Curating a catalogue that represents Bangladesh : Xefer, Muza and Sanjoy talk Arale Harale

Photo: Courtesy

Sometime around the middle of last year, Sanjoy, after one of his shows in New York city, couldn't catch his connecting flight to California due to thunderstorms, and was stuck in a basement at a friend's house. Xefer and Muza were there too.

I guess when three musicians are trapped in a basement with nowhere to go and nothing better to do, they invariably do what they do best; make music.

Doodling around with a few beats and tunes in their friend's makeshift basement studio, the trio came up with their first original of 2024, which was released across all platforms just last night. And if Xefer and Muza's past collaborations are anything to go by, 'Arale Harale' is destined to be yet another Bangla hip-hop/ pop success.

But had the three of them not been 'trapped' together during thunderstorms, would the song have seen the light of day?

Xefer, upon recalling the incident, believes that "It was meant to be!"

"Sanjoy suddenly started playing this amazing beat and I immediately started humming the melody of my parts, Muza also added his part and bam! The structure of 'Arale Harale' was ready in no time," she added.

"It was so organic and fun, just like how Jhumka happened."

Speaking of 'Jhumka,' there is no argument that the duo of Xefer and Muza has been very popular among fans and successful too. However, they did decide to tinker with their 'winning formula,' and on- boarded a third set of musical talent.

"With Xefer we just have the friendship and chemistry and we push each other to think outside of the box. With Sanjoy it's even easier. He's so talented and so easy to work with," said Muza.

He further added, "Part of being a musician is experimenting and trying new things. Nothing is a guaranteed success. You just never know what song will do good and which won't."

But the question naturally comes to mind: what exactly does a producer and DJ bring to the table when collaborating with two vocalists?

"Being a music producer means being deeply involved in a project from the start. Working with them was smooth sailing; we really gelled while fine-tuning the song's sonic aspects," explained Sanjoy.

Being inspired by Xefer and Muza's musical choices in Jhumka,  Sanjoy created a 6/8 groove with some chords, setting the foundation for the whole song.

If you listen to the song, you will discover an interesting mixture of Amapiano tracks along with afrobeats and an undertone of Bangla folk fused with American hip hop.

"During my tour in India, Bangladesh, and Dubai, I was spinning a lot of Amapiano tracks. Their energetic baselines and infectious grooves deeply influenced Arale Harale. Fuad bhai (Fuad Almuqtadir) suggested adding a Bengali touch with the Dotara, which was perfect," said Sanjoy.

 When Fuad was touring Bangladesh himself, he managed to record instrumentalist Ananda Shikder playing the Dotara, which brought a unique flair and edge to the song.

"Once everyone was happy with the production, I mixed it," said Sanjoy.

Diving deeper as to what the song entails, Xefer said, " Arale Harale is a song about love in its most casual form. It's about the kind of playful and confused love we often see these days and term it as 'Situationship.' Whatever we might call it, the song captures the playfulness and fresh energy that love has to offer."

"The song is definitely very unique. Lyrics are very playful and fun," added Muza.

Moving beyond the song itself, the music video is also something that excites the trio. They were happy about the fact that it effectively reflected their ideas and aligns well with the song's lively theme, despite having to stick to a very tight timeline.

The music video was filmed in Los Angeles and featured a global team including dancers, choreographers, and production specialists.

The last time Sanjoy spoke to The Business Standard, he said that in the next five years, Bangla pop and hip hop would overtake Indian and Punjabi music globally. Could the latest song be the first step towards that vision?

"My excitement for Bangla music is off the charts! If you could listen to our upcoming songs, I'm confident you'd be just as thrilled. We're not just creating music; we're carefully curating a catalogue that truly represents us," replied Sanjoy with sheer excitement.

"Every step we're taking is thoughtfully aimed at building our collection in a way that resonates with our vision and values. There's a blend of innovation and tradition in our approach, ensuring that each piece is not only unique but also rooted in our rich cultural heritage. Stay tuned, because what we have in store is amazing!"