The indelible legacy of Bangladeshi rock icon Ayub Bachchu is being celebrated once again with the release of Uttoradhikar (Heritage), a dedicated 20-track tribute album produced to mark the late maestro’s birth anniversary. Comprising refreshed renditions of his seminal works, the project brings together prominent contemporary bands and acclaimed solo artistes to honour the pioneering frontman of LRB (Love Runs Blind), alongside a major tribute concert held in the hill district of Bandarban.
The newly compiled album features re-imagined versions of timeless classics that defined generations, including ‘Cholo Bodle Jai’, ‘Hashte Dekho’, ‘Ghumonto Shohore’, ‘Ekhon Onek Rat’, ‘Koshto Pete Bhalobashi’, ‘Ferari Ei Mon’, ‘Bangladesh’, and ‘Mon Chaile Mon’. A wide array of prominent Bangladeshi musical acts lent their talents to the compilation, including bands Dalchhut, Arbovirus, Sonar Bangla Circus, Shuvoyatra, Calypso, Rocksalt, and Dopamine. Prominent soloists and guest musicians—such as Babna Karim, Russell Ali, Romel Ali, Chandan Zaman Ali-Menon, Kaniz Suborna, Sazzad, Palash, Joy Shahriar, Adit, Bakhtiar Hossain, Atika Yamin, A.K. Rahul, and Autumnal Moon—also featured heavily across the tracklist.
Audio engineer and musician Iqbal Asif Jewel managed the mastering for Uttoradhikar, which has been made available across digital platforms as well as in physical CD format for collectors. Commissioned directly by the Ayub Bachchu Foundation, all revenue generated from album sales and stream royalties will be funnelled into funding the upcoming Ayub Bachchu Museum, an institution designed to archive his iconic instruments, memorabilia, and historical sound recordings.
Ferdous Akhtar Chandana, Chairman of the Ayub Bachchu Foundation and widow of the late star, confirmed that a press conference was scheduled to formally launch the album, reveal its production journey, and unveil detailed blueprints for the museum.
In tandem with the album launch, the cultural group ‘The Band Music of Bandarban’ staged ‘A Tribute to Ayub Bachchu Concert’ at the Small Ethnic Groups Cultural Institute Auditorium. The regional showcase brought together 10 local bands—including Tune Bar, FM, Nirbak, Heartbeat, Consensus, Luminous Void, Shororitu, Nineties Boys, Radion, and Uncounted—with a headline performance by former LRB drummer Romel and his band.
Ayub Bachchu, who passed away in 2018, is widely regarded as a revolutionary figure in Bengali rock, whose virtuoso guitar craft and expressive vocal range permanently transformed the region’s modern music landscape.
