AI Meets Tradition: Pohela Boishakh Song Blends Folk with Algorithms
The Bengali calendar (Bangabda) was introduced in 1556 AD (963 Hijri), replacing the Hijri calendar, to facilitate crop harvesting and the collection of land revenue by landlords. Over time, this Fasli or Bangla calendar became integral to agrarian society and the Mughal-era revenue system. With granaries full of paddy, sweets, and the tradition of Hal Khata, Pohela Boishakh evolved into a vibrant festival of life.
Although the fiscal year differs, the arrival of the New Year is still welcomed with widespread उत्सव-like enthusiasm. The delta resonates with red-and-white attire, processions, panta-ilish, and the melody of “Esho He Boishakh.”
This year, however, a new dimension has been added to that vibrancy. For the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) has joined the musical celebration of Pohela Boishakh. A new technological layer is being infused into the traditional ambiance of Bengali songs—“In this grey city of brick and stone, life awakens in a new adornment.”
Traditionally, Boishakh songs are characterized by a blend of human voices with folk instruments such as dhol and khol. This time, however, that convention is being redefined, offering listeners a completely new experience.
A group of young technologists from IT and production company Musicflux Studio has created this special song. While the lyrics and composition reflect human creativity, the primary vocals and musical arrangement have been generated using AI algorithms. The song was finalized using the Shuno AI platform. It was written and composed by tech entrepreneur Shah Imraul Kayes and released on 12 April in the evening on a YouTube channel. Simultaneously, it has been distributed across platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, and Gaana, marking it as the first AI-generated Bengali New Year song. Around 60 shots for the music video were also created using AI.
Shah Imraul Kayes, a key member of the production team, said that before creating the song, AI was trained using prompts based on traditional Bengali folk music and the classic tunes of Boishakh. Through specific instructions, a new melody was generated. Even the voice has been designed to sound both modern and rooted in tradition.
It was learned that Imraul Kayes began working on AI-generated Bengali music at the end of August last year. After two years of learning, he formed Musicflux Studio with four collaborators. Their first release from this AI studio was “Tumi To Ar Aso Na Phire,” which quickly achieved YouTube monetization. The song has already garnered more than 200,000 views and listens. Since then, he has gradually produced around 35 AI music videos.
Technologists involved claim that despite the use of AI, the emotional essence of the song has not been compromised. From another perspective, the release of an AI-generated song on Pohela Boishakh represents a remarkable fusion of technology and culture.
Marking a new horizon for a “Digital Boishakh,” the song has already been released simultaneously on Musicflux’s YouTube platform. It is also receiving a strong audience response following its release. It now remains to be seen how widely this technological touch resonates with audiences during this deeply rooted cultural festival.
DBTech/IH/MUIIM/OR
