State of Bengal

{{short description|British music producer (1965–2015)}} {{Distinguish|Principality of Bengal}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = State of Bengal | image = | caption = | image_size = 220px | alias = Sam Zaman | birth_name = Saifullah Zaman | birth_date = {{Birth date|1965|4|17|df=y}} | birth_place = East Pakistan | death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|5|19|1965|4|17|df=y}} | death_place = United Kingdom | origin = London, England | instrument = {{flat list | * Turntables * bass * electronic drums * percussion }} | genre = {{flat list | * Breakbeat * Indian classical * electronica * breakbeat * house * drum and bass * dub }} | occupation = {{flat list | * DJ * music producer * musician * teacher * composer }} | years_active = 1987–2015 | label = {{flat list | * EMI * Virgin * Realworld * Six Degrees * Betelnut }} | associated_acts = {{flat list | * Deeder Zaman * Bjork * Massive Attack * Ananda Shankar * Paban Das Baul * Jolly Mukerjee }} }}

'''Saifullah''' "'''Sam'''" '''Zaman''' (17 April 1965 – 19 May 2015), known by the stage name '''State of Bengal''', was a British DJ and music producer of Bangladeshi descent associated with the UK and Asian Underground movement.

==Early life== Zaman was born on 17 April 1965 in then East Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite book |last=British Academy |title=Oxford dictionary of national biography |edition= Online |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |oclc=56568095}}</ref> He lived in Ankara, Amman, and Dhaka before moving to London, England at the age of eight. His parents are of Bangladeshi origin, from the district of Noahkhali. His father is a homeopathic doctor.<ref name="independent">{{cite news |last=K|first=Sanj|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/sam-zaman-musician-who-emerged-from-londons-asian-underground-to-work-with-bjork-and-massive-attack-10383639.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/sam-zaman-musician-who-emerged-from-londons-asian-underground-to-work-with-bjork-and-massive-attack-10383639.html |archive-date=24 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Sam Zaman: Musician who emerged from London's Asian Underground to work with Bjork and Massive Attack|newspaper=The Independent|date=20 May 2015|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref>

==Career== In 1987, Zaman set up the State of Bengal group in London after a visit to Noakhali, Bangladesh, where he interacted with traditional folk musicians and dancers. Original members of the group included his youngest brother Deeder Zaman (who later became vocalist of Asian Dub Foundation). Outside of the State of Bengal project, Zaman also worked with British Asian youth groups, setting up music training workshops. After working in a variety of communities from across the country. Sam founded and set up Betelnut Records.<ref name="nadabrahma">{{cite news|last=K|first=Sanj|url=http://www.nadabrahma.co.uk/sam-zaman-state-of-bengal-dies-1965-2015|title=Sam Zaman / State of Bengal dies (1965-2015)|publisher=Nada Brahma|date=20 May 2015|access-date=21 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150522084052/http://nadabrahma.co.uk/sam-zaman-state-of-bengal-dies-1965-2015/|archive-date=22 May 2015}}</ref>

Formerly a teacher, Zaman worked at youth centres.<ref name="scroll.in">{{cite news |last=Pemmaraju|first=Gautam|url=http://www.scroll.in/article/729353/sam-zaman-pioneer-of-the-asian-underground-influenced-everything-from-us-rap-to-bollywood-beats|title=Sam Zaman, pioneer of the Asian Underground, influenced everything from US rap to Bollywood beats|publisher=Scroll.in|date=23 May 2015|access-date=1 August 2015}}</ref> State of Bengal was a DJ at the Anokha club in London's East End during the mid-1990s. His tracks "Flight IC408" and "Chittagong Chill" – written and produced with Matt Mars – were featured on ''Anokha – Soundz of the Asian Underground'' compilation, and helped him gain prominence. Singer Björk discovered his work at Anokha, he opened for her on the Homeogenic world tour, and remixed her track "Hunter", also signing to the One Little Indian record label. State of Bengal took up residency at the 333, in Hoxton on the Off Centre club nights,<ref name="ffwdweekly">{{cite news |url=http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/1999/0617/beat.html|title=CD Review|newspaper=FFWD Weekly|date=17 June 1999|access-date=7 March 2006}}</ref> he continued with his DJ and did extensive remix work.

He produced his debut album, Visual Audio in 1998 which also featured Suzana Ansar and followed that up with ''Walking On'', a collaboration with Ananda Shankar in 1999. His next album was also a collaboration, ''Tana Tani'' with Paban Das Baul, in 2004 and then in 2007 he released ''Skip-ji'' on his own record label.

Alongside his DJ and music work, Zaman continued to teach and deliver music workshops.

