Ahmed Zaki is the founder, vocalist, songwriter and guitarist of the band Blue Touch Bangladesh. The band’s most famous song is ‘Mayabee’, which was written, composed and sung by Zaki. A student of Jagannath University, Zaki recently released a new song titled ‘Boba Kanna’. He talked about his passion, dreams and goals during a recent interview with Al Mahamud.
Is there any incident that played a key role in your drive to become an artist?
Oh, yeah. There are many incidents. There was one when I was in college. One day I was sitting in the park. I saw a stranger playing a guitar and singing, which touched my heart.
I wanted to buy a guitar and learn to play too. But how? I was a student who just started his college life. I was away from my family but I didn’t give up. I saved money over the next five months. I walked instead of getting on rickshaws to go somewhere, sometimes I didn’t eat lunch.
After saving enough money, I went to a store to buy my first guitar. However, the guitar I wanted was priced at Tk 5,500, but I had Tk 5,000. The shopkeeper did not want to sell the guitar at Tk 5,000.
I pleaded with him to sell me that guitar. I told him that it was my passion. I needed the guitar badly. I asked whether he could sell me the guitar now and I would pay him Tk 500 later. Maybe my plea reached his heart because he finally agreed to sell it to me and said, “Take it. Pay me the rest when you can.” And I did.
Since then, I have been playing guitar and never looked back.
Your first and most famous song is ‘Mayabee’. Is there any ‘Mayabee’ in your life?
I have been asked this question many times and I tend to ignore it. The real fact is yes, there is someone. But I like to keep personal things personal. I like to keep my personal and professional lives separate.
At which stage do you see yourself now?
Frankly speaking, my band and I are a part of the band music culture in Bangladesh and I love being in it. People love us so much and we highly appreciate it. Music is more than a hobby to me. I feel frustrated if I’m not involved in making music for a while. It is a way of life for me. That’s it.
Who is your idol in music?
Music is a place of struggle. Musicians come from different levels of struggle. Whenever I struggled, I thought of Bassbaba Sumon (singer, songwriter, musician and Aurthohin frontman Saidus Salehin Khaled Sumon, popularly known by his nickname Bassbaba Sumon). He has been an inspiration to me. He has fought cancer and managed to come back to us. His struggle reminds me to not give up at any point.
Your favourite band in Bangladesh?
Recently, I have been listening to Highway and Bagdhara and like their music. But the all-time best for me is Miles.
And when it comes to international rock bands, Metallica is my favourite.
Who is the best vocalist for you?
Arbovirus is one of my favourite bands. In terms of the best vocalist, I will pick Sufi Maverick. His voice, vocal capability and bass are just top-notch. I think he is the best.
You released a new song this month.
Yes, ‘Boba Kanna’ was released on February 6. I would like to inform my audience that we also launched a clothing brand named 'Struggle'. We humbly urge all to give us their support.
Your songs are getting a good response right now. What’s next?
We have already released five songs. Before the fifth track ‘Boba Kanna’, our last song was ‘Prosthan’ which we released on January 2. ‘Prosthan’ will be the title track of the first album of our band. We’re working on the next songs.
There is a rumour that you don’t like the song ‘Mayabee’ that much. Is it true?
No, no. It’s not like that. When you listen to the same song over and over again, you may not feel good about it at some point. ‘Mayabee’ is my signature song. If you take a break and listen to that song, it will always make you feel better.
Which is your favourite among Blue Touch’s songs?
Durasha.
You recently launched a boot camp at Jagannath University. Can you share a little detail about it?
Yes. This boot camp is only for the students of Jagannath University. It will be held every day from 11am to 2pm on campus.
When I started doing music, I struggled and faced lots of problems. This camp will help and encourage those who have a passion for music and want to pursue their dreams but are struggling just like me.
Anyone can join us with any instrument at the boot camp. We will talk to them and try our best to guide them. My target is to build a strong music culture at Jagannath University.
