In honour of the great AYUB BACHCHU

Photos: STAR & Collected

Today marks the first death anniversary of the greatest guitarist, showman and musician in Bangladesh’s history, Ayub Bachchu. Born on August 16, 1962, the legendary musician was heavily influenced by the likes of Jimmy Hendrix and Santana. The self-taught artiste went on to forge a legendary career with bands such as Feelings, Souls, and his own LRB. Ayub Bachchu passed away on this day last year due to a cardiac arrest, shocking the entire country and millions of his fans worldwide. The Daily Star reached out to some of the most prominent band musicians today, who shared their feelings about the great AB.

ELITA KARIM 

Ayub Bachchu has been a huge influence in my life, both as a musician and as a person. Throughout my career, he has always been a rock, encouraging me to move forward and showcase my work in front of the world. He would always ask me to improvise in my music. It has been a year that he has not been with us, but he still lives amongst us through his work.

JON KABIR

Sincerely speaking, I am in no position to talk about such a great artiste. His passion for his craft, dedication towards creating original music is still unmatched. I hear people say that band music is not as good anymore. This might partially be true because there are fewer people like him in the music industry, who do it from the heart.

IMRUL KARIM EMIL

Bachchu bhai was a fatherly figure for us. He always cared for people around him. The best part about him was that he was very approachable and down to earth. We miss him a lot.

ZOHAD REZA CHOWDHURY

Not only were his tunes absolutely timeless, he was a virtuoso on the guitar as well. Bangladeshi people from all walks of life, irrespective of musical preference, know and love AB.

DROCKSTAR SHUVO

We lost the greatest musician in our music industry last year. Ayub Bachchu was the mentor for every musician, regardless of his or her genre. He was like a father to me. I do not want to believe that he is no more. He is, has been and will be with every one of us, though his music, creations and philosophy.

SUFI MAVERICK

AB’s stubborn focus towards guitar-centric song writing over keyboard dominance in his era, brought a change in the overall Bangla Rock sound. When I was younger, watching his interviews exposed me to names like Pink Floyd, Joe Satriani, Santana and Jimi Hendrix. I hope that the remaining members of LRB, including Tutul bhai, would reunite and keep the legacy alive.

SHARMIN SULTANA SUMI

Since his departure, it feels like the entire music industry  has lost its soul. Even though his void is impossible to fill, we will forever be grateful for the music that he has given us. Rest in peace, great one.