Kaaktaal : A Band from Jail

KAAKTAAL: A BAND FROM JAIL

[SHAFIN AHMED, 22201469, M42]
Kaatktaal at ChalChitra Cafe, Photo by Shafin Ahmed

A recently formed band called Kaaktaal, meaning "Coincidental" in English, gained their popularity through a song called "Abar Dekha Hole" which means "When we meet again". The song is really mesmerizing. But it was a matter of surprise when people came to know that the band was originally formed in Dhaka Central Jail and most of the songs were also composed there.

The formation of Kaaktaal:

Illustration by Asif Iqbal Ahmed
The main founder of Kaaktaal is Asif Iqbal Ahmed. He is and architect in profession. Asif was sent to jail in a false acquisition and was sentenced for 7 years in 2014. The band was officially found in the jail in 2018. The jail authority brought some musical instruments for the recreation and creative influence of the prisoners. Asif had written composed nearly 250 songs in jail. They practiced  and sang those songs and eventually Kaaktaal was born. 
The artists were not professional and they never intended to form a band. They sang for recreation. But Asif composed and recorded those songs inside the jail and "Abar Dekha Hole" was the first song to be published in the Youtube channel of Dhaka Central Jail in 2020.
The pioneer of Kaaktaal were Asif Iqbal Ahmed, Golap Shaheen, Arman, Taranga Joseph and many more. However, Asif was freed from jail in 2021 and the songs were spread to the audience countrywide.

Insentive of the band:

The lead vocalist of Kaaktaal, Asif Iqbal Ahmed, also known as AIA Lemonsky, always introduce themselves as a coincidental collaboration. In his words in an interview in "The Platform", "We are Kaaktaal. I don't know if you can call us a band. We are bunch of people who got together randomly, coincidentally, and we are trying to make music."
Every song of Kaaktaal has a different type of theme, but every song is close to the daily life and emotions. Their lyrics are relatable and music composition is also very relaxing. The band is doing regular live shows both in person and facebook live simultaneously.
Illustration by Asif Iqbal Ahmed

 

Current Lineup:

The band members of Kaaktaal have changed over time many years as they primarily did not intend do form a band passionately. Only the Asif Iqbal, the founder is constant in the lineup. However, the current lineup is:
  • Asif Iqbal Ahmed- Vocal & Guitar 
  • Nazm Anwar- Flute
  • Alex Joven- Percussion

Asif Iqbal. Photo by: Kowshik Kiron
Nazm Anwar, Photo by:Al Amin

Alex Joven, Photo by Kowshik Kiron

Remarkable Songs:

Kaaktaal is releasing all of their songs in their YouTube channel one by one. Some of the remarkable songs are:
  • Abar Dekha Hole
  • Neel Shohore Brishty
  • Upomar Pipashay
  • Nishader Chayajol
  • Totodiney Deri Hoye Jay
  • Shudhu Shudhu Dhore Enechey
  • Kichu Nei
Kaaktaal is different from any other band because of their origin story and song composition. Life is too much uncertain as we can see how a group of people happened to be in a band and peruse music successfully!


References:

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