Black reunion: A one-off?
Music in Bangladesh was never the same after Black launched "Amar Prithibi" in 2002. Taking off the much harder edge brought in by the rock bands of the '90s, it was Black who arguably popularised alternative rock in the country, along with acts like Nemesis and Stentorian.
After a gap of 19 years, a fateful accident that took the life of their sound engineer Ahmed Chowdhury Mobin and crippled their morale – Tahsan Khan, Jon Kabir, Mahmudul Kabir Meraz, Khademul Jahan and Mehmood Afridi Tony will reunite for a show on May 10, much to the utter ecstasy of their dedicated fanbase.
"We have actually been planning this for five years," said Tahsan Khan over the phone. Tahsan, now a bona fide superstar in Bangladeshi showbiz, currently resides in Bangkok for his mother's treatment. "A few months ago, I was reading Rick Rubin's 'A Creative Act: A Way of Being', and it motivated me in an unforeseen way – you can say that was the catalyst of me pursuing this at this time."
During the Covid pandemic, the former members came together on a Facebook live, kickstarting speculations about a reunion. "Honestly, I miss all of us together. We all had our differences, but we always had respect for each other. In two decades, we all achieved a lot, but truly, the authenticity we had when we performed together was something that I craved," said Tahsan, who went on to not only solidify himself as a solo musician but as a top actor as well. "I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a huge announcement for the show that is yet to come," concluded the musician.
Jon Kabir, on the other hand, took a divergent route – forming Indalo, a band that sounds nothing like Black. "To be honest, I am sitting in my studio with 10 unfinished Indalo songs, and that is taking up all my concentration. Of course, I am happy about the reunion, but I can bet the nostalgic feeling will kick in once we all start practising together," he told The Daily Star. In a previous interview, Jon, who also has distinctive success in the fields of acting and specifically podcasting, claimed that he would only do a Black reunion for the money. In response to this, he jests, "I am just happy to get what I deserve for this special show!"
When asked about the 'surprise announcement' that might come at the concert, the musician replied, "I don't know about that, I was under the impression that it was a one-off. However, let's see what happens."
Jahan, who was the only founding member in Black's current lineup made of young and brilliant performers, provided some much-needed context to the reunion. "It has been 19 years since we played together, and that horrible accident – it changed our lives. Over the years, priorities changed, and so did everyone's careers. Our current lineup is also doing very well, and in fact, we will release a music video on the day of the show."
The guitarist reminisces that the last show that they did was on April 18, 2005. "I remember that the show was sponsored by Djuice, held at Sultana Kamal Women's Complex."
After "Amar Prithibi", Black's discography includes "Utshober Por" in 2003, "Abar" in 2008, the self-titled "Black" in 2011 and "Unomanush" in 2016. After five studio albums and 25 credited mixed album appearances, rock music fans of the new generation will finally see the band in all its glory.
Scheduled to take place on May 10, "Rock N Rhythm 4.0" will feature an impressive lineup of renowned artistes and bands, including Oni Hasan, Recall, Popeye Bangladesh, Faruque Bhai Project, Cryptic Fate, and potentially the original members of Black.