Bangladesh’s Beatmosphere is preparing to take its distinctive blend of a cappella and beatboxing to an international stage, after winning the ‘Voice of Bangladesh’ competition. The group will represent Bangladesh at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia Grand Finale, scheduled to take place in Bangkok on 14 November.
Unlike conventional musical groups that rely on a range of instruments, Beatmosphere builds its performances primarily through human voices, beatboxing, body rhythms and a variety of vocal techniques. The approach allows the performers to recreate the layers of a full musical arrangement using little more than their voices and rhythmic skills.
The group’s journey, however, began several years before its recent success. In late 2014, musician Moktadir Dewan Shanto and Ronesh Biswas launched an initiative called ‘Beatbox Bangladesh’. Although both were involved in beatboxing, they took on different responsibilities. Shanto focused mainly on the creative and organisational aspects, while Ronesh worked to identify beatboxers from different parts of the country and bring them together.
Through beatboxing competitions and efforts to connect performers, the initiative gradually developed into a music-focused community. For Shanto, however, the idea of bringing several voices together to create a complete musical atmosphere had existed for much longer. He had been considering such a concept since around 2009, imagining a group in which multiple voices could collectively reproduce the depth and texture normally associated with musical instruments.
That idea took shape in 2015 with the formation of Beatmosphere. The group continued to evolve around a cappella and beatboxing, with its line-up changing at different stages. There was also a period when its activities were temporarily suspended. Following the pandemic, Shanto reconnected with Beatbox Bangladesh in 2021 and reorganised the group with a new generation of developing performers.
That period marked a more structured phase in Beatmosphere’s development. Baritone Studios, founded by Shanto in Dhaka, became a regular meeting, rehearsal and recording space for the members. The group used the studio to record a cappella performances and produce various forms of music content, helping its members develop greater coordination and consistency in their performances.
Beatmosphere currently has nine full members, although six regularly take part in performances. The 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 distinctive sound comes from the way its members divide different musical functions among themselves. Vocalists can create melodies and harmonies, while beatboxing and vocal percussion provide rhythmic foundations. Body rhythms and other vocal techniques add further layers to the arrangement. The result can sound remarkably similar to a conventional band, despite the absence of traditional instruments.
Beatmosphere’s latest achievement came through the ‘Voice of Bangladesh — Song for Eurovision Song Contest Asia’ competition. Performing their song ‘Tumi Ele’, the group won the final round and was selected as Bangladesh’s first representative for the Eurovision Song Contest Asia. The winner was determined through a combination of assessments by judges, votes from domestic audiences and votes from international viewers.
The victory has now opened the door to a significantly larger challenge. On 14 November, Beatmosphere will perform alongside artists from across Asia at the Eurovision Song Contest Asia Grand Finale in Bangkok.
For the Bangladeshi group, the event offers an opportunity to present a different side of the country’s contemporary music scene. Rather than relying on conventional instrumentation, Beatmosphere will use the human voice, rhythm and beatboxing to present ‘Tumi Ele’ before an international audience.
Its appearance in Bangkok will therefore be more than a competition performance. It will also showcase how a group built around a cappella and beatboxing can create a distinctive musical identity and carry Bangladesh’s experimental vocal music to a wider Asian audience.
