A musical evening will be presented by versatile singer Elita Karim tonight at 6:30pm in the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC). In association with Asian Paints, IRCON and Marico Bangladesh, IGCC organised the programme that is open for all and requires no ticket. In a one-to-one with the artist, she shares her future aspirations and current situation with the Dhaka Tribune:
Which songs will you perform today?
I will perform songs from my previously released albums. I never plan the line-up before my performances, I just go with the flow. I will perform songs of John Denver, Bryan Adams and more is on the list.
What are you doing now?
I am working with Mahadi on the sequel of our first album titled Ontohin, which was released in 2009. The sequel will be called Ontohin-2. The songs for the upcoming album have been written by Asif Iqbal and composed by Adit. The album will feature some romantic numbers as well.
On the other hand, I am working on my solo album which I am thinking of releasing at the end of December.
Given the choice between journalism and music, which one will you choose?
Journalism is my true profession and I can’t keep myself away from it. I am also very passionate about music. I have been running with both for the last ten years. I never think about choosing between the two.
Elita Karim is a multitalented artist who performed alongside renowned musicians from Bangladesh and abroad at the ICC Cricket World Cup opening ceremony in 2011.
Elita’s first recording was in 2002 with the band Black in their first album Amaar Prithibi, where she sang the song Mittha, a composition which went on to become very popular with the youngsters in the country. She started as a trainee journalist with the culture section of The Daily Star in the year 2003 and at the same time started her own distinctive form of music. She did a rendition of Arnob’s famous song She je boshe Aache with Black again in a mixed album Shopnochura.
Elita has performed live with many popular bands of Bangladesh such as Ayub Bachchu, Dalchhut & Shunno etc. She has also done a few duet numbers with Mahadi Faisal, a prominent singer of Bangladesh. She founded the Band Raaga in 2005.
She won the Red Cross International Award in 2009 for a story she wrote on trafficking of teenage girls from Bangladesh who were forced to work as sex workers.