==Personal life and death== Zaman was the eldest of five siblings, with two younger sisters and two brothers. His family called him Arun, which means sun rising. On 19 May 2015 Zaman died in hospital of a suspected heart attack.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lusk |first=John |date=12 July 2015 |title=Sam Zaman: Musician who emerged from London's Asian Underground to work with Bjork and Massive Attack |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/sam-zaman-musician-who-emerged-from-london-s-asian-underground-to-work-with-bjork-and-massive-attack-10383639.html |access-date=16 September 2024}}</ref>

On 15 June 2017, the British Plaque Trust honoured Zaman by unveiling a Blue Plaque outside his home and studio in East London, where all his albums were created.<ref name="thedailystar">{{cite news |last=Ullah |first=Ansar Ahmed |date=27 December 2016 |title=British Asians 'struggle for top jobs despite better school results' |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/music/bbc-honours-two-pioneering-british-bangladeshi-musicians-1422001?browserpush=true |work=The Daily Star |access-date=1 July 2017}}</ref>

==Discography== ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Single !Album |- |1997 |Elephant Ride |Visual Audio |- |1997 |Flight IC408 | |- |1998 |Rama Communication |Visual Audio |}

===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Album details |- | scope="row" | Visual Audio |First released 1998 One Little Indian |- |Walking On, The Ananda Shankar Experience & State of Bengal |1999 Real World Records |- |Tana Tani, State of Bengal Vs Paban Das Baul |2004 Real World Records |- | scope="row" |''Skip-IJ'' |2007 Betelnut Records |- |}

===Compilations=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! Year ! Artist(s) ! Title ! Label |- | 1996 | Various artists | ''Anokha - Soundz of the Asian Underground'' | Omni/Island Records |- | 2004 | Paban Das Baul | ''Tana Tani'' | Real World |}

===Remixes and other work=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! Year ! Artist(s) ! Title ! Album/Single ! Label |- | rowspan="1"| 1997 | Björk | "Hunter" remix | "Hunter" (single) | One Little Indian Records |- | rowspan="3"| 1998 | Massive Attack | ''Inertia Creeps'' | ''Mezzanine – The Remixes'' (album) | Virgin Records |- | Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan | "Shadow" | Star Rise: Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn and Michael Brook Remixed | Realworld Records |- | Ronnie Jordon | ''New Delhi Island'' | Unreleased |- | rowspan="3"| 1999 | Amar | "Day By Day", "If You Say That You Love Me", "Sometimes It Snows in April" | Unreleased | Warner Bros. Records |- | Euphoria | "Delirium" Delhi Rias Mix | Delirium Remixes (single) | rowspan="2"| Six Degrees Records |- | Cheb i Sabbah | "Shri Durga" | Tantra Lounge (album) |- | rowspan="3"| 2000 | Jolly Mukherjee | "Madhuvanthi", "Jhinjoti", "Sarang" | Fusebox (album) | Palm Pictures |- | Mindless Self Indulgence | "Bitches" remix | "Bitches/Molly" (single) | Elektra Records |- | Solar Twins | "Rock the Casbah" remix | "Rock the Casbah" (single) | Maverick Records |- | rowspan="2"| 2001 | Khaled | "Mal Habibti" | | rowspan="2"| Barclay Records |- | Amar and Khaled | "El harba wine" | |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{div col|colwidth=48em}} *{{IMDb name|id=6423281|name=State of Bengal}} *{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=the-state-of-bengal-mn0000748251|label=State of Bengal}} *{{Discogs artist|artist=4456-State-Of-Bengal|name=State of Bengal}} *[http://www.britbangla.net/successprofiles.html#sob State of Bengal] on BritBangla *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927144111/http://www.betelnut-records.com/ Betelnut Records website] *[http://www.ethnotechno.com/ints/int_stateofbengal_11.03.03.php Ethnotechno interview with State of Bengal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927093044/http://www.ethnotechno.com/ints/int_stateofbengal_11.03.03.php |date=27 September 2007 }} *[http://asianvibrations.com/cgi-bin/getFeature.cgi?featureNum=22 State of Bengal and his views] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080103052039/http://asianvibrations.com/cgi-bin/getFeature.cgi?featureNum=22 |date=3 January 2008 }} *Iqbal, Jamil. [http://www.swadhinata.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=186&Itemid=217 Mr. Sam Zaman]. ''Swadhinata Trust''. 28 March 2006 {{div col end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:State Of Bengal}} Category:1965 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Place of death missing Category:Pakistani emigrants to the United Kingdom Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Category:British people of Bangladeshi descent Category:British club DJs Category:British record producers Category:British electronic musicians Category:Asian Underground musicians Category:Musicians from Karachi Category:DJs from London