Kolkata musicians mourn loss of Bangladeshi band’s former lead singer Shafin Ahmed
Times of India | 29 July 2024
Shafin Ahmed, the former lead singer, songwriter and bassist for the Bangladeshi rock band Miles KOLKATA: Music lovers of Epar and Opar Bangla are in mourning following the untimely demise of illustrious musician Shafin Ahmed, the former lead singer, songwriter and bassist for the Bangladeshi rock band Miles, in the United States on July 24.
The 63-year-old iconic singer, who was the progeny of luminaries - music director Kamal Dasgupta and the legendary Nazrul Geeti singer Feroza Begum - was once a frequent performer at college fests in Kolkata.His cult numbers from Miles, such as 'Pahari meye', 'Chand tara surjo nou tumi', ‘Dhiki dhiki’, ‘Neela’, ‘Nishwo’ and 'Phiriye dao', have become anthems for Bengal’s student community and a hit at the multiple editions of Epar Opar concerts.
Shafin was scheduled to perform in Virginia, but the event was abruptly called off after he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where he subsequently suffered from multiple organ failure, leaving everyone in a state of shock and disbelief.
Upon hearing the news of his untimely demise, Sidhu, the frontman of Cactus band and a doctor by qualification, said, "As we age, the news of a talented musician's passing serves as a poignant reminder of our own mortality. It is of utmost importance for an artist to create a plethora of meaningful and impactful songs because, ultimately, an artist's legacy lives on through their timeless works," Sidhu said.
As a school kid, Gaurab would often melodiously render Shafin's compositions. Lakhhichhara and Miles have done two concerts in Kolkata as well. "One was in 2003 at Swabhumi for the KBL Bangla Rock show. I was writing my Part 1 exams when this happened. The other was at Nazrul Manch in 2007-2008,” At the end of the show, both bands came together to sing ‘Prithibi ta naki chhoto hotey hotey’ – the iconic song by Chatterjee’s father, Goutam Chatterjee.
Sidhu also has such memories of performing in Kolkata on the same stage with Miles. “During the mid 90s after already forming a band, we were a bit confused about whether we were doing the right thing. That’s when the first album of Miles came to our hands. Once we listened to tracks like ‘Pahari meye’, ‘Phiriye dao’, ‘Neela’, ‘Dhiki dhiki’, it gave us immense confidence to pursue Bangla band music. Those songs showed us how the music should be done and how much of fusion of east and west should be done and how we must balance the urban and earthy singing styles and diction,” Sidhu said.
“We have also performed covers of ‘Nishwo’ and ‘Hridayheena’. Cactus and Miles had shared the green room on various occasions for shows at Jadavpur University’s Sanskriti and Epar Opar concerts,” the Cactus frontman added.
Shafin has been associated with Miles almost since 1979. His involvement with Miles was marked by multiple departures and returns up until Nov 2021 when he announced his final departure.
Mention of his iconic songs evokes a sense of nostalgia in Gaurab Chatterjee, the founding member and drummer of ‘Lakhhichhara’. “I love the way he sang love songs like ‘Jadu’ and ‘Hridayheena’. He was an underrated bassist. It is incredibly challenging to simultaneously be a frontman and play the bass,” Gaurab said. Lakhhichhara and Miles have done two concerts in Kolkata as well.
Shafin and Gourab engaged in numerous online musical exchanges. “I would always express his appreciation for our music. We would frequently participate in virtual addas, discussing music and various other topics. There was a period when I would share every new composition I created with him," Chatterjee reminisced.