Where folk meets the present: Arzeen Kamal beyond Kalakala
From folk roots to viral fame, Kalakala singer Arzeen Kamal reflects on music, mysticism and making songs that breathe
A few months back, a song titled 'Kalakala' took social media by storm. From cooking reels and TikTok dance challenges to shopping mall speakers, it seemed to be playing everywhere. The catchy refrain, "Kala bajay bashi, ekela ghore ami kemone roi," quickly found its way into everyone's lips.
Only a handful of listeners knew the voice behind the song – a Bangladeshi musician living in Los Angeles, US – Arzeen Kamal. Even though he wrote, composed, and sang the song a few years back, it had not gained mass traction up until recently.
Arzeen recently came to Bangladesh for a short visit, and I got an opportunity to have a chat with the Kalakala star at Niketan's Goopy Bagha Productions' studio. In our long conversation, Arzeen shared his music, philosophy, and the journey of life.
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"Although Kalakala is the song that helped my music to a broader audience, I have been surrounded by music almost all my life," he said.
Arzeen was exposed to music in early childhood at home. Later, during his higher secondary years, he got himself into Altaf Mahmud Sangeet Bidyaniketan for formal training in music. Later, during his university years, he enrolled at BulBul Academy of Fine Arts (BAFA), where he learned Nazrul Sangeet.
"During my university years at Jahangirnagar, I used to write and compose songs on my own, only to sing them myself. Just a handful of people around me knew about it," Arzeen said. "The words I wrote were mostly in my head, fearing embarrassment if anyone found my words."
Music, philosophy, and Lalon
Arzeen sees music not as an escape but as a way of being. His songs draw deeply from the soil of this land, yet their sound often stretches far beyond borders. Kalakala, for example, for which he collaborated with an American group called Mystical Joyride, is such a song. "I have performed it in front of many US audiences, and they all seemed to love it, even though they do not understand the language."
"There is something profoundly human in folk music; it carries the soul of the land," he said. His fascination with the wandering mystics of Kushtia, particularly Lalon, has shaped both his music and his philosophy.
PQ: "There is something profoundly human in folk music; it carries the soul of the land."
Growing up in Jessore, Arzeen often travelled to Kushtia with his family. Those visits left a lasting mark. He remembers listening to bauls who sang with a sincerity that needed no amplification. "Their words were simple, yet full of depth."
Over time, that simplicity became central to his own compositions. "A song should have the strength to stand on its own, sung simply with the bare voice," he says. "If a melody can survive without embellishment, it can live forever."
To Arzeen, the human voice itself is an instrument. The tone, the breath, and the pauses – all carry emotion. He believes that the same twelve notes bind music across the world, even if named differently. That shared structure has made his collaborations with foreign musicians effortless. "They can grasp my scale and tone instantly, often more intuitively than words can express," he noted.
What makes his songs stand out is his approach to staying within producing organic sound. While recording with American musicians, he avoids over-polishing or layering with synthetic instruments. Upright bass, cello, and nylon-string guitar form the foundation of his recordings. "Listeners may not always notice these subtleties, but they feel them," he said. "The result becomes a genuine sound experience rather than a synthetic one."
Playback and current projects
Arzeen's philosophy on music has also guided his playback work for Bangla films. In a career spanning over a decade, Arzeen has written and composed around fifty original songs. His voice became familiar to cinema audiences through numbers such as Tomar Porosh from Priyotoma and Amake Nao from Rajkumar. Both were loved for their lyrical honesty and restrained production. "The performer's strength lies in human connection," he said. "If I do not be honest with my craft, that connection fades."
Before these, Arzeen also wrote multiple songs for films like Ostitto, Musafir, and Baaji.
Early in his career, he performed at small gatherings – community events, birthdays, weddings – before stepping onto larger stages. "You have to create your own opportunities," he said. "If I am performing for just one person, I see them as my entire audience." Those early performances built a loyal listener base that has followed him ever since.
His breakout single Kalakala turned him into a name that online audiences could not ignore. The song was polarising. Some listeners adored its folk-inspired rhythm and layered vocals; others were uncertain about its unconventional execution. Arzeen, however, welcomed both responses. "Even criticism is a form of engagement," he said with a smile. "If someone reacts, it means the song has reached them."
Recently, he did a project based on a poem by Kabir, a 15th century Indian musician. Arzeen translated Kabir's poems, and turned it into a song called 'Amay Khojo'. The song brought him back to the same spiritual territory that Lalon once walked.
"I realised that Kabir and Lalon were saying similar things in different languages," he recalled. "It was really a magical experience to discover him, and find familiarity in an unexpected place."
Currently, Arzeen is working with a couple of US-based musicians on an album built around minimal instrumentation – just two or three instruments per track. Several songs have already been released online, and the full collection will follow soon.
Arzeen aims to keep creating without pretence or excess. "If singing keeps me happy and fulfilled, that is enough. Happiness does not have to be extravagant," he concluded.
