It was founded in 1996 by Ziaur Rahman Zia with Jewel and Bulbul.[3] Their first album Jahajee was released in 2004.[4] Since they have released 5 studio albums and several mixed albums. Their latest album titled Shironamhin Shironamhin was released on 19 July 2013[5][6][7]
Present members of this band are Ziaur Rahman (bass and compose), Kazi Ahmad Shafin (drums), Diat Khan (guitar), Symon Chowdhury (keyboard) and Sheikh Ishtiaque (vocal).[8]
History
Formation and Early Days (1996-2003)
Shironamhin was founded by Ziaur Rahman Zia with Jewel as guitarist and Bulbul as vocal in 1996.[9] In the beginning, they used to jam and perform in the university campus gossip areas and street crowd.[4] Later, they started performing in the campus stage live performances bringing in some changes in the use of their musical instruments. They introduced plugged guitar and sarod along with drums in their music. Most of the songs they used to perform in stage shows were their own songs which were completely new for the audience. Their performance earned some fame for the lyrics and tune of their music.[3]
During their early years of their band formation, in time to time they tried to record their own compositions in various studios which did not work in a result for a complete album. In the year 2000, Tanzir Tuhin joined Shironamhin as main vocal.[3] He was a classmate of Ziaur in BUET. Farhan and Tushar joined the band in 2003. Farhan used to play sarod, dotara and Tushar played guitar. Kazi Ahmad Shafin joined the band in 2003 as a drummer. The band participated in the final round of the 2nd 'Star Search Competition' arranged by Benson & Hedges. The listeners’ feedback made them feel the urge to frame their creations into an album. They had more than 50 songs which they used to sing on live performance. They compiled 10 out of them for their debut album jahajee.
Diat khan as guitarist and Rashel Kabir as keyboardist joined the band in 2009 and 2010 respectively.[10]
In 2017, lead vocal Tanzir Tuhin left the band.[11] Tuhin's decision emerged from the internal conflict.[11][12] Then Sheikh Ishtiaque joined the band as vocal.[13][14]
At first the band was formed without a name and their very first performance was held at a programme at TSC auditorium, University of Dhaka.[4] They went to perform there very casually and were not bothered to have a title of their group. But the audience became amazed by their stage performance and were asking about the band name. Then they instantly came up with the name Shironamhin which literally means untitled.[15]
Shironamhin, released their first album in 2004 after 8 years of the formation of the band.[9] Last album of the band is Shironamhin Shironamhin was released on 19 July 2013.
On 1 August 2008 Shironamhin obtained the membership of Bangladesh Music Bands Association (BAMBA)[16]
Jahaji was based on urban lifestyle and struggling. The title track of the album, itself speaks so. Shironamhin, tried to portray the usual daily life and elements from middle class career seeking young sailor of a Bronx. The cultural interest, the gossip in a crowded cityscape, the life of mono busy traffic etc. were conveyed with metaphor and events by this album. Jahajee was the only album from the band Shironamhin that was refused and rejected by every known record label company of Dhaka. "হাসিমুখ (Smiling)" (2004), from the album জাহাজী (Navigator) was a widely used song in the countries television advertisement.
Ichchhe Ghuri was second album of Shironamhin released from the record label company G-Series in 2006.[17] They tried to do some experiments, draw some maturity in compositions, suited compositions for Live performances and fix in a style for Shironamhin's own. Shironamhin is keen on lyrics from nature. They tried to convey urban crisis in this album in which they did not to draw any comment or did not even try to draw any suggestion. Shironamhin just wanted the listeners to get the message with their own understanding and draw the images or characters with own personal fantasy. They mostly worked on certain topic or events on short-time span. They loved to talk about urban life, draw the urban texture. Cafeteria was a story of one second judging from vivid angles. It is based on a moment someone entering into his campus cafeteria and feel two silent eyes among so many noise and fumes around from the cafe gossiping. Shironamhin tried to make the listeners recall their own cafeteria in their campus life.
