Penoa: Finding home through the music of Cox’s Bazar

If you scroll through the comments on any of Penoa's YouTube videos, it feels less like a typical comment section and more like a lively group chat among friends. Some leave heartfelt wishes, while others unpack every word, expressing their admiration. The whole exchange feels like watching a group of friends chatting over steaming cups of tea.

My conversation with Yeaseer Arafat, vocalist and lyricist of the band, felt similar. It is hard not to talk about philosophy when you talk about Penoa's journey; they go hand in hand. And soon enough, though I was talking with Yeaseer for the first time, it felt like I was reconnecting with an old friend. 

With members Yeaseer Arafat, Vogoban Rudra, Mohammad Jakir Hossain, Mir Shiblu, Nayan Das, Showrob Datt, and Anindya Paul Jit, Penoa announced their first album on 13 February 2024. 

The word "penoa", a yellow flower indigenous to Cox's Bazar, is a true reflection of the band's philosophy—that is, to preserve and showcase the heritage of Cox's Bazar through music and art that touches the soul. 

In fact, the story of Penoa began as Yeaseer began his journey to his roots.

"When I returned to Cox's Bazar in 2021 after 20 to 25 years in London, I was looking for something that would make me feel at home again," shared Yeaseer when talking about what sparked Penoa. It was around that time when his companion, Rudra, who had religiously read Yeaseer's poetry, inquired why he didn't write lyrics as well.

Before Yeaseer and Rudra made the first steps towards Penoa, they contemplated what they could offer the music scene. Yeaseer especially sat down with his thoughts, as he knew he would be learning music anew, since he was originally a writer. 

Then came the thought of their roots. 

"Accessibility is not my main aim. Songs from hundreds of years ago that are still popular have lyrics that resonate; they explore the same universal philosophies. Language, however, comes from a space of individuality, and our language has its own rhythm and tone," 

Yeaseer Arafat, Vocalist of Penoa

"As Cox's Bazar is a tourist city, the music scene is very popular, and many celebrities come here to perform as well. However, we couldn't really find ourselves in the midst of this," shared Yeaseer. 

"There is so much more to Cox's Bazar beyond tourism. It has a culture, philosophy, and a long history outside of tourism. So, we wanted it to be a part of our music," he continued.

Penoa's music videos play a key role in this mission. One of their popular tracks, 'E Ruher Tole', was shot at Gorjon Bon, a huge reserve forest. Yeaseer reminisces that while shooting the music video, they had only explored a small part of the forest. The song 'Paharer Buke' was also shot at a place of meditation in Cox's Bazar, where pagodas stand tall. 

"Cox's Bazar is such a big place, and I don't think a lot of people know about this location," said Yeaseer. 

Even though 'E Ruher Tole' was the first song to get a music video on their YouTube channel, it was not the first song they had filmed a music video for. Though they first filmed a video for the song 'Priyo Mukh', Yeaseer remembers feeling that it did not quite represent the essence of Cox's Bazar—an aim they wanted to stick to. 

When Yeaseer began writing lyrics, he dove deep into the stories of Cox's Bazar. Interestingly, the band even incorporates the local dialect into its lyrics. The band made a bold move to stick to its culture and language, even if it might come with a language barrier to the mass public. 

However, Yeaseer strongly believes that music transcends all hurdles, uniting people with shared philosophies and rhythm. 

"I believe if you make real art, and if it is good, it will reach people," he shared. 

"Accessibility is not my main aim. Songs from hundreds of years ago that are still popular have lyrics that resonate; they explore the same universal philosophies. Language, however, comes from a space of individuality, and our language has its own rhythm and tone," he added.

However, Penoa's biggest hurdle came from the struggling music industry itself.

While Cox's Bazar offered limited resources for artistes when they first started with tight budgets, Yeaseer shared that little has changed over the years. He reminisces about how the band both had to record in abandoned places and rent out huge, expensive hallways to make their music come to life.

While finances remain a huge barrier, Yeaseer shared that Penoa is focusing more on making the most with the resources that they have for the time being. However, once they have the finances, he wishes to have a full-fledged studio where Penoa can make music without any restrictions.

The band is now striving to perform as much as they can, especially in small shows where they can connect with their listeners. They also have a new album in the works, and they are also working towards creating visual content for their existing music. They also wish to collaborate with local artistes and create a new movement of music in Cox's Bazar.