As you may have seen this week, the main paper and all the subsequent
feature sections have commemorated this amazing milestone in their own
unique way, from their own unique point of view. So it would be
unthinkable that Star Showbiz, the daily's newest section, would not
contribute anything to this milestone.
But what can the world of Showbiz offer to The Daily Star to
commemorate its anniversary you may ask. Well how about a song to
commemorate the spirit and very ideal of The Daily Star? Well that's
exactly what has happened. Kaushik Hossain Taposh, Managing Director and
CEO of GaanBangla TV channel has written and devised a song titled
“Laal Shobuj Er Gaan” sung with the help of 25 young artists
representing a new generation of artists.
Some titbits we can tell you about this song without giving out too
many spoilers, it speaks of patriotism and doing what's right for the
country. It talks of breaking down boundaries with the truth and in
doing so, do what's necessary for the betterment of the nation, fitting
in exactly with the motto of The Daily Star.
“Amra shomoy er slogan, addhar er barricade bhenge gai laal shobuj er gaan”
This line from the song pretty much sums up all you need to know
about it, and now, to explain his reasoning for the concept of this
song, here is small interview with the man himself.
What made you decide to dedicate a song to The Daily Star for its 25th anniversary?If
you ask me, The Daily Star isn't just a renowned English daily. I see
it as a voice for the nation and all its inhabitants, a mirror for the
society if you will. I feel that its job is to wave the green and red
flag high and proud. GaanBangla has a similar goal too. Our job is to
wave our national pride with home-grown, soulful songs. The Daily Star
does the same thing through the words in their news and other various
nation based articles. To be able to do what you do for 25 years is a
huge milestone and to commemorate that, the artists here who are a part
of the GaanBangla family decided to make this song as a present to The
Daily Star; kind of like a birthday present if you will.
How did you manage to arrange such a huge ensemble for this project? Well,
the first thing we decided, based on the lyrics and the mantra of the
current times, was to involve artists as many artists as possible from
the new generation who would make waves in the near future. Also, the
artists are from various genres like Classical, Pop, Rock, Fusion,
Nazrul, etc. As for the number of artists itself, well we figured it
would be an artistic way of commemorating 25 years of The Daily Star
with 25 up and coming artists. Plus 25 artists on a stage also look
cool!
What genre does this track fall into?Well,
technically, I have to say that this song, by definition, is a fusion,
because this involves many different styles and is sung by artists
hailing from different genres. But I will also say that this isn't like
the usual fusions that are currently out there because it's
inspirational or motivational. This song is all about the dialogue
delivery, all about the message of patriotism.
Any future plans regarding this song?Since
this song speaks of the nation, which is the mantra for both The Daily
Star and GaanBangla, it will be made into a music video reflecting that
motive and be aired on GaanBangla channel every day for as long as
GaanBangla stays on the air. It is a signature piece and so, you can
rest assured that it will live on with GaanBangla.
By Intisab Shahriyar