Biswas Records specializes in producing top quality digitally recorded and mastered Bengali CDs and Classical Indian Music CDs. We have a wide collection
of compact discs to suit every taste. The quality of music CDs provided by the conventional recording companies of India was not significantly
better than audio tape media because the recording was still done on analog devices and only transferred into a digital media at the final stage. We
decided to change the whole picture by providing digitally recorded and mastered music right from the beginning.
Biswas Records was set up to provide the Bengali and Indian community with high quality digitally recorded music. We are now the second largest
producer of Bengali CDs in the world and have a big collection of high-quality CDs to suit a variety of musical choices.
Thirty years ago, in 1991, I started selling audio cassettes at Durga Pujas of East Coast, at Kallol & Garden State Durga Puja (New Jersey), Sanskriti (Washington DC), Prabasi (Boston). I was the first person/one of the first to set up stalls to sell things at pujas then. As many customers used to complain about poor cassette qualities in 1993, I produced the first Biswas Records CD. In a few years our CDs were sold at all major Durga pujas (about 23), from Boston to San Francisco. Bengali population/market size in USA is very small; Bengali population in India is about 1000 times larger than that of USA. Despite this small US market which is spread over a 3 times larger country, without your help & support I could not be able to undertake the such an effort with my single income ($48,000/year, my 1991 salary) of family of 4. Expenses were significant as the artist singers were all paid upfront (no royalty arrangement), other costs involved were for musicians, recording studio, arranger, inlay card designer, mastering the digital audio tapes from India in US studio. CDs were made by Sony DADC at their Terre Haute, IN plant. A minimum of 1000 CDs of each title had to be made. I am grateful to GSPC members & US Bengalis for helping me to produce about 200 CDs & 14 DVDs. Only with your help I was able to accomplish so much to propagate Bengali music in USA. In the history of Bengali music none outside India has recorded so many Bengali artists, helped their US tours & been so successful in spreading Bengali music in US.
Prior to Biswas Records Indian (Bengali) music was only available as audio cassettes whose sound quality was not great & used to wear out over many uses. The lack of good audio quality was calling for a better reproduction of Bengali sound. Biswas Records responded by digitally recording Bengali music & publishing them as CDs. Thus, that it was superior technology that helped me to establish Indian music record company in US, Biswas Records. However, in the end it was the same technological evolution that crushed my dream. CDs became obsolete due to music streaming /YouTube etc. Today when I am throwing away over 60,000 CDs (as I had to make 1000 pieces of each title) the question comes to my mind, "বিজ্ঞান কি আশীর্বাদ না অভিশাপ?". In my childhood we had to write that essay. As a scientist myself I always thought that surely science is blessing only. However, now I have experienced both sides of technology I ponder the answer.
This year, 2021 is the first time in 30 years I will not have CD Stall at Durga puja. The musical repertoire that I built over 20 years is suddenly worthless. To me during 30 years the meaning of the abbreviation CD has changed from “Cherished Dreams” to “Crushed Dreams”. However, I have no regret as I did it as a hobby which helped me to know tens of thousands of Bengalis/other folks of USA. It has been a wonderful journey and it is a pleasure knowing you all.
Thank you.
Atanu Biswas
Peoria, IL
