‘Chirkutt’ turns 18: Songs of love, rebellion, obstacles | The Asian Age Online, Bangladesh
Popular Bangladeshi band ”Chirkutt’ recently celebrated 18 years of its journey in the music industry. The band was formed in 2002 by Sharmin Sultana Sumi. Recently Sumi talked about how the band came into being and its journey through the years.”We grew up in a musical atmosphere in our family. I started learning music in my childhood. In 2002, I was studying at the Department of International Relations at Dhaka University.
At that time, I thought of creating a music band. I started it with a few younger brothers of my department. On the second floor of TSC, there was a room of an organization called Jayadhwani. We started practicing music there,” said Sumi.Reminiscing about the past, Sumi said it was a crazy time. “I used to hang out at the campus, collect aid for people and do music.” The band’s name ‘Chirkutt’ was given by Sumi.
‘Chirkutt’ means a small message and the band always tried to gives a message through its songs. ‘Chirkutt’ has composed songs of love, rebellion and obstacles. Each of the songs conveys a message.The lineup has changed a lot since the band was formed. However, many members have survived until now. For example, Emon Chowdhury joined ‘Chirkutt’ in 2006 and Pavel in 2008. The first studio of ‘Chirkutt’ was the kitchen of Emon’s house.
Recalling that memory, Sumi said, “Emon’s home was in Dhanmondi. He was a bachelor then. We turned a portion of his kitchen into our studio. We practiced and composed new songs there.””Bondhu” was the first song recorded in Emon’s studio. Then, between 2006 to 2007, they built a studio in Moghbazar. That is where ‘Chirkutt’ started working on their first album titled “Chirkutnama”.
What were the difficulties Sumi faced as a woman and how did she handle those obstacles? Answering this, Sumi said, “I didn’t handle anything. I did music in my own way. There were some obstacles but I did not pay any attention to those. I have done my job. I also got help from my family.”‘Chirkutt’, as a band, received the cooperation and affection of the landlord of the house where they built their studio. Sumi added, “‘Chirkutt’ has progressed for over 18 years with everyone’s love.”
