Photo: Collected
Showcasing a festive tribute to the nation's woven treasure Jamdani, which UNESCO has designated as an intangible cultural heritage, as well as the legacy of handloom (Taat) and the exquisite craftsmanship behind the textile artistry, popular music platform Coke Studio Bangla’s third season returned on April 13 with the song "Tati."
Performed by Bangladeshi singer and weaver Md Gonjer Ali, Nigerian rapper Louis Anthony who is better known by his stage name Oli Boy and featuring renowned Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan, the song has been trending during the festive occasion of Eid and Pahela Baishakh, garnering over a million views on YouTube within two days.
The maiden track of the third season is an amalgamation of three songs - “Gayer Bodhu” written by Md Gonjer Ali, “Hana di Reshomer Bone” written by Shatarupa Thakurta Roy, and “Time to Giger” written by Oli Boy.
Chandra Shekhar Shaha, a researcher and one of the pathfinders in modern crafting and textile design in Bangladesh, collected Jamdani Weaving verses used in the song, while Faizan R Ahmad (Buno) worked on the track as its Chief Sound Engineer, mixed and mastered by Saadul Islam.
The song not only showcased a harmonious tapestry of the country’s traditional handloom through its melodic presentation; but the Steadicam-operated music video itself, produced by Runout Films under the direction of Adnan Al Rajeev, also portrayed a majestic set with a tantalizing display of Jamdani everywhere, and through the classy attires of the performers as well.
Describing the song, Coke Studio Bangla Curator and Producer Shayan Chowdhury Arnob said: “Jamdani is our heritage, identity and pride - however, the rhythmic verses and tunes of our handlooms were unknown to me.”
“After discovering those hidden gems and our weaver brother Gonjer Ali, creator of many of these types of songs, we blended the track with my old song “Tati,” (Hana di Reshomer Bone), written by Shatarupa didi. To set the song on Afrobeat (African tunes), we found Oli Boy, who has been working in our garments industry for the past three years - and speaks and sings in Bengali.”
Popular actress Jaya Ahsan's appearance in this song was a surprising addition, and Arnob commented, "Jaya Ahsan is a friend of mine, and I enjoy her wearing Jamdani saree on all occasions at home and abroad. Not everyone knows that she is also an excellent singer.”
Jaya also shared her association with the track, saying: “All of Bangladesh's traditional sarees, such as the Jamdani and Muslin styles, are my favourites - and because of my passion for sarees and Arnob's earnest request, I became associated with this song and gained valuable experience working with an amazing team. I have represented the Jamdani sarees of Bangladesh on a global scale several times, and I'm confident this song will appeal to music lovers who appreciate sarees and the tradition of our magnificent handlooms.”
Syeda Sadia Afrina, the owner of Thread Bangladesh which provided the Jamdani wardrobe for the performers, stated: “For the first time, someone took a major initiative in the music industry which will help this generation and the next to know more about our weaving heritage and the history behind it - and this is perfectly aligned with our core values in Team Thread. Thanks to the entire Coke management Abeer Rajbeen, Adnan Al Rajeev, Jaya Ahsan and the whole team of “Tati,” and a sincere thanks to Shayan Chowdhury Arnob bhai for making this beautiful composition about our weavers.”
The lineup for the background vocal of the song featured Md Ariful Haque (also with dotara as well), Jannatul Ferdous Akbar, Sheikh Mumtahina Mehzabin, Baby Akter, Karishma Sanu Shovvota, Shanta Islam, Nishat Ara Khaled, and Md Makhon Miah.
DotBirth Limited is associated with season 3 as its creative agency, and the new season will feature 11 new songs with more than 180 musicians and artists from across Bangladesh and the world, including Arnob, Pritom, Emon Chowdhury and Meghdol. In addition to that, new artists will be making their Coke Studio Bangla debut this season, including the iconic Habib Wahid.
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