Bondho Janala was a bit challenging for Shironamhin as they were very much used to with sarod sound compositions. In the album they had to explore many more acoustic instruments like esraj, silver flute, trumpet as the album was enriched with vivid orchestration. Lyrically the band Shironamhin tried to work on their already established genre of urban life talks with some bigger aspects and along with historical events or movements. It was released by the record label company G-Series in 2009.[17]
"শিরোনামহীন রবীন্দ্রনাথ (Untitled Rabindranath)" (2010)
In 2010, Shironamhin released their fourth studio album, which features rock interpretations of Rabindra Sangeet, titled Shironamhin Rabindranath, under the banner of Laser Vision.
[4][19] Shironamhin, thinks that, Rabindranath Tagore was a cultural institute for them. As a Bengali with a minimum sensibility for culture can not live without knowing him. Tuhin academically learned Rabindra Sangeet when he is in Bulbul Lalitakala Academy (BAFA). The album was a Rabindra Sangeet album and tribute to Tagore.[20] Zia, thinks that, many of there fans, particularly teenagers, are not that familiar with Rabindra Sangeet. The album is an attempt to generate interest in Bengali poet Tagore among the young audience.[19]
"শিরোনামহীন শিরোনামহীন (Untitled as Always)" (2013)
This is the fifth studio album in self-titled of the band.[21] This album is a collection of 10 track which is selected from 25 track.[22] Shironamhin tried to compile confession, demand, rage, hope & anticipation in their self-titled album to invite a new light through old windows. From lyrical point of view, this album is more specific on topic, searching the positive sides of a negative living. Musically Shironamhin tried western classic orchestration based on violin, cello, contrabass section fused with rock guitar, bass & drums accompaniment. Shironamhin recalled all the members & persons who worked for Shironamhin once and forever, expressed their gratitude to those who carried shironamhin to their journey and dedicated their songs to the listeners whom shironamhin is comfortable to call friends.
Recent performance
After Sheikh Ishtiaque replaced Tuhin as the lead vocalist, the band five non-album singles.[23] All the songs are written by Zia. The song "Jadukor" was released on 6 December 2016, which was composed by Diat Khan.[24] This is the first song for the group sung by Ishtiaque.[25] The music video of the song has been directed by Ashraf Shishir.[26] The song received mixed reactions after its release.[27] The song "Bohemian" was released on 7 January 2016, and was composed by Shafin and the second title by Ishtiaque.[28] Shishir has directed the music video as well.[29] On March 7 of the same year, Shafin and Zia's joint tune "Barud Shomudro" was released.[30] The song "Ei Abelaya" was released on 30 May 2019 to the tune of Shafin.[31] The music video for the song was made by Mir Shariful Karim Shravan, who previously made another music vedio for the band's song "Bondho Janala".[32]
Film scores
In 2015, Shironamhin composed and performed a title-song "Podmo Patar Jol" from the film Podmo Patar Jol directed by Tanmay Tansen. On 26 April 2019, the song "E Raat E" was released with lyrics and melody by Zia for the film Amra Ekta Cinema Banabo directed by Ashraf Shishir.[33]
Musical styles
Regarded as one of the pioneers of early progressive and psychedelic music groups in Bangladesh, Shironamhin began their musical career through the underground music in Dhaka. As a multi-instrumental group, the combination of different instruments in music has made them unique. In an interview with the BBC in 2011, Tuhin said that Shironamhin's songs have a sense of life and philosophy rather than love or separation.[34] From the very beginning, they have been singing outside the traditional Bengali music genre.[34]
Live performances
Shironamhin is known for its campus-based concerts to live performances. In 2014, Shironamhin attended the Sri Lanka's most famous musical festival titled Galle Music Festival where they enthralled the audiences.[35] There were performances by audiences and bands from various countries, including Norway, Brazil, and India.[36][37][38] In November 2016, they performed at the University of Malaya.[39]
Awards and achievements
Shironamhin is one of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands in Bangladesh. On 1 August 2008, Shironamhin obtained the membership of Bangladesh Music Bands Association (BAMBA).[40]
On April 13, 2014, the band became the first Bengali band to launch their official Android application titled "Shironamhin". Details about the band members, songs of their fifth album, lyrics, photographs and updates of the band's activities can be found through the application.[46][47] The app has the opportunity to listen to all the songs from the band's latest Shironamhin Shironamhin album for free.[48]
