Balam to return with solo album ‘Mawla’ after a decade

After a gap of a decade, singer Balam is set to release a new solo album. Speaking to Prothom Alo on Monday (January 19), the artiste said the album will be titled “Mawla” and is scheduled for release this Eid-ul-Fitr. The album will feature six songs, with the title track and most of the compositions and musical arrangements already completed.

Explaining his decision to release an album at this time, Balam said, “I have started taking music seriously again, which is why I am working on this album. Over the past few years, I tried releasing a few singles, but meeting listeners’ expectations by releasing one song at a time is very difficult. An album allows an artiste to present songs of different styles and reach a wider range of listeners. This new album will have that diversity and appeal to listeners of different ages and tastes.”

“Mawla” will be Balam’s fifth solo album. While the six songs will explore six different styles, he said melody will remain central throughout. He added that the album also considers Gen Z listeners, with the aim of connecting with a younger audience.

The title track, “Mawla”, is a Sufi-inspired song, marking the first time Balam has ventured into this genre. “The song was shaped by reflections during the Covid period,” he said. “The instability we see in the world today still feels very relevant to me, which is why I included it in the album.”

In addition to singing, Balam has composed and arranged the music for all the tracks himself. He said the lyricists’ names will be revealed later. All the songs will be released in audio format, with one track also accompanied by a music video.

Balam has previously released four solo albums—“Balam” (2007), “Balam 2” (2008), “Balam 3” (2010) and “Bhubon” (2013). Several songs from these albums gained popularity, including “Ek Mutho Roddur”, “Nesha”, “Ekaki Mon”, “Tomar Jonno”, “Nupur Baje”, “Songee Hobe Ki”, “Rimjhim” and “Oporupa”.

Although he has not released a new album in a decade, Balam has remained connected with his audience through single releases. In 2023, he made a notable return with the song “O Priyotoma” from the film “Priyotoma”, followed by the title track of the film “Rajkumar”, both featuring Konal as his co-singer.