Elita Karim

Then came a bold post-production decision. Initially, Adnan followed the familiar Coke Studio colour palette. But something about the song resisted. “I felt an instinct to lean into black-and-white, to give the video a timeless look. It wasn’t in the plan, and there was back-and-forth with the agency and client. But they trusted the vision. In the end, it became the first black-and-white Coke Studio song ever.” For him, the absence of colour gave the emotions their true form. “Colours should always reflect emotion. Here, the emotions demanded black-and-white.”

Known locally as “Samdado,” or the “Island of Three Manys”, Jeju is celebrated for its abundance of three natural and cultural elements: the rocks that shape its landscape, the strong women who define its spirit, and the ever-present winds that sweep across its shores

The tragic events of July, especially the Holey Artisan attack and the revolution in Bangladesh, have left indelible scars. Memories of loss and sacrifice continue to shape the nation, serving as a powerful reminder of resilience and resistance.

Hopeful outcomes from the new establishment will take months or years of work, research and the final formation of the act and its accompanying set of rules.

Warfaze, one of the most celebrated bands in Bangladesh, turns 40 years old today. With albums, compositions, awards and several hits to their name, the band has contributed much to the music industry in Bangladesh. They have also played a vital role– through their melodies and lyrics– in keeping the Bengali language alive, thriving and evolving, over several generations and in countries all over the world, where Bengalis live and communicate accordingly. 

As I write this, “MaLoMa”, a musical tale of extraordinary lives led by everyday people, is trending number 1 on YouTube Bangladesh & 38 on global YouTube. This song, as a whole, is many stories woven together as one, belonging to people from all walks of life. The stories touch hearts and inspire music lovers to ponder upon life in general. As Arif Dewan and Shagor Dewan sing their hearts out about how mistaken they were about life being a bed of roses, the chaotic city around them comes to life.

It has been a couple of weeks at least since the Bangla New Year celebrations, which we lovingly refer to as Noboborsho. However, Coke Studio Bangla’s “Tati” is still dominating playlists. ‘Taanti’, or in this case “Tati”, refers to the craftsperson or the creator of fabrics, who works with the material called taant – depicting motifs, colourful borders, and softness to touch. Especially in this heat, a taant saree or a fatua is always a welcome addition to an average Bangladeshi wardrobe, allowing one to breathe easy and at the same time, look trendy.

It has been 81 years today since Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali polymath, poet, composer and the first Bengali Nobel Laureate, breathed his last. In these 81 years, much has changed in the world, including the modernisation of his compositions. Tagore’s songs—Rabindra Sangeet, as they are known—are still popular amongst Bengali music lovers.

When I was arriving in Phoenix, Arizona last year for my Humphrey Fellowship, I did not imagine that I would get to be a part of one of the most prestigious musical celebrations of the world – the Grammys.

The women in Selina Hossain’s books are strong, because the author herself likes to be inspired by the reality around her.

To me, he was a weaver of stories from lands and cultures, all within Bangladesh, that I would never have heard of otherwise. Growing up abroad amidst mixed cultures and languages, Humayun Ahmed kept Bangladesh within me and in thousands of others like me.

Needless to say, some of the best moments of my life have been spent inside bookstores.

The first of July has always been a busy day. With remembrances, special anniversaries and the beginning of a new financial year, the day also reminds us of how fast time passes, as half of the year flies by at the blink of an eye. Yesterday, however, the day was extra significant, because Dhaka University turned a century old. The only known institution in Bangladesh turning 100 (to my knowledge), and that too an important one both academically and historically, led me to look for books and other published items from the past which would speak at length about the university.

I applied for MasterChef Australia during lockdown last year. My son was on my back until I handed in my application, and the rest is history!

Today I would like to talk about a book that I have been waiting to read for a very long time. After years of procrastination, luckily, I finally got hold of a copy and decided to write my thoughts about it—what I expect from it, why I would like to read it and of course, experiencing the sheer eagerness of waiting to turn the pages of a new book; a new adventure.

Last week, we marked the 10th year of my father’s death, on June 15th. Every year since we lost him, I would make it a point to post little stories about him from my childhood, on social media. I call them #memorydoodles. This year, while posting pictures and posts about my father, memories of Abbu – his bookshelf and the many books strewn all over our home – rushed in and I found myself remembering all the moments we shared around books.

Not all books fulfil the purpose of exploring metaphors or offering a thrilling ending for readers to remember for ages to come. Some books are simply there to create a bridge between generations of readers, running for even as long as 70 years and more. Some books, like Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, are written at a time when the world is in turmoil. She needed a space to express herself, to gather her thoughts and maybe, someday, pass these thoughts on to others, once the world went back to normal. Unfortunately, Anne along with her family were eventually captured and killed, except for her father Otto Frank, who ended up finding the book and publishing it. Little did she know that her Dutch expressions would be translated to English and many other languages, and touch millions of hearts around the world.

There is something very interesting about how certain smells take you back in time, very much like a time machine would, if it ever existed.

When Shadhona was granted accreditation by the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in December 2019, it was definitely a special moment for Bangladesh.

As a lover of books and music, it is no surprise that I would pick up Anubhutir Abhidhan (Addhayan Prokashoni, 2021), a book of musings, stories, and poems written by Tahsan Khan— singer, songwriter, actor, teacher, and also a mentor to many in Bangladesh.