Democrazy Clowns: Busking in Boi Mela

Be it in a New York City subway or the open squares of European train stations, you must have seen clips on the internet of amateur 'musicians' performing live music for passersby. The act is known as 'busking,'— where performers sometimes put a basket in front of them, allowing those who enjoy the music to leave a small thank you, like some coins, cash, notes, or other small tokens of appreciation.

Though busking is a familiar sight in the West, it's rare in Bangladesh. However, if you had been wandering around the Ekushey Book Fair recently, around 7 PM, you might have found a crowd near one of the gates of Suhrawardy Udyan, close to TSC, where a 'band' is playing live acoustic music. 

During their hour and a half long set, a basket collects the audience's gifts of appreciation - a few coins, some books and flowers, left by enthusiastic young listeners touched by the music.

Perhaps it would be more fitting to call the 'Democrazy Clowns' a duo, rather than a band. For, they are yet to land a permanent instrumentalist besides their co-founding members— lyricist Tahmid Chowdhury and vocalist who goes by her stage name 'Ila Lalalala' (yeah, I know. It is what it is)

Tahmid and Ila started Democrazy Clowns not even a year ago. Their friendship originated from their shared passion for the ideals of communism and love of creating "revolutionary" music.

"We used to cover a lot of Bob Dylan, Anjan Dutt and Kabir Suman tunes in our performances, and in one of those jamming sessions we mulled over ideas of our own original music," said Tahmid, talking about the time they used to perform in Payra Chottor and Dhanmondi lake in front a handful of audience.

Democrazy Clowns have a unique performing model which makes their music stand out. In their shows, they blend poetry into their songs. In between verses of a song, Ila's vocals take a backseat to Tahmid's poetry recitation. The poems they choose are sometimes Tahmid's own creations, and sometimes famous lines from renowned poets, always chosen to match the theme of the song they are performing.

"I choose the poems and after that it falls upon Ila to integrate the poetry within the verses. We have been performing in this style from the outset, so by now we have developed a very good synchronicity between the two of us," said Tahmid.

Even though it has become second nature to the duo, supporting instrumentalists find it hard at times to adapt to their style of play. "It's a vocals-based band so our instrumentalists sometimes do face difficulties to sync with our freestyle," added Ila.

Photo: Courtesy

Democrazy Clowns, at the moment, do not boast of a huge discography, for their journey started not even twelve months ago. You won't find their music on streaming platforms like Spotify or YouTube. 

But they have one song that really stands out to their fans, a favourite called 'Ochirojibir Prarthona.' This unplugged track, composed in December of 2023, was made to honour the memory of four of their "comrades."

"It's a funeral song and we created this in remembrance of our lost comrades," said Tahmid.

This song, more than anything, shows what the band is all about. For them, it's more than just the words or the melody. It's about sharing what they feel and think through their music.

"More than the band itself, it's our movement that drives us. It's the thoughts and the questions we feel should be asked to the world," added Tahmid.

For Ila, her love for music and communism go hand in hand. "Communism and love for music aren't two different things for me," she says.

"To me, it's a different method of reaching out to people. For instance, girls who sell flowers listen to my songs. I also have fans who are rickshaw-pullers. Music, in its essence, is a form of revolution," Ila added

At the Boi Mela, Democrazy Clowns intend to perform at least in five or six of the remaining ten days. The duo's performances have been well-received so far. Of course, there is no monetary incentive behind the busking, where they receive small "donations" from their listeners. 

"Some leave toys for us. Some of them write heartfelt notes and even leave flowers, which are very special," said Tahmid.

"And about the money saved up in collection, well if it's enough, then we use it just to have a good time" chuckled Tahmid.

Listeners who enjoyed their performances will be able to listen to their new music soon. Democrazy Clowns is set to release their new EP in March.