Seyn: Resurrecting the golden era of RnB

Bangladesh has rarely lacked musical talent. The underground scene is quite fond of the saying there are more guitarists in the city than there are crows in the sky; the census department has declined to comment on this assertion. 

Unlike the rock and metal scenes in Bangladesh, pop and RnB really don't have a home, since the latter genres hold a lot more sway in the mainstream, they aren't given the same amount of attention at the independent grassroots level.

Enter Seyn, a  talented singer whose mellifluous bars, harmonies and top notch production quality will have you ask "How did Ne-Yo learn to sing in Bangla?" The comparison is not made lightly. 

Seyn's powerful countertenor voice is a direct successor to the great RnB acts and hits of the 2000s. It is shockingly hard to pick him out from a line-up of foreign artists, his ebonics and production quality can stand shoulder to shoulder with any modern music that is coming out today.

'Tomar Neshaye Matal' is a quintessential RnB serenade track that masterfully blends English and Bangla to create a moody anthem that will have you staring out through a glass window as the rain trickles down the pane, whoever that significant other person is in your life will waltz through your head, accompanied by Seyn's angelic harmonies and evocative lyrics. It is his first song (as a solo artist) and he plans on releasing more as time passes, culminating into an EP. Not only has this one man show written, composed and produced an entire spate of songs, he also did the same for his music video which dropped Thursday, while dealing with a severe medical condition that required surgery.

Sharothi Sen Gupta, as he is known to his friends and family, is not a newcomer or an unknown quantity in the Bangladeshi music scene. He has been singing for almost as long as he has been alive and has performed alongside Xefer and Black Zang. Add to that the fact that he has been a contemporary of the most talented underground hip-hop artists during the 2000s (such as Octa and Flo) and was also the singer in a (short lived) RHCP-esque genre blending band. All of this is to say that he isn't a new player in the Bangladeshi music scene.

Any local artist, whether they be independent or mainstream has not only heard of Sharothi but they ubiquitously claim that he is one of the best singers our scene has to offer, regardless of genre.

According to the musician, his journey started when he brought home Linkin Park's Live in Texas DVD when he was in the eighth grade. He was blasting it at full volume and singing along. His mother, who is one of the gentlest, most kind-hearted people he knows, asked him to stop yowling like a hyena lest the neighbours complain that he couldn't hit a single note properly. "On that day I vowed that my mother will put one of my songs on her playlist someday."

Sharothi Sen Gupta. Photo: Courtesy

When asked about his influences and idols, Sharothi said in terms of vocalists, first and foremost is the king of pop Michael Jackson for his ability to hit those high notes with a level of elegance and class that genuinely seemed impossible back then, and how he could oscillate between that and supple croons within the breadth of mere seconds. 

"Usher has a vocal pressure that puts the right colours on an empty canvas which I love. Lastly Kishore Kumar's ability to put emotions into the lyrics he sang was a huge influence on me. Everyone I have mentioned are writers, composers and producers, so I just try to follow in their footsteps. As for an idol, it's hard to pick just one. I'm Hindu so I'm just gonna say Hanuman," he added. 

We wondered aloud what his creative/production process was like. The artist admitted that it's a very ephemeral process and kind of hard to describe.

"I experience emotions or inspiration, after which I freestyle in my head; if I feel like I have something I'll record it immediately on a device. However I do need to put myself in a conducive and artistic environment to enter a 'flow-state' that would bring about the best version of that particular demo or idea," said Seyn.

His record will come out in three weeks, and the singer plans to release songs here and there during the ramp up and has many more singles, performances and collaborations planned after the EP is released to the public.

There was one mortal hurdle the singer had to surmount for his art.  "I was working full tilt on my EP around March this year. I was feeling a lot of pain in my lower abdominal area; I didn't think much of it at the time and presumed it would pass. Two days later I collapsed from the rising level of physical pain I was feeling. My family doctor's prognosis was appendicitis, which turned out to be true. I was rushed to the hospital and unfortunately enough time had passed for it to have turned into a lump; getting an operation right then and there would have been fatal."

"I was prescribed bed rest for the longest time and suffice to say I was mad because I had plans and I needed to get the music video done no matter what. I was in immense pain during the shoot and a constant fear of my appendix rupturing. But I had to get it done so I did. My condition has worsened since and I have a surgery scheduled next month. But I am very happy that the video is about to be released." he explained.

This last revelation came as a relatively large shock because, there isn't a single frame in his music video that alludes to something being amiss for this charismatic, soft-spoken, affable, and charming musician. 'Tomar Neshaye Matal' is available for streaming on Youtube and Spotify. RnB generally stands for rhythm and blues but in the case of Seyn it means resilient and Bangaldeshi.