Kronedge: A diaspora Bangla band winning hearts with their new single ‘Omorotter Shadh’

US-based Bangla band 'Kronedge' released their latest solo 'Omorotter Shadh' (Wish for an Eternal Life) on 1 October.

The unique composition and subtle lyrics of this single immediately grabbed the attention of Bangladeshi rock music aficionados. 

Set in a different continent with different arrangements, the original Bangla band has a plethora of experiences and stories to share with their listeners. 

In a recent conversation with The Business Standard, Kronedge talked about these experiences and the making of 'Omorotter Shadh'. 

Enam Rahman, the drummer and founder member of the band, said, "We started Kronedge in 2016. At first, Tony and Sharif Bhai used to jam in my basement. Both of them were musicians already but not formally. After our vocalist Rafi joined the band, I proposed we form an original band. But it wasn't easy for us as we had other commitments to tend to." 

"Besides, both Tony and Sharif bhai were already members of two other bands. So, we decided that we would do one original song. And then that one original song led us to create more. Finally in August 2016, we agreed to form a band. Subsequently, we released our first project 'Shopnochari' in 2017," he continued.

Kronedge initially began with four members. But they soon realised that they needed a bassist for live shows. 

"After jamming with us for three months, we offered Amit to join Kronedge as our bassist. This has been our lineup ever since," added Enam. 

Currently, Kronedge has Rafi Alam on vocals, Rizwan Siddique (Sharif) and Tanzeem Iqbal (Tony) on guitars, Amit Muntasir on bass and Enam Rahman on drums.

All kronedge members were born and brought up in Dhaka. They immigrated to the USA when they turned 20. 

Sharif and Tony were already involved with underground bands and all of them were connected with the Bangla band music scene before leaving the country. 

Rizwan Siddique (Sharif) wrote the lyrics and conceptualised 'Omorotter Shadh'. Mixed and mastered by Raef al Hasan Rafa (avoidRafa), this is their sixth single. 

Sharif, the lyricist of 'Omorotter Shadh', said, "Each one of us in this world yearns for love in some way, shape or form. One who lost love would yearn for another life to get it back. And the one who found love would yearn for life after life to experience it all over again. And that is the very essence of the song - a wish for an eternal life for our hopes and dreams to be realised."

Although Kronedge is not yet a mainstream band among Bangladeshi listeners, this song has garnered much appreciation. 

Speaking about the music video of 'Omorotto Shadh', he said, "Music video is a very big challenge for us right now. It is very expensive to make a music video in the US. We had spoken with a number of videographers and contacted venues before starting the shoot. Later on, we worked with a production house that made a horrible video. They could not conceptualise our idea. That's why we ended up with a performance video instead.

"There is always a big difference between our music and videos. We express ourselves as creatively as we want in our music. But we don't have the video expertise here. Also, as a Bangla original band, we often feel the lack of a proper support system here." 

Kronedge is based in Washington DC, US. Members of band live between Maryland and Virginia and they usually jam in their practise pad in Virginia. 

The band usually performs in community-based public shows and private events. They also organise their own shows. In January 2019, they hosted their first solo show 'An Evening with Krondege' in Seven Drum City, Washington DC. 

Currently, the band is preparing for the second session of the show. As per plans, 'An Evening with Kronedge - Part 2' will be held at Jammin Java on March 5, 2022. 

"In public shows, the audience usually demands covers of popular Bangla songs. So we perform covers along with our originals. But in our own shows we prefer performing our own songs," Enam said. 

Kronedge is currently working on an album and has already completed seven demo recordings. They hope to enter the recording studios early next year.