To honour the 50 year legacy of Concert for Bangladesh, this mixed reality concert seeks to take audiences on an audio-visual journey through the country’s past and present, encompassing mystical Baul singers from rural Kushtia, experimental electronics and hip hop from the streets of Dhaka
Shot against a green screen by a Bangladeshi team in Dhaka, Concert From Bangladesh features musicians performing against shifting virtual sets that immerse audiences in vibrant Dhaka streets, and transport them to the riverbanks of Gorai River Kushtia via mangrove ecosystems and Somapura Mahavihara, one of the best known monasteries in the Indian Subcontinent built in the 8th century, culminating with a performance in the iconic Beauty Boarding, a historically vibrant literary hub in Dhaka and a meeting place for intellectuals to this day.
Also read: Everything you need to know about ‘Concert from Bangladesh’
The concert takes viewers on an expansive sonic journey spanning six centuries, beginning with renowned Baul singer Arif Baul accompanied by instrumental virtuosos Nazrul Islam, Saidur Rahman, and Sohel. This is followed by a piece composed by Enayet and Nishit Dey exploring the shared musical language between Nazrul sangeet, classical raga and 90s jungle, by blending cutting edge electronic production and arrangements by Enayet, Provhat Rahman and Adittya Arzu aka Siaminium, with classical raga and Nazrul sangeet vocals by Meerashri Arshee and Moumita Haque, Bansuri flute by Jawaad Mustakim Al Muballig and sitar performance by Nishit Dey. The concert ends with the Bangladeshi hip hop duo Tabib Mahmud and 12-year-old Gully Boy Rana, whose socially engaged lyrics highlight some of the pressing issues the concert aims to fundraise for.
The concert is a groundbreaking digital collaboration between UBIK Productions (London) and Samdani Art Foundation (Dhaka) supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund to honour the 50 year legacy of Concert for Bangladesh. The organizations have commissioned acclaimed British-South Asian artist Shezad Dawood to create a virtual reality stage for the concert.
Co-curated by Diana Campbell, Artistic Director of the Samdani Art Foundation (SAF), with Dhaka-born music producer and artist Enayet Kabir, together with assistant curators Ruxmini Choudhury and Shoummo Saha, Concert From Bangladesh showcases a wealth of talent across varied Bangladeshi musical traditions, from mystical Baul singing to experimental electronics and socially engaged Dhaka hip hop.
This is the first leg of a series of events spanning two months. For registration, visit: https://pioneerworks.org/
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