Ayub Bachchu, who popularised rock music in Bangladesh along with his band LRB (Love Runs Blind), has been an integral part of the Bangladeshi rock music scene for more than 25 years. He was mostly known as “AB” and was a legendary name in the history of Bangladeshi band music.
He was born in Chattogram on August 16, 1958. He started his music career in his hometown with the band Feelings in 1978. Then he joined the pioneering band, Souls, in 1980. And in 1991, he left Souls after 11 years and formed LRB.
LRB started playing live gigs in the following years and ushered in a new chapter in the history of music in Bangladesh. With its eagerness to create something revolutionary, LRB debuted with a double album in 1992. LRB performed thousands of gigs; more than 500 of which were open air concerts.
LRB’s first international gig was a seven-state tour of the US. LRB is the only Bengali rock band to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In Europe the band played its first show in Austria in 2002. They have performed at Wembley Arena in London, Alan Garden in London, and Fort Canyon Park stage in Singapore.
LRB performed many Indian stages including: Salt Lake Stadium (Rock Jugalbandi Part 1 and 2), Science City Theater, Alpha Bangla, ETV Bangla, Najrul Manch, Rabindra Shorobor, Guru Nanak University (Jodhpur), Haldia Utshab, and Durgapur University. LRB proudly performed in: Qatar, Dubai, Hong-Kong, Cyprus and almost all over the world.
Bachchu performed live with Richard at Legang (France); Remo Fernandez, Nandon Bagchi and Bikmar Ghosh; Azam Khan; and Miles of Bangladesh.
He was honoured at the IIM Joka “Rock Fest” in India, Benson and Hedges Star Search 1 and 2, DRockstar 1—and many other local competitions as a judge.
Ayub Bachchu is renowned for his musical scoring of television commercials. Moreover, he has worked as a music director for: the late Khalid Hasan Milu, late Shaikh Ishtiaqe, Nasim Ali Khan, Topon Chowdhury, Hasan Abedur Reza Jewel, Alam Ara Minu, Kaniz Suborna, Rupom, and many others.
One of the most prominent songs which comes to mind right now are the lines—
“Gotokal rate bibek amar
Shopner kora nere korlo jiggesh
Amay chara ar koto deen robe”
These mystical verses and others like it created by AB are what mostly captivated the fans. Ayub Bachchu was keen on playing rock music and his songs always featured a lead guitar solo of his meticulously perfected guitar chords.
Bachchu's high pitched screaming in the LRB songs "Gotokal Raate" and "Khoniker Jonno", from the band's third album Shukh, has been said to be similar to the high pitched vocals of Ian Gillan of Deep Purple. He was also a big fan of Azam Khan. Bachchu was inspired by him to write and sing rock songs in Bengali.
But sadly as fate would have it, this legendary singer succumbed to nature and its unrelenting truth of death and left the living world on 18 October 2018, he died of cardiac failure at his residence leaving his numerous fans both in Bangladesh abroad to mourn his death.