Tahsan Tantra & the Rise of a New Musical Genre

Tahsan Rahman Khan is a musician-cum-actor whose rise to prominence is linked to his passion and
dedication to his work. Persa Sanjana Hussain talks to the debonair star who feels that art must also
make business sense in order to sustain

Put into a music school at six, young Tahsan had a rather unexpected start with music. At that tender age, the unfamiliarity involved in pursuing music lessons which often repulses many. However, Tahsan was quick to pick up on the lessons his teachers set for the students and at just 10 he was already found attending classes trying carefully to follow his teachers sing. “I didn’t like the folk classes as much, but I remember thoroughly enjoying the Rabindra sangeet classes,” he claims.

In his third year, he was diagnosed with asthma, which meant he wasn’t allowed to sing the songs he had been practicing for years. He had to resort to newer ones of shorter lengths. This marked a sharp shift in his relationship with his passion. This was also a new beginning, a starting point for a career out of which our new talent – an artist that makes people swoon with admiration – would emerge.

At one point, Tahsan got a keyboard from his brother who noticed his caliber for composing music. “that
keyboard changed my life,” says Tahsan with a smile.

“Black,” a music band initiated by Asiful Haque, Tausan’s best friend from school, started o with him and his friends randomly jamming together to songs they had written and composed. “Out of nowhere we recorded two-three songs and they ended up getting released. Aer the release of two subsequent songs ‘Sriti’ and ‘Chena
Dukkho,’ the record company offered us an album deal. I was just living my undergrad life when this happened and we started recording. It was truly amazing!”

The band along with Artcell and Cryptic Fate started a new generation of music known as the ABC generation, named after the first letter of each popular band. “After our first album we tasted a little of the urban fame and loved the limelight. The market was still very small and we weren’t big in terms of business, but we were the in-thing.” The ace artist was the keyboardist and the second vocal of the band, having only two to three songs to his own credit.

At this point, Tahsan had a few more songs composed which didn’t align with the genre of the band stood for. is
essentially lead to a solo career since releasing those songs as a solo artist seemed the only option, especially when the record company offered him a deal. “It was a tough call to make as I just joined Unilever and had a corporate career ahead of me while having a record of my own would mean that I would have to commit myself to it for long months, full time. So, I took the first major decision regarding music and quit my job and it paid off,” he claims.

As his songs, including the most popular number till date, ‘Dure Tumi Dariye’, shot him to fame, a conflict slowly began to brew among the band members. And fans wanted more from him as an individual artist. They mutually decided to split leaving Tahsan with a wonderful chance to rediscover his music style. “Electronic pop wasn’t so cool back then, but I stuck to it for I had a strong fascination towards it. I wanted to stay true to myself and what I liked. Luckily, the taste for such music among the people grew over the years,” says Tahsan.

Even though he takes pride in it, our charming celebrity is of the opinion that he never believed popularity to be a measure of brilliance and admits that it is only when he churns out good songs with depth that he feels fully satisfied. “Some people run after the money while some get too consumed making the art. I believe I am neither as both the aspects are equally important to me. I want to make great music but I also don’t want people to frown upon my career choice as an artist – to be respected I made it a point to earn enough through making music,” Tahsan attempts to clarify his position. He further explains that it is important to make money with art to make it sustainable and encourage the talented young generations to take up art as a career without the fear of being seen as inferior to the people who opt for other career choices.

“It is possible, in fact important, to straddle the line between commercial success and excellence in art,” he points out. But the story doesn’t end here. Through his soulful songs Tahsan also aims to slowly but surely widen the preferences of the Bangladeshi audience and make them more open to new tunes that are not very palatable to the masses. On the pace of things he opines, “It’s still a battle, but I am glad that record companies are investing in making such music, more than ever.”

He expressed his gratitude to the companies who didn’t jump into the bandwagon of making catchy content and actually invest in good quality content which perhaps doesn’t garner as many views as the former. Aer having pursued his second masters in the USA many people were sure that he wouldn’t be able to make an impressive comeback, but yet again his detractors wrong, that too with grace. He says, “In my journey throughout I had people anticipating my failure; but I only took that as encouragement to work harder!”

When asked about his considerable 10 years as a teacher, he says that it helped him stay grounded through and through. Not just that, he believes that it made sure that he didn’t miss out on the normal life. Being quite a metaphorically inclined thinker, he describes an ideal world according to the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon. The artist doesn’t only put himself to the service of music but also to writing.

Tahsan, who has also delved into acting, finds peace in staying humble and not taking things for granted. On that note he also revealed that, “the day I gave up on the habit of thinking too much about what other people would say is perhaps the day I really started living my life.” His favorite thing to do is spend time with his 5-year-old daughter and his newly acquired piano. One can simply guess how much he loves his daughter by looking at how he lights up while talking about her.

To stay creative Tahsan collaborates regularly with other artists, “it helps me break myself as an artist,” he claims. He just got his first grand piano and plans to spend a good amount of time with it. He has assured us that we can be expecting an instrumental Album from him by next year. He envisions a world where making music would be easier for the next generations.

Tahsan feels that if musicians find themselves policy makers role it would solve many problems. “In that way rights of the musicians, especially the one regarding royalties, would be addressed and protected. I am not saying that I want to be a politician,” he says with a laugh and adds, “But I would love to be a catalyst to the process if I am given a chance.”

To end the amazing interview in the best way possible the artist gave the aspiring musicians who are struggling to get over other distractions and responsibilities in life, a piece of advice: “Do it for the love for it. When you are
in love with something, you will nd a way. You will sleep a little less, hang out with friends a little less, perhaps you will travel a little less but you will nd a way and it will be worth it. Fall in love with the form of love before you commit to it.”

His new film called ‘Jodi Ekdin’ will release next February and he welcomes all his fans to watch it. What is more, he says that he has decided to spend more time on the big screen as he sees it as a larger canvas to reach out to the masses.

Favorite song: Coming back to Life by Pink Floyd
Favorite movie: Forest Gump
Favorite place to be: Concert stage
Favorite travel destination: Hawaii (recently)
Favorite fashion piece: Suits

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