DHAKA INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL CONCLUDES
The second Dhaka International Folk Fest 2016 concluded on November 12, with the last evening producing some of the best and worst moments of the grand-scale event.
Nooran Sisters produced arguably the most memorable debut of the festival's two-year history, despite frustrating issues with the sound. Beginning with a Bulleh Shah Kalam “Allah Hu”, Jyoti Nooran displayed an unbridled, uninhibited approach to the music true to the Sufi roots, and with her sister Sultana's powerful support, took the audience on a spiritual journey. Be it in the rendition of the qawwali “Akhiyan Udeek Diya” or the more upbeat “Tung Tung Baje”, the duo remained in another realm, oblivious to their surroundings in a hypnotic performance. Even after they bowed out with the Sufi number “Damadam Mast Qalandar”, their aura loomed on the stage and the capacity-packed audience.
Before the duo, though, Bari Siddiqui delivered a superb performance to get the audience on their feet. Opening with a little flute piece, he promptly moved into his hit “Pubali Batashe”, and mixed his set-list with unreleased songs like “Malik Chara Kono Goti Nai” and crowd favourites “Aj Nishithe Ashte Pare Bondhu Kalachan” and the inevitable “Shuachan Pakhi”. The flute remained a large part of his performance, and a beautiful sargam put forth his vocal dexterity to the audience.
The evening, however began with Sunil Karmakar performing songs of noted mystic bard Jalal Khan, followed by an energetic, authentic display of jatra-pala by Islamuddin Kissakar – in an abruptly-cut-short performance of “Uthula Sundori”. A closing ceremony followed, where Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Bengal Foundation Chair Abul Khair, Dhaka South Mayor Sayeed Khokon and prominent singer Ferdausi Rahman spoke, along with Sun Events MD and Chairperson Anjan Chowdhury on behalf of organisers.
Taposh and Friends were already at a major disadvantage of following up Nooran sisters, and Taposh's tactic to piece through verses of popular folk numbers as a crowd-pleasing shortcut instead of an actual, sincere musical performance, crashed and burned. The audience saw through the gimmicky move of have them sing more parts of the songs than the singer on stage, and even the supremely skilled musicians failed to elevate it. He overstayed his welcome and was on the receiving end of boos – a rarity for such an event, and even guest singers Oyshee, Chishti Baul and Kuddus Boyati failed to salvage the mess.
Revered British guitarist Sam Mills featured his compatriot singer Susheela Raman in the next act, who rendered melodic songs in an engaging, theatrical performance. Susheela's stage presence and candid dance moves were complemented brilliantly by Sam and the other accompanists in songs – “Come on Down Together”, “Sajna”, “Ghost” and “Main Sharabi”.
Paban Das Baul, one of the most-anticipated performers of the festival, was the closing act. The folk legend opened with the soulful rendition of “Guru Doyal Botey” after a quintessential down-to-earth greeting. The vast horizon of humanity and their mutual support for each-other was the theme of his next song “Manush”. His superb performance of a Jhumur song “Khejur Gachh-e Handi Bandho” was a poetic portrayal of the romantic philosophy of life. The untainted devotion for mothers was depicted his rendition of a Bhoba Pagla song “Jonom Dukhi Ma”.
It was Paban Das' 1997 collaboration with Sam Mills in the album “Real Sugar” that brought him to notice of many urban listeners, and the much-anticipated duets of the two were cut short by a rather uncouth host, Bonankur Mustafa. Eventually, the dejected duo performed just one song together, the ever-so-familiar “Dil Ki Doya”.
On a night that was largely memorable (except for the Taposh & Friends fiasco), the closing left a bad taste in the mouth for the audience, and a lot of management and organising blunders for the organisers to look back to, if they are to keep their promise of taking this festival to greater heights in coming years.
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