Sanjoy: “I want the world to see Bangladeshi music on a big stage”

"I think Bangla music never left me," said Sanjoy, the Los Angeles-based music producer and DJ, reflecting on his long-standing connection to the culture he was born into. 
 
"I was born in Bangladesh, and even after I moved to the States at eleven, all the Habib Wahid and Fuad songs, the modern-day classics, stayed with me," he expressed.
 
His journey is a story of rhythm, roots and never-ending curiosity. Sanjoy, who now produces and DJs across continents, just returned to Los Angeles from Dhaka, where he performed three very different shows. 
 
"One was a private corporate show, very intimate, people were in tune with the music. Then we had a massive one at the Bangladesh vs Singapore football with about 30,000 people in the stands. The energy was insane. The third was smaller, unplanned, and that one felt the most personal. I connected deeply with the audience," he shared.
 
Sanjoy has been to Dhaka three times this year already. "I go wherever the music calls me," he said. He might live in LA now, but his creative compass is always spinning, often leading him back to South Asia, where his musical identity first began to form.

 
"My mother was a singer, and I learnt to play music with her. After we moved to the States, I kept exploring— Punjabi music, hip hop, European dance, Bollywood remixes," Sanjoy continued.
 
"It was during college that one of his remixes went viral, kickstarting his entry into the Indian music scene. I even stayed in Mumbai for about a year, learning from composers and producers there," he added.
 
India brought him many collaborations, including a close friendship and creative partnership with pop artist Guru Randhawa. 
 
"I've learnt a lot from him, how to shape a song for a large audience, how to structure energy and moments in music."
 
Still, his recent artistic focus has turned back to Bangladesh. "It really started when I began working with Muza on 'Chuup Chaap Thaaki'. That was when I seriously stepped into Bangla music. And through Russell Ali and Fuad Al Muqtadir, I've just kept going."
 
Sanjoy is a self-proclaimed nomad. He works in parks, airports, hotel rooms, cars, and even train stations. His laptop and headphones travel the world with him. Sometimes he samples people singing on the streets. 

One standout moment came while working on the track 'Arale Harale'. "We made it in a basement," he laughed. "But honestly, that's how most of my music is made now, wherever I am, I make it work."
 
Upcoming releases include a song called 'Jai Dube', which he recently recorded and shot a music video for in Dhaka. "I can't give you a date just yet, but it's close," Sanjoy laughed.
 
Fans of his tracks 'Karon', 'Ekla Duniya' can expect more of that blend of Bangla folk with global beats. "I've been working with Baul singers I met in Dhaka. I want to keep that authenticity; these aren't just remixes. We're creating original songs with that folk essence but using electronic and house influences in a way that makes sense globally."
  
Sanjoy has numerous collaborations to work with; he aspires to create music that's rooted in Bangla folk but also feels fresh. He does not want just a Baul vocal slapped on a beat, but something that connects with someone in a foreign country, just as it would with someone from his motherland. 

Sanjoy's live sets are like travel diaries in sound as he wants people to feel like they've been around the world with him. The producer samples old folk music from the countries he is playing in, whether in India or Bangladesh, and layers it with Brazilian funk, Czech house, and melodic tech. He believes this process keeps the music global but personal.
 
"I've played 'Istishaner Railgarita' in a club in LA full of white people, or Atlanta in front of a mixed crowd of Mexicans, Black folks, everyone, and they vibe with it. That's the power of dance music," he shared.
 
So, where can fans see him next? He recently played at the BFF's (Bangladesh Football Federation) AFC Asian Cup qualifiers opening ceremony and 'Carpe Diem introduces Sunsets' by Arka, and he believes once the new music is ready, he will be back again for new shows.
 
When it comes to music making, some tracks, like 'Moonrise', took Sanjoy just 45 minutes. Some take a week, he makes 30 different versions before he scraps them all and starts again.
 
"Music is a journey. Some songs come quickly, and others take time. That's what keeps it fun," he mentioned.
 
When asked about future plans, Sanjoy shared that he wants to keep making music that brings joy to people around him. The DJ wants to be a global superstar while making music in Turkish, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish and more.
 
And the big dream? 

"I want to headline the Sahara Tent at Coachella. And I want to bring a massive music festival to Bangladesh, something the country has never seen. I want the world to see our music on a stage like that," the producer and DJ concluded.