star while on the runway to Sylhet.
April 4, 2023
Indebted to my family for everything I have: Oyshee
In her relatively young career, Oyshee has recorded multiple hit albums, has won the National Film Award for her playback singing, and spawned multiple blockbusters including Dushtu Polapain and Garir Mechanic. Recently, she started a new chapter in life. We talk to the talented singer for more.
March 20, 2023
No singer should ever apologise for his mother tongue
They say that life is a great leveller – and that sentiment is doubly true for the entertainment industry. Coke Studio Bangla, a cultural phenomenon fuelled by endless debates about meritocracy and even capitalism in music, started season 2 with the highly appreciated “Murir Tin”, blending dialects of Chattogram, Khulna and Sylhet to make an incredible musical mishmash.
March 2, 2023
The entire world will listen to Bangla music: Nachiketa
The artiste, who admits to being the ‘son of Barishal’ is in Dhaka, recording with renowned composer-singer Kaushik Hossain Taposh for a new project. We had a chance to talk to the legend at the premises of Gaan Bangla television in the capital.
February 16, 2023
No point in accusing Tahsan and I, when production house is liable: Shusmita Anis
“I worked with the director, Aga Nahiyan Ahmed, many-a-times before. He is an exceptionally talented worker, and its unexpected that he’d make such a video, without even informing us of his ‘inspiration’.”
February 15, 2023
Did not know about the plagiarism; I am utterly disappointed: Tahsan
“This is very demoralising for me, that too on a song in which I collaborated with Minar. This is a person that I did two albums for, more than a decade back – it was supposed to be a heartfelt moment”.
December 13, 2022
A coming-of-age for Dameer
Recent times have truly been a coming-of-age story for 21-year-old Dameer, who is winning hearts with songs like 'Amar Jaan', 'Bashbo Bhalo', 'Sun', 'Michelle' and more. From a very young age, he has lived and breathed music, and now that his songs are internationally acclaimed on various mediums, he also faces scrutiny for every step he takes. We talk to the young musician ahead of his first solo concert on December 14.
November 30, 2022
‘Every producer in Bangladesh said, don’t bother’
In a bombshell announcement that took everyone by surprise, Nuhash Humayun’s Moshari will now be executive produced by Oscar-winning Hollywood superstars Jordan Peele and Riz Ahmed. In addition, Variety predicted that the prodigal director’s horror flick will make the Oscar nominations this year, in the “Best Live Action Short” category. Earlier, the director also helmed the first ever Bangladeshi project on Hulu. The Daily Star caught up with Nuhash to talk about his recent achievements, and his reaction to them.
November 17, 2022
‘We are the first, but definitely not the last’
There was a time when it was a big deal for Bangladeshi celebrities when they got to attend the Grammys – also known as the biggest musical award show on earth. Now, the mother-daughter duo of Prof. Dr Nashid Kamal and Armeen Musa have created history by being included in the nominations for the 65th Grammy Awards, through their inclusion in the album ‘Shuruaat’. The album by Berklee Indian Ensemble also includes South Asian Maestros like Shankar Mahadevan and Ustad Zakir Hossain.
November 13, 2022
November Rains nostalgia on music lovers
The atmosphere was entirely different at the Expo Zone of ICCB, as people of all ages thronged to the venue. ‘Of all ages’ might be a cliché now, but it holds true in the case of this year’s November Rain concert, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
November 3, 2022
The larger-than-life soundtrack of ‘Damal’
Before ‘Damal’, Raihan Rafi’s football saga based on the legendary Shadhin Bangla football team even released, it was the indomitable soundtrack that attracted the attention of fans.
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