1 Who Is Hero Alom?
Alom has attracted nearly two million Facebook followers and 1.5 million YouTube subscribers with his “unique crooning style and arresting, raunchy videos,” as Agence France-Press says. His video for Arabian Song has racked up 17 million views on YouTube. “But he has also drawn critics’ scorn, particularly for versions of classic songs of two beloved national treasures, including Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Bangladesh’s national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam,” reports AFP.
Critics and casual listeners say Alom’s singing is not what has traditionally been described as good. News 18 called Alom a “king of cringe pop,” comparing him to the ubiquitous (and much maligned) American Friday singer Rebecca Black.
2 “King of Cringe Pop” Hauled in By Police
Last week, Alom told AFP that he was picked up at dawn by Bangladeshi police and “mentally tortured,” told to stop performing classical songs and that he was too ugly to be a singer. “The police picked me up at 6 a.m. and kept me there for eight hours,” said Alom, who claimed the authorities told him to stop using the name Hero and made him sign an official document of apology.
3 Police Say “We Received Many Complaints”
Dhaka’s chief detective Harun ur Rashid said Alom had apologized for his singing style and for wearing police uniforms without permission in his videos. “We received many complaints against him,” he told the AFP. “(He) totally changed the (traditional) style (of singing) … He assured us that he won’t repeat this.“ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
“Presumably by getting voice lessons?” wondered Daily Star columnist Nadine Shaanta Murshid.
4 Alom Earns Support on Social Media
Alom has already released a new video depicting himself behind bars in a prison outfit, singing a song about being under threat of hanging. His ordeal has attracted support on social media, where the police action has been lambasted as a threat to individual rights. “I am not a fan of your songs or your acting. But if there is an attempt to muzzle your voice, I stand up against it,” said journalist Aditya Arafat on Facebook.
5 “I Felt Like I Am a Hero”
Alom, an occasional actor, participated in Bangladesh’s parliamentary election in 2018 as an independent candidate, earning 638 votes, AFP reported. He said he started Hero after becoming popular in his hometown of Bogra. “I felt like I am a hero. So I took the name Hero Alom. I won’t drop this name no matter what,” he said. “At present, it seems you can’t even sing with freedom in Bangladesh.”
