The day, July 30, 2024, will forever be marked as one of the gloomiest days in the country’s music industry, as two of Bangladesh’s prominent music artists Shafin Ahmed and Hassan Abidur Reja Jewel laid, to eternal rest in the capital’s Banani Graveyard on the day.
The former Miles vocalist, bassist, composer and songwriter Shafin Ahmed passed away at a hospital in the US state of Virginia on July 25, due to heart and kidney failure, at the age of 63.
Meanwhile, the renowned singer, producer and popular television programme host Hassan Abidur Reja Jewel passed away on Tuesday, July 30, at the age of 56 after his 13-year battle with liver cancer.
Shafin Ahmed’s first namaz-e-janaza was held at Dar al Noor Islamic Community Mosque in Virginia, on Saturday at 1 pm (US local time). On Tuesday, his second janaza was held tomorrow, July 30, after Zuhr prayers at Gulshan Azad Mosque, after which he was buried at Banani graveyard.
Hassan Abidur Reja Jewel’s namaz-e-janaza was also held at the Azad Mosque after Asr prayers. The second janaza was held at 6 pm on Channel i's premises; after that, he was also laid to rest at Banani Graveyard.
Besides the family members of both artists, several prominent personalities from the country’s music fraternity, admirers, and fans attended the rituals of these two beloved artists on Tuesday.
“I fell in love with Jewel after listening to his songs and lived a beautiful conjugal life together for the past 26 years. Due to his long battle with cancer, he suffered a lot; however, he is in a better place now. When he left, all of our family members - his father, mother, me and our daughter - all held his hands and we saw he left us with a smiling face,” Sangita Ahmed, Jewel’s wife and a prominent newscaster-renowned professional, said to the media after his rituals.
Hassan Abidur Reja Jewel was born on September 29, 1968. In the 90s, when band music was a hot topic, Hasan Abidur Reza Jewel appeared with an exceptional voice. His first album, composed by the late rock icon Ayub Bachchu titled 'Kuasha Pahor' was released in 1993.
'Ek Bikele’ (1994), 'Amar Achhe Ondhokar' (1995), 'Ekta Manush' (1996), 'Dekha Hobe Naa' (1997), 'Beshi Kuch Noy' (1998), 'Bedona Shudhui Bedona' (1999), 'Feerti Pothe' (2003), ’Dorja Khola Bari’ (2009), and ‘Emon Keno Holo’ (2017) are the albums of Jewel. Besides, he was also associated with television show production and event management.
Born on February 14, 1961, in Kolkata’s West Bengal, India to the subcontinent’s pioneering music artists Kamal Dasgupta and Feroza Begum, the popular Bangladeshi rock bassist, singer-songwriter, and record producer, Shafin Ahmed has cemented his legacy with the Miles band which he joined with brother Hamin Ahmed in 1980.
The songs of Shafin Ahmed's voice in the tune of Manam Ahmed started setting milestones one after another including popular tracks like 'Phirye Dao', 'Dhikhi Dhikhi', 'Chand Tara', ‘Jala Jala’, 'Piyashi Mon' etc.
Despite his creative disputes with his bandmates at Miles because of which he left and rejoined the band several times, Shafin Ahmed performed and collaborated on every album of the band, starting with ‘Miles’ (1982) and progressing to ‘A Step Farther’ (1986), ‘Protisruti’ (the band’s maiden Bengali album, 1991), ‘Prottasha’ (1993), ‘Prottoy’ (1996), ‘Proyash’ (1997), ‘Probaho’ (2000), ‘Protiddhoni’ (2006), ‘Proticchobi’ (2015), and ‘Proborton’ (2016).
Shafin Ahmed simultaneously made his place in the country’s music industry as one of its most popular and iconic singers, courtesy of his popular songs, including “Aj Jonmodin Tomar,” which is often considered the anthem of birthday celebrations in the country. Written and composed by eminent music producer Prince Mahmud, the song was first featured in Prince’s mixed album ‘Daag Theke Jay’ (2004).
He also released several solo albums, including ‘Tomakey’ (1987), ‘Pagla Ghonti’ (1998), ‘Chobi Ar Sritigulo’ (1999), ‘Best of Shafin Ahmed’ (2001), ‘Kotodin Dekhina Tomay’ (2006), ‘Virus’ (2006), ‘Harano Shukh’ (2007), ‘My Love Songs’ (2010), and ‘Mone Pore Aj’ (Nazrul Songs, as a tribute to his mother Feroza Begum, 2016).
Besides his successful musical career, Shafin Ahmed also took part in the nation’s politics. He even contested at the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) in 2019 for the mayor position from the Jatiya Party.
