Alternative
Profile of the Underground
A day in the life of Black
Elita Karim
Acacophony of noise; the heavy music slicing the skin; its cold metallic texture crawling down one's body; building an alternation of music.' This is what one might feel upon spending a day with Black at their practice pad in Magbazaar. Said to be the first alternative musical band in the country, Black has drawn a massive fan following to their music both home and abroad. Their very first album Amaar Prithibi, which was released a year ago from G series, had a new musical look all together which had created a thrill amongst the youngsters in the nation. Prior to their first album, Black had the young crowd of Dhaka City taste a bit of their music through their numbers released in mixed albums from G series once again, not to mention the various gigs they performed in parts of the city. For a curious cat, spending a day with this popular band and observing them is truly worthwhile. A practice shift for this gang might begin with the ferocious beatings on the drums by Tony and end up with Jahan's soft strumming of the guitar. Tahsan's fingers run smooth on the keyboards. His weary, tired eyes display their obvious passion and love for music. Even after a day full of work, this working lad still goes strong and finds his relief in the music he makes. The care free spirit of the band, Miraj, sits silently in the corner. He slides his fingers along the base guitar, voicing out the base in a composition. His silence and indifferent attitude is covered with his dedication towards the music he plays. The 'front man' Jon kneels down, probably towards the all mighty himself, and is ever ready with his vocals screaming out the compositions. He sometimes merely sits and jams with Jahan's imaginative work on the guitars. Jahan's fingers run on the strings that reflect his enthusiasm expressed on his face. Known as one of the very best in the country, Benson and Hedges Star Search 2002 award winner Tony beats the rhythm, vibrating the membrane and also his surroundings. Also called the 'mystery guy', this big-eyed individual keeps the environment alive with his corny jokes and innocent pranks. Black plans to release yet another album in the coming future with another set of numbers portraying imagination, innovation and experiments.
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Black: emerging alternative band of the country |