Forming bands nowadays in this country is far from being a ‘big deal’. One only needs a good drummer who is able enough to play some basic beats, a guitarist to play a couple of accurate chords and a good vocalist who sings in tune and voila! A new band is formed to join the ranks of thousands of others.
Despite fierce competition from the sizeable number of talented Bangladeshi bands, ‘Silverlight’ was formed in 2010. Two years later, the band is now in league with many other established names in the music industry.
To its wide popularity, Silverlight adds many other achievements. The band was winner of ‘ABC Radio Campus Campus Band of the Year’ (2011), one of the runners-up of ‘Battle of Bands’ and from the looks of it the band will make more beautiful music.
The five- member Silverlight has Ashreen Mridha (vocalist), Clyde Brenton Quiah (guitarist), Siddarth Bosco (guitarist), Zubair Farabi (bassist) and Sheikh Abu Zuhair Numairy (drummer).
Although the band has lost two members — Tanver Shawon (former guitarist) and Ibrar Kabir (former drummer) — over the years, the existing members could not have asked for better replacements.
“It was sometimes around early 2010, that I heard Ashreen singing, perfectly in tune. I used to be in mediocre bands and completely lost hope of forming a new, great band. However, I could never stop playing the guitar,” said Brenton.
“Ashreen and I would get together from time to time and play acoustic covers of various popular songs. For some reason I couldn’t get over the idea that there was potential for formation of a new band, but we needed more friends to help us out,” added Brenton.
“I used to take classical music lessons since adolescence, as both my parents are singers; needless to say I was inspired by their music. I didn’t initially have the idea of forming a band but performing covers of my favourite songs with my friends in a jamming pad was something I could not get over,” said Ashreen, adding, “My parents were unaware of the fact that I was in a band and I was afraid to let them know, thinking what would happen if they forbade me from being in one. Later, when they actually did find out they were quite proud of me and their support of my music is something that keeps me going.”
The members of the band are more eager to do covers of certain music that would revolve around her voice and from the responses that they receive, their covers are top-notch. The band covers music starting from popular artistes and bands such as Dido, Adele, Nirvana, Avril Lavigne, Evanescence, Green Day, Bryan Adams and many others. They are mostly known for their cover of “Zombie” from The Cranberries for which they always receive encores. Silverlight improvises a lot when performing, in which Siddarth Bosco, Zubair Farabi and Sheikh Numairy have a huge role to play.
“We don’t stick to actual cover of the songs since sometimes it can get pretty monotonous. I grew up listening to the songs of Jimi Hendrix and the power of his songs and solos inspired me big time. He is one my biggest influences. I try to cover each and every song with melodious lead solos from here and there and although the songs sound like the original ones, people can still notice and appreciate the little differences we make,” said Siddarth Bosco.
The siblings, Numairy and Zubair, play bass and drums. “I am awfully glad that my brother is in this band. We can actually perform music at any time of the day and I love it,” said Zubair. “Our parents are hugely supportive of me and my brother’s music in Silverlight and we couldn’t have asked for a better band to be in,” added Numairy
The band sticks strictly to jamming every Thursday. It doesn’t matter how busy they are, they do show up at every one of their weekly jamming sessions, which certainly demonstrates their dedication. The band had their first single debut with “Shesh Bidaye” in March 2012 and are now on their way to make their own songs for an album. They are more into performing their own songs nowadays but at the end of every concert the audience would not let them go off the stage until they hear them sing the Cranberries classic, “Zombie”. They promise to complete an album by the next two years and a band that is so determined will surely accomplish more than just one single album.
“Never stop dreaming. Always follow your dream and stick to it because some day it has to come true,” is an adage that the band lives by and no doubt so would their countless fans.
-With The Daily Star input
