Krishnokoli

Music that touches the soul

Singer and lyricist Quazi Krishnokoli Islam sings with an intensity and power that penetrates the soul. Her lyrics speak of longing and hope. Her haunting melodies find themselves carved onto the listener’s memory, relentlessly forcing one to pay attention, to emote with what she is saying.
Born and raised in Khulna, Krishnokoli was introduced to the world of music by her mother. Krishnokoli trained under Shadhon Ghosh (Rabindra Sangeet) and Basudeb Biswas (classical music). She enrolled in Chhayanaut in 1998 and was a student in the Rabindra Sangeet Department for three years.
Her debut album “Shurjey Bandhi Basha”, produced under the banner of Bengal Music Company Ltd, was a breakthrough. All the songs on the album were written, composed and performed by her; music was arranged and mixed by Ornob. The simple, mellifluous songs became an instant favourite of a wide range of listeners.
Her second album, “Alor Pithey Andhar” was released in 2011; with music direction by Arko, the eight tracks were written and composed by her. The tracks of this album also delved into an array of emotions and thoughts, and found popularity with her fans. Her third studio album, “Bunophul” featuring santal and jhumur songs, was released earlier this year. Her voice superbly encapsulated the rich, earthy flavours of the traditional music of indigenous people.
She was one of the performing artistes at the Kolkata Bangla Gaan’er Utsab this year, the biggest ever festival of the kind, and her performance and distinctive vocal style was much appreciated by the audience.
Krishnokoli’s lyrics are inspired by her own personal experiences. They often articulate an intense desire to be loved and understood. Despite the agony she went through because of her parents’ separation, Krishnokoli managed to overcome her trauma because of the overwhelming support she got from her mother, who passed away in December 2005.
Krishnokoli has another source of inspiration — her six-year-old daughter, Amritanjoli Sresthheshori. She wrote the first song for her debut album, “Dubi Dubi”, right after Amritanjoli was born.
One cannot put a label on her sound. It fuses and incorporates a mixture of folk and classical melodies with a hint of the blues, which her soulful voice intensifies tenfold.
When she was 16, her friends persuaded her to put together an album. Unfortunately, instead of supporting her, many of the artists that she attempted to work with wanted her to change her style in some way, claiming that her music was “too depressing”.
Singing is not Krishnokoli’s only talent. She worked for an audio-visual company for a while before working with the production house, Krishnochura, as a creative director between 2005 and 2006.
With songs that bare her heart and soul, Krishnokoli hopes to highlight the magnificence of Bangla language.