After enchanting us with the groovy number Deora, Coke Studio Bangla is back with a soul-stirring song, Nodir Kul. Written and composed by pallikabi Jasimuddin and originally sung by Abbasuddin, the folk song captures the essence of life in river-centric Bangladesh. Ripon Kumar Sarkar aka Boga, the young Bangladeshi singer who was shot to fame with Chiltey Roud in Season 1 of Coke Studio Bangla, has sung this haunting melody.

With its opening strains of clarinet by Idris Rahman, Nodir Kul draws you into an immersive experience of the ebb and flow of life around the banks of a river. The song blends elements of kirtan and bhatiyali with contemporary jazz, and the combination of the flute, khol and the soothing vocals creates a tapestry of sound that feels both familiar and fresh at the same time.

The arrangement of Nodir Kul is another stamp of musician Shayan Arnob Chowdhury’s talent. The music evolves dynamically, building up to a crescendo and then receding into moments of gentle introspection, much like the tides of water lapping the riverbank. The masterful interplay of traditional and contemporary instruments gives Nodir Kul a unique character.

The only downside could be the song’s duration of 9.22 minutes, which feels a bit stretched as it sounds like a repetition after the second interlude. Despite that, Nodir Kul is worth listening to on loop for its lilting quality.