For generations, Warfaze has been a titan in the Bengali music industry, commanding respect across the years. Now entering their 4th decade, they retain their influence over the music scene in Bangladesh and even West Bengal. Their songs continue to possess the prestige and might they've always been known for.
Sat on a quiet beach in Cox’s Bazar while on tour, accompanied by nothing but the sounds of roaring waves on the shore and the dazzling stars in the sky, lead singer Babna Karim wrote the lyrics to what would become one of the most popular Bengali songs in history. The song changed the course of Warfaze’s road to fame by resonating so powerfully with young adults. After the release of the album “Obak Bhalobasha” in September 1994, the band got wind of a competition hosted by Coca-Cola named “Coca-Cola Band Music Award”. Motivated to put their name on the map, Warfaze was adamant to submit the song for the competition but was falling short of approximately 3,500 Taka.
Their luck turned around, however, when Kabir from Rainbow Music Store loaned them the money and helped them record the cassettes for submission.
Recently, at an event named “Shurjodoy”, Warfaze’s drummer Sheikh Monirul Alam Tipu said, “The judges required the song on five chrome cassettes, the lyrics of the song and the construct of the song. Neither I nor Babna had the funds to do this, so I went to Kabir Bhai from Rainbow. He immediately handed me the money and recorded the chrome cassettes himself.”
This small favour helped them eventually win the competition and a cash prize of 50,000 taka, which accelerated the trajectory of their career and allowed them to flourish in the industry.
And now, 30 years later, it was as if fate reunited Coca-Cola and Warfaze for this new rendition of “Obak Bhalobasha” in the third season of Coke Studio Bangla. Accompanied by a choir, a stringed orchestra, and a heavily distorted guitar riff, Warfaze creates a harmonious symphony of love reminiscent of their impact all those years ago. Amidst the crashing waves of nostalgia, the new “Obak Bhalobasha” shines like starlight, inducing real magic in the hearts of youngsters just as it did so long ago.
Warfaze being one of the pioneers of rock and the subgenre Bengali rock in Bangladesh remains relevant to today’s youth with their 1994 hit “Obak Bhalobasha”. Even after 30 years, this song leaves the same impact on the teenagers of today as it did for those before.
“Obak Bhalobasha” is a love song, yes, but not between two people. It targets the very essence of human nature by quite literally discussing the love between humans and nature. The song teaches us, almost pleads us, to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the universe. This is a love song like no other, a love song to nature and existence which refuses to follow the rules of time.
