Milon Mahmud is a name to watch for. The singer is fast becoming popular to music lovers; especially the young ones. One of his most talked about song is the Nescafe theme song Cholo Shobai, remixed by Habib.
"I never planned to become a professional singer," says Milon. "Singing was something I enjoyed since childhood; it was my favourite pastime."
"I was in class three when my brother rendered a familiar Lalon song --Gere ganger o khyapa, and asked me to sing it. It is a complex song and I sang as many lines as I could remember. As I was singing, my brother got very excited and rushed to tell our mother that I could one day become a singer." says Milon. "The incident had a profound impact on my life,"
"I did not take extensive music lessons from renowned ustads. I consider singing as a God-given talent," says the singer.
His introduction to the music scene was not a planned one either.
"In 2000, I auditioned at BTV and Bangladesh Radio, just out of curiosity. I wanted to find out if others thought I can sing or not," says Milon. "I passed the audition rounds and this gave me confidence. After that I was convinced that I should pursue a singing career.
"Unfortunately the initiation period for artistes is never easy. The early stage was very difficult. When I quit my job to pursue singing fulltime, some friends and even some of my relatives completely cut off all contacts with me. I was obviously hurt but it fortified my determination even more.
"In 2002, I recorded three songs -- Oi duti chokh, Jonmodin and Thhem-e thhem-e jaye -- and forwarded them to Ektaar Music. After hearing my songs, they decided to bring out an album."
"My first solo album Dhyan, under the banner of Ektaar Music, was released in 2005." "It received a good response; it felt good seeing months of painstaking work finally paying off."
His second album Ahoban was released in 2006 by Sangeeta. It was this album that brought Milon to spotlight. The album contained 11 tracks including the Nescafe theme song Cholo shobai. All songs were written by him except two -- Ami jabo na and Faguner agun.
There is a confusion regarding who sang Cholo shobai. "I am the lyricist and lead vocalist of the song, Habib did the remix," confirms Milon.
Another major break came earlier this year, with Laal shobujer potaka, a Grameenphone's promotional song. The song was aired during the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
Milon's recent album Charidikey Kolahol was released during the last Eid-ul-Fitr. It contains eleven songs and was released by G-Series. The album received a good response.
Milon has worked with quite a few of the leading musicians in the contemporary music scene, including Bappa Majumder, Habib, Arnob, Fuad, Zia and Balam. When asked with whom he enjoyed working the most, the singer says, "I enjoy working with almost everyone but I probably liked working with Bappa Majumder and Balam the most."
In his songs Milon tries to address social issues as well. According to him, "when I write a song, I try to convey some message. Music is a powerful tool when it comes to generating awareness. Music can motivate people very easily.
"People in the urban society are fast becoming alienated and detached. They are only thinking about themselves. In my song Jiboner jonno, I have tried to address this issue."
About his future plans, Milon says, "I want to continue singing as long as I can. It is my passion, I want to offer people music that can be entertaining as well as thought provoking."
