IN THE SPIRIT OF VICTORY - CHANNEL i BAND FEST 2016

If one was to suddenly walk into the venue for the Channel I Band Fest in the morning, they would be surprised with the sheer amount of stars in one confined area. The initial sound check was done by none other than LRB, who seemed to be in a very jolly mood when questioned about the event. "We are doing this for the youngsters," said Ayub Bacchu, the legendary frontman of LRB. "Along with Channel I, we have introduced many amazing new bands throughout the three years of the event and it has been hugely successful. We urge all the aspiring musicians out there to be themselves and work hard, as there is no real alternative to practice." 

The event started off with the Opening Ceremony, where the representatives of the respective bands stood side by side with an acute sense of community and brotherhood. Fakir Alamgir responded with a patriotic song when he was questioned about his feelings regarding the fest, which articulated his feelings better than words and it resonated heavily in the audience. In the spirit of our Victory Day coming up on 16th December, the bands vowed to keep up the spirit of liberation. The show started at 11:05 AM, with bands like Uccharon, Spondon and Metrical showcasing their talents. Uccharon, founded by the legendary Azam Khan thoroughly entertained the crowd. 

Rubayet Chowdhury, the fresh new vocalist of Black got a particularly large ovation from the crowd. "When I joined Black, I knew that long time fans would have a hard time accepting the change. However, it's truly amazing  how they received me today, 90 percent of the people were vehemently cheering for me. I can't express how amazing that felt", said Rubayet.

The youngsters were not too far behind. Poraho gave a solid performance with their two original songs. Shahed spoke on behalf of the talented band "As we are planning for a new album next year, the Band Fest gives amazing exposure to us. The senior musicians have been really helpful to us despite being legends of the industry. We are grateful for everything." Mayoukh Hassan, the lead guitarist of the popular young band "The Manager" was appreciative of the event as well. "As we are playing our original songs in front of mass media, this is a great platform for us. We performed our new single, 'Kach Bhanga Hashi' and it was amazingly received". 

Throughout the concert, the lobby of Channel i building was brimming with life. Young upcoming musicians were talking, jamming and singing with many stars of the industry. One such star was Bappa Majumder, who had a lot of advice for his juniors. "This might sound clichéd, but the only way up the ladder is dedication and practice. I am glad that the talented youngsters are exposed to this event because this is motivation for them," he said. Topu rocked the stage in the evening with his signature song "Bondhu Bhabo Ki", which was one of the most well received performances especially among the young ladies. He talked about his new album which is coming out in January, "After a long time, Yaatri is releasing a new album in January. This time around, the sound will be very different. Also, Anila and I are singing a song after eight whole years." Shironamhin got a thunderous ovation when they were doing their track "Pakhi", with the crowd erupting with every chorus that they sang. They were preceded by amazing performances by Obscure, Joler Gaan, Brotherhood Project and many more memorable performances.  Finally, the Band Fest ended with an energetic performance by the staple band of the event, LRBZ. Channel i had organized the event with the help of Well Food and Symphony, and it was anchored by Apu Mahfuz and Sizon. The Band Fest was produced by Anonna Ruma.

By Sadi Mohammad Shahnewaz