Bangladesh’s Beatmosphere is set to take its distinctive vocal-based musical style to an international audience after winning the ‘Voice of Bangladesh’ competition. The a cappella and beatboxing group will represent Bangladesh at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia Grand Finale, scheduled to be held in Bangkok on 14 November.
Built around human voices rather than conventional musical instruments, Beatmosphere has developed a distinctive identity within Bangladesh’s music scene. Its performances combine a cappella singing, beatboxing, body rhythms and a range of vocal techniques to create the layered sound normally associated with a full musical ensemble.
The group’s journey began well before its recent breakthrough. In late 2014, musician Moktadir Dewan Shanto and Ronesh Biswas launched an initiative called ‘Beatbox Bangladesh’. Although both were involved in beatboxing, they had different responsibilities. Shanto concentrated on the creative and organisational aspects, while Ronesh sought out beatboxers from different parts of Bangladesh and worked to bring them together.
The initiative gradually helped establish a community around beatboxing. Competitions were organised and performers were given opportunities to connect with one another. For Shanto, however, the idea of combining multiple voices into a complete musical arrangement had emerged several years earlier. Since around 2009, he had been considering a group in which several vocalists could work together to create a broad musical atmosphere without depending heavily on traditional instruments.
That vision eventually led to the formation of Beatmosphere in 2015. The group continued to develop around a cappella and beatboxing, going through changes in its line-up over the years. Its activities were also suspended for a period. Following the pandemic, Shanto reconnected with Beatbox Bangladesh in 2021 and began reorganising Beatmosphere with a group of emerging performers.
The move gave the group a more regular and structured working environment. Baritone Studios, founded by Shanto in Dhaka, became a key space for rehearsals, informal sessions and recording. The members worked there on a cappella recordings and produced different forms of music content, while continuing to refine their collective performance style.
Beatmosphere now has nine full members, although six regularly perform with the group. Its members are Ahnaf Anindo, Ishtiaq Zobayer, Khandaker Shams, Mahi Bin Ashraful, Mahi Hossain Khan, Prachya Priyodip, Rafiun Nabi Nahin, Sidratul Mursalin Bhasha and Shanto.
The group’s appeal lies largely in its unconventional approach to arrangement. Instead of relying on instruments for rhythm, harmony and other musical layers, the performers use their voices and beatboxing skills to reproduce those elements. Body rhythms and other vocal techniques are also incorporated into performances, allowing a relatively small group to create a sound that can resemble that of a much larger band.
That approach recently brought Beatmosphere its most significant achievement to date. The group entered the ‘Voice of Bangladesh — Song for Eurovision Song Contest Asia’ competition and won the final with its performance of ‘Tumi Ele’. The victory secured its selection as Bangladesh’s first representative at the Eurovision Song Contest Asia. The winner was determined through a combination of judges’ assessments, votes from domestic audiences and votes from international viewers.
The achievement has now placed Beatmosphere before a considerably larger challenge. On 14 November, the group will perform at the Eurovision Song Contest Asia Grand Finale in Bangkok, where it will compete alongside artists representing countries from across Asia.
For Beatmosphere, the event is an opportunity to present Bangladesh’s music in a form that is markedly different from a conventional band performance. Through ‘Tumi Ele’, the group plans to showcase how human voices, beatboxing and rhythm can be combined to create a complete musical experience.
Its journey also reflects the development of a musical form that has built its following through experimentation and collaboration. From the early efforts to connect beatboxers across Bangladesh to the formation and rebuilding of Beatmosphere, the group has gradually developed a platform for vocal-based performance.
The Bangkok finale will put that work before an international audience. For Bangladesh’s representatives, the immediate task is to deliver a compelling performance of ‘Tumi Ele’ while demonstrating the creative possibilities of a cappella and beatboxing on one of Asia’s emerging international music stages.
