Popular rock - reggae band Pentagon is celebrating their 20th anniversary today at Cafe33. The band members are in a festive mood and the celebration will be a reunion ground for well known musical bands and popular musicians who supported and encouraged Pentagon in their long journey. All the previous members of the band will be present at the event.
Dhaka Tribune caught up with Mohammad Ali Sumon and Ishraque Husain Anita, the vocalists of the band, to talk about their 20 years’ journey.
Tell us the story of forming the band.
Mohammad Ali Sumon: Pentagon was formed back in 1993 with Shouquat Ali Imon, Ranjan, Shelly and Babu. After leaving two of the most famous bands of 90’s, Winning and Chime, Ranjan and I felt a profound desire to get back to the music arena.
Soon we got hold of three other talented musicians. Imon, who had left Chime, Babu and Shelly, who had quit Winning. So once approached, we received a good response from them. We got together on the 13th of October 1993, named the band Pentagon.
What is the secret behind the longevity of the group?
Mohammad Ali Sumon: I am the only member from our original lineup as everyone got busy with their personal lives and moved on. I never gave up, I kept on pushing to keep the legacy alive. Although the lineup changed several times over the years, I did not lose heart but took every change positively.
I am grateful as I got to work with several talented musicians of the country such as Anan (keys), Tipu (percussions), Jibon (acoustic drums), Mahbub (keys), Balam (guitar & back up vocal), Mobin (bass), Kazi Faisal Ahmed (guitar), Shams Mansoor Ghani (keys), Alif Alauddin (vocal), Farshid Alam Aumi (vocal & harmony), Mehedi Faruq (keys), Masum Hossain (keys), Masum Wahidur Rahman (guitar), Rajib Hossain (guitar), Shafkat Ahmed Dipto (guitar) and Tanim (guitar), who were all a part of Pentagon in its extensive journey.
Pentagon was formed in 1993 and the first album came out in 2002. What was the reason behind this delay?
We were busy with performances, we got quite popular among the foreigners and performed in many international clubs. We released our first album with the title “Shei Ami” in 2002.
The next album came out in 2009 titled “Eight O’ Clock.” The reason behind this delay is that we got busy with performances, also the lineup of the band changed once again.
When are you planning to release your next album?
We are not planning on releasing any more albums, we will release singles, quality songs that the audience will appreciate.
Tell us about your journey with Pentagon.
Mohammad Ali Sumon: It is a long journey filled with bittersweet memories, strong emotions, laughter, sorrow, anger, to sum it up, it is an unforgettable journey. It was a struggle that I met with gusto and here we are today, 20 years and still running. Our current lineup is very strong in my opinion and is comprised with myself (vocal & guitar), Morshed Khan (bass), Shamim Ibrahim (acoustic drums), Tahsir Maqsoom (keys), Ishraque Husain Anita (vocal & high part percussion) and AA Mahmood Lonnie (guitarist & back up vocal).
Ishraque Hussain Anita:
I joined Pentagon in the later part of 2009 and so far it has been a great experience. I am the youngest member of the band, but everyone is very affectionate towards me and is respectful of my opinion. It gave me the opportunity to evolve as a singer and explore territories that are new to me.
What is the most memorable experience of the band?
Mohammad Ali Sumon: There are so many, but I will share the one I enjoyed the most. It was back in 2004, Pentagon was invited by Tara Bangla channel who wanted to promote Bangladeshi music in a joint collaboration with MTV. In Mumbai, we had ten music videos shot from our first album, which are still being aired on Tara Bangla channel under MTV logo.
