He started his career in music at the turn of the millennium with alternative rock, and transitioned to a new genre subsequently, creating an entirely new fan-base. His television shows are adored by millions in the nation. His talents and accomplishments are an assortment that remains unmatched, varying from singing and composing to being an actor and an educator.  

Showbiz proudly presents a personal account of the polymath, Tahsan.

You are involved in many ventures - What do you define your main profession to be?

I like to call myself an academic and an entertainer, with a particular focus on my music career. I also enjoy my acting and modeling endeavors, but on the whole I perceive myself to be a singer-songwriter and a composer. 

Since you consider yourself to be a singer and composer overall, what inspired you to evolve your musical style?

Back when I started my musical journey with alternative rock, electronic music was frowned upon but I wanted to pursue that genre and I had a plan for the future. During those times, there were two distinctive segments of fans that enjoyed music. In the first extreme lied rock & roll/metal fans and the other end consisted of fans of Bengali movie songs. So, in the middle of the extremes, there was a significant segment of audience who were not catered to. Therefore, I attempted to target these audiences with my first solo album "Kothopokothon", which was released in 2004. The album was well received by this new audience and subsequently, a new genre and fan-base was established. My main reason for taking the risk and going forward with this was because I craved for that

sound in Bangladesh. I knew that once I start this new genre and leave my roots behind, people will criticize but my love for music pushed me into pursuing the new field. I believe there are two facets to music: one, to be current and two, to connect with the audience. I spent a fair share of time exploring different music till I found out what I wanted for sure. I also knew that staying static will only make me boring to the audience and so I tried connecting to them by being dynamic through my music. There will always be people, who will criticize when you are going to do something new, but I was not there to satisfy everyone; I was there to explore my composing skills by dabbling into different fields and at the end, my endeavor paid off. 

With the variety of ventures that you are involved with, how do you manage time between these activities?

A career in the entertainment industry is very demanding and time commitment is very high, so I try to limit my engagements to activities I enjoy. If I feel like the work I am offered is not something I would enjoy, I politely turn it down, regardless of who makes the proposal. I dedicate two days each week to teaching, as it provides me with a peace of mind and helps me feel grounded because a career in this industry is irregular, and work hours are uncertain. In my opinion, having a life in the entertainment industry every single day of the week is not healthy, so I keep the teaching profession alongside it to balance things out. Also, I enjoy teaching because it provides me with intellectual stimulation. Teaching allows me to learn new things and without learning new things I would not be able to provide new things to the audience, so it plays a big role in my life. 

What are you currently working on?

I recently signed a 2 year contract with GP Music as a brand ambassador, which will have me involved in a few television commercials. I will be promoting the platform so that the audiences are motivated to use the GP music app and listen to music through a legal platform. The project will also inspire younger artists to pursue music as a career. 

What are your plans for the future?

I believe that I have successfully established myself as a brand in Bangladesh, and now I am looking forward to leverage this equity and enter the international market. I plan to pursue other genres of music, while keeping my style intact. Many local musicians have penetrated the subcontinental borders with their music, but no one has entered the global scale with prominence yet. 

Therefore, my goal is to be the flag-bearer of Bangladesh and test the uncharted waters of international music. Another thing that I want, ten years down the line, is to see myself as a travel vlogger. I realized that travelling is another passion I would like to pursue and incorporate in my daily life. So, I hope to start a travel vlog, which would have me go to various places and talk in detail about the location. I think this will also contribute to my other goal of becoming a global superstar as I will have the opportunity to collaborate with different people during my travels.