“Prometheus has crossed the 25 -year mark in its journey, thanks to the continuing love from everyone. I sincerely hope that the band will enjoy such support for many years to come,” says Biplob, the iconic vocal of the veteran band. He has been at the helm of Prometheus since its early days, and has carved a niche for himself as a unique singer.
Asked about the band's achievements over the years, Biplob says the greatest is the mere fact that the band has stayed together for so long; a feat not achieved by all bands, he adds.
Biplob, whose life has stayed entwined with Prometheus, observes that the most popular tracks of the band have been “Miloner Rokto”, “Sharnali Bhore”, “Chaand Shajalo”, “Nur Hossain”, “Swadhinota Chai”, “Hai Allah Kemon Prem”, “Noyona”, “Laal Miah”, “Nirjon Shaal Bon-e” and many other numbers.
Biplob recently composed a song for Malala, the Pakistani teen shot by the Taliban for speaking out against militants in Pakistan, with words for the song penned by Shahidullah Fayezi. The song has been recorded in both English and Bangla, along with a video for the English version. The talented vocalist informs, “Initially the song has been made to go online, and the music video has already been uploaded. We are also planning to perform the song internationally. We will sing 'Malala' at all upcoming concerts.”
As a veteran artiste, Biplob's only dream is to see a strengthened position for both the music industry and musicians.
Although recording for “Malala” has kept Biplob busy in recent days, he is also working on a new album, along with several other music engagements. With the concert season knocking at the doors, Biplob has plans to travel to Canada and Dubai to perform on the stage. The star also informed that he has taken several initiatives to introduce changes to the music industry.
When asked about his regrets, Biplob contemplates a while and says, “The biggest achievement is the appreciation of the audience. But when it comes to regrets, it's only that we haven't been able to produce our dream song yet. The song of our souls has not been composed yet due to many limitations.”
Looking back at the long journey, Biplob still recalls the first concert of Prometheus. He reminisces that the show was held at the ICMEO auditorium. “We told the audience that we'll only do our own numbers and not go for any covers. That was the first time we performed 'Rakhalir Shur Baaje Oi Niralae'. We received a positive feedback from that debut concert.”
Prometheus' 18th album “Amader Poth” was recently released online. Biplob says there are 10 songs in the album all of them falling under melody and rock melody genres. Currently the songs are available at the band's own website.
Asked about the benefits of online release, Biplob says, “As soon as albums are released these days, they are immediately uploaded to other sites. Now we have cut the intermediary and uploaded the songs ourselves. This way, the listeners can know more about the songs. We have put up several company logos on our site, as they have sponsored our album.”
Going back to the beginning, Biplob remembers, “Prometheus was formed on July 17, 1986. Arif, Rezwan, Bulbul, Sharek used to sing together at the time, with Koyel joining them in the jamming sessions. I was in another band called Cupid at the time. I met the other guys through Koyel. Later, we decided to form Prometheus.”
Asked about his personal life, Biplob proudly says that he is a happy family man with his wife Aileen; daughter Totini and son Asif.
Biplob was born and brought up in Dhaka, and spent most of his years in Mohammadpur. His father was a Professor at the Music College, while Biplob began singing at an early age.
Before concluding the interview, the iconic vocal was asked about the story behind the song "Miloner Rokto". “Back in 1990, the anti-autocracy movement was at its peak and the country was fuelled with revolutionary passion. We received news that Dr. Milon was gunned down. So we composed the song for him and performed it on stage. The song received much appreciation,” signs off Biplob.