Shayan Chowdhury Arnob

Shayan Chowdhury Arnob was born in Dhaka on January 27, 1978. His parents, Swapan Chowdhury and Suraiya Chowdhury, were painters. In 1985, he was admitted to Patha Bhavana, a school affiliated with Visva-Bharati at Santiniketan, West Bengal, India. During his time there, he learned to play the Esraj and taught himself keyboard and guitar, beginning to compose music with friends. Although initially not considering music as a profession, he was exposed to various musical styles, from Western to local Baul traditions, which significantly influenced his artistic development.

After enrolling at Visva Bharati University in 1995 to study Fine Arts, Arnob formed the indie folk fusion band Bangla in 1998. The band, joined by Anusheh Anadil as vocalist and later including Kartik, Shantunu, and Nazrul, had its first formal concert in Dhaka in October 1999. In 2002, Bangla participated in the “Benson and Hedges Star Search” competition, where Arnob received the Award for Best Instrumentalist for his Esraj performance. The same year, Bangla released its debut album, “Kingkortobbobimurho.” Arnob’s first solo song, “She Je Boshe Ache,” was released in 2004 as the title track of the teleplay “Off Beat,” later appearing on his 2005 debut solo album, “Chaina Bhabish.” His subsequent albums, “Hok Kolorob” and “Doob,” further established his prominence in the music scene.

Arnob’s career progressed with significant projects and collaborations. In 2009, he released his first live album, “Arnob & Friends Live,” which featured songs from his 2008 international tour. He also established his record label, Adhkana Records, in 2009. Over the years, Arnob composed film scores for several notable Bengali films, including “Monpura” (2009), “Jaago” (2010), “Mirror Game” (2016), “Podmo Patar Jol” (2015), and “Under Construction” (2015). A major career milestone occurred in 2022 when he served as the producer for the inaugural season of “Coke Studio Bangla,” the Bangladeshi adaptation of the “Coke Studio” franchise. His artistic pursuits have diversified to include visual arts, and a documentary biographical film about his musical career, “Adhkhana Bhalo Chele, Adha Mostaan,” was released in 2021.