TBT Report
Musician Nafeez Al Amin has received the Excellence Award for Contribution in Bangla Rock Music at the 40th FOBANA Convention in Orlando, Florida.
The drummer, singer, lyricist and composer received the recognition at a ceremony on September 4, marking more than two decades of his involvement in Bangla rock music.
Nafeez began his recorded music career with Kronic's album "Asroy" in 2005, followed by Raaga's self-titled album in 2006. He later became closely associated with alternative rock band Arbovirus, contributing to releases including "Montobbo Nishproyojon" (2013), "Bishesh Droshtobbo" (2017), the live album "Bishesh Droshtobbo: Shorashori Shomprochar" (2017) and the EP "Otopor" (2019).
In 2026, Nafeez expanded his solo work with the EP "Beshi Joss!", released in May, followed by the single "Bangladesh 2.0" in July.
Alongside his studio work, Nafeez has performed extensively in North America over the past four years. His performances and tours have included collaborations with Bangladeshi musicians Balam, Habib Wahid and the late Shafin Ahmed. He is also set to tour the US with AB King.
Reflecting on the recognition, Nafeez said, "Bangla rock is a movement that connects hearts across geographic boundaries. To be recognised by FOBANA as a drummer, singer, lyricist and composer at its 40th convention here in Orlando is deeply humbling."
He added that the recognition represented a journey shared with "every musician, fan and listener from Dhaka to the United States".
The Federation of Bangladeshi Associations in North America (FOBANA) held its 40th convention in Orlando, bringing together members of the Bangladeshi diaspora as well as cultural figures and artistes from across North America.