‘Carnival’ begins with a hobby. The band was started in 2006 by four friends Tinu, Sabbir, Tanmoy and Sunny.
Band Carnival. Photo: Shahriar Kabir Himel/Star
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Band Carnival. Photo: Shahriar Kabir Himel/Star
In the massive relaxation of lockdown, when listening to music is on the rise thanks to streaming platforms, Bangladeshi band Carnival appeared with ‘Mohamukti’. Even today, the song of the album is in everyone’s mouth. After nearly two decades of hard work, Carnival is finally getting its due, with the band now a must-have on young music fans’ playlists.
‘Carnival’ begins as a hobby. The band was started in 2006 by four friends Tinu, Sabbir, Tanmoy and Sunny.
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They released their first album called ‘Indralay’. ‘When we started, we didn’t think we were going to be ‘big’. Only our friends used to come to the show. Maybe we used to go to their shows too,’ says vocalist Tinu Rashid, recalling the beginning.
Tinu Rashid is the only founding member of the ‘Carnival’ band.
Band Carnival. Photo: Shahriar Kabir Himel/Star
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Band Carnival. Photo: Shahriar Kabir Himel/Star
After the old lineup broke up, Salmi, Moushum and Khalid joined Carnival in 2011, followed by a string of excellent albums like ‘Atmotsarga’, ‘Dysfunctional Motion Picture’ and ‘Mohamukti’.
‘To be honest we just hang out. Even before joining the carnival, we used to listen to music together and think about music. Maybe that’s why we’ve been together for so long,’ drummer Khalid Ashraf told the secret of their long journey.
The interviewer with ‘Carnivale’ came out with more unknown words. Saying ‘no’ to show requests is a habit for this band. Because they don’t always get enough interest to show. They are more interested in watching concerts together at home.
Tinu Rashid said, ‘AK Rahul must be thanked for being by our side for so many years. There have also been times when Rahul booked shows for us, but we didn’t go, because none of us wanted to go from Moghbazar to Uttara!’
‘Mohamukti’ album turned ‘Carnivale’ as a band. During the Corona Pandemic, it gained huge popularity due to the benefit of streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube. In this context, band guitarist Salmi Rahman said, ‘Actually, the album was a burden for us.’ Khalid explains, ‘We started recording this album in 2016, but we couldn’t find any suitable place to release it. Streaming didn’t take off in a big way then. We were just biding our time and finally the wait paid off.’
‘Mohamukti’ album cover.
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‘Mohamukti’ album cover.
Anamul Hasan Raju did the great sound mixing of the album, and the cover was done by Sheeran. “Carnival” members also thanked them.
In 2021, the group started their first solo concert called ‘Live from Control Room’. Since then, ‘Carnival’ has established itself in the Bengali band world. Tinu Rashid said, band manager Rudan Al Amin (Trinan) deserves all the credit.
“When Trinan suggested we do something like this, we were very hesitant,” he said. That’s 500 tickets again! I was telling him to keep the ticket price at 200-250 rupees.’
But it was seen that after 10 days all the tickets were sold out. The fans joined them in the concert with great joy and excitement.
Due to such an unexpected response, they held another solo concert a few days later. They sold all the tickets in that too.
When asked whether there will be another concert or not, Manager Rudan said, ‘We are planning to do a third solo concert. But this time the name and theme of the event will change.
Currently, two guest members named Shahar Shayer and Ibn Ibtesham are playing at the carnival. Barkat Sobhan is the sound engineer.
How is Carnival still together today after nearly two decades? Is it because of their rather experimental and ahead of time work? Because timeless songs like ‘Vhram’, ‘Amar Satya’ or ‘Seisab Dinratri’ still hold the band back? Or because the new generation of listeners is still somewhat out of familiarity?
Although in the end none of the band found the correct answer In this context, Tinu Rashid said, ‘We are happy that young people listen to our songs. We are just normal guys who love to make their music. Every day after work when I come to jamming, all worries and fears disappear instantly. I am happy with that.’
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