CONCERT FROM BANGLADESH MERCH AND CONCERT ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE!
Concert From Bangladesh revisits the history of solidarity embedded in the historical Concert For Bangladesh: a concert album and ethically produced merchandise co-designed by Fraser Muggeridge and Shezad Dawood are available via Pioneer Works' website. All proceeds raised will be equally distributed between the performing musicians and Bangladeshi charity organisation Friendship, which provides healthcare for climate change refugees and promotes women’s rights in Bangladesh.
CONCERT FROM BANGLADESH IS A MIXED REALITY MUSIC CONCERT, USING CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO TAKE AUDIENCES ON A VIRTUAL AUDIO-VISUAL JOURNEY THROUGH BANGLADESH PAST AND PRESENT, ENCOMPASSING MYSTICAL BAUL SINGERS FROM RURAL KUSHTIA, EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONICS AND HIP HOP FROM THE STREETS OF DHAKA.
Concert From Bangladesh is a groundbreaking mixed reality digital collaboration between UBIK Productions (London) and Samdani Art Foundation (Dhaka) supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund. The organisations have commissioned acclaimed British-South Asian artist Shezad Dawood to create a virtual reality stage for a concert released on 1 August 2021 via Pioneer Works’ (NYC) website, expanding on the 50 year legacy of Concert For Bangladesh: the original charity concert initiated by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison of Beatles' fame, in aid of the relief effort and refugee crisis during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
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 updates the 1971 concert to showcase a wealth of talent across varied Bangladeshi musical traditions – from mystical Baul singing to experimental electronics and socially engaged Dhaka hip hop – and raise funds for the Bangladeshi climate change and human rights charity Friendship.
The concept was developed by Campbell together with multiple collaborators including Dawood. In the words of SAF Founder Nadia Samdani, "As Bangladesh celebrates 50 years of independence, we are delighted to be a part of producing a work that allows the world to listen to the wealth of music and culture found in our country, and to reconsider the role that music and art can play in banding people together to fight for a better and more equal future." Miranda Sharp, UBIK Productions Director, says,“We’re thrilled to be working with SAF and
Shezad Dawood on this multidisciplinary, transnational project that pushes the boundaries of art and music production and develops new digital collaborative workflows.”
Concert From Bangladesh will go live to audiences on the Pioneer Works’ digital platform on 1 August 2021, accompanied by live events at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Wakefield) as part of Yorkshire Sculpture International and Pioneer Works (NYC), 50 years on from the original concert. Additional events will take place with Chisenhale Gallery (London), at Leeds City Varieties Music Hall (Leeds) and Srihatta Samdani Art Centre and Sculpture Park (Sylhet). These institutions are located in significant diasporic or rural Bangladeshi areas and will further de-centre and democratise the project’s reach, amplifying the experience to diverse Bangladeshi and international communities.
The concert will take 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 will be 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 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 will end 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.
Shot against a green screen at 3rd Space Studio by a Bangladeshi team in Dhaka, Concert From Bangladesh will feature the musicians performing against shifting virtual sets that will 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 AD –, 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.
The performances will be interspersed with archival and contemporary documentary footage, and the concert will be amplified by Augmented Reality assets, including a free filter activated through audiences’ phones and laptops, bringing 3D objects from the screen into viewers' immediate surroundings. The Concert’s graphic identity is developed by long-time Samdani Art Foundation collaborator Fraser Muggeridge Studio.
Concert From Bangladesh will revisit the history of solidarity embedded in the historical Concert For Bangladesh: a concert album and ethically produced merchandise will be made available via the online streaming platform on Pioneer Works. All proceeds raised will be equally distributed between the performing musicians and Bangladeshi charity organisation Friendship (led by Ashoka fellow and Schwab Foundation social entrepreneur Runa Khan) which provides healthcare for climate change refugees and promotes women’s rights in Bangladesh.
Musicians and Performers
Siaminium (Electronics and Recording Engineer); Meerashri Arshee (Classical Raga vocalist); Arif Baul (Baul vocalist and composer); Nishit Dey (Composer, Sitar and Tabla player); Enayet (Producer, Electronics, Composer); Moumita Haque (Nazrul sangeet vocalist); Nazrul Islam (Dhol player); Gully Boy Rana and Tabib Mahmud (Hip hop artists); Jawaad Mustakim Al Muballig (Bansuri flute player); Provhat Rahman (Electronics); Saidur Rahman (Harmonium player); Shoummo Saha (Audio producer); Sohel (Percussionist).
Concert From Bangladesh On Tour (Further tour dates to be announced soon)
1 August 2021, 6pm Dhaka, 6pm London, 6pm New York: As-live stream across three time zones on pioneerworks.org/programs/concert-from-bangladesh
1 August 2021, entry from 7:15pm, screening at 9:15pm - Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Wakefield): An outdoor screening of Concert From Bangladesh and associated tours of sculptures in the grounds in English and Sylheit, in partnership with artist Thahmina Begum. Book via: https://ysp.org.uk/events/shezad-dawood-concert-from-bangladesh-an-open-air-film-screening
8 August 2021 - Pioneer Works (NYC): A screening of Concert From Bangladesh as part of the Second Sundays event series, which engages Pioneer Works disciplines through live music, food, artists' open studios, and interactive programs.
31 August 2021, 1pm - In the Neighbourhood (London): An outdoor screening of Concert From Bangladesh - https://www.allpointseastfestival.com/nbhd/
10 September 2021, Bold Tendencies (London): Chisenhale Gallery hosts Concert From Bangladesh at Peckhamplex and Bold Tendencies
7pm, Peckhamplex Cinema - Screening of Concert From Bangladesh
8:30pm, Straw Auditorium at Bold Tendencies - In-conversation between Shezad Dawood and Chisenhale Director Dr. Zoé Whitley
9:30pm onwards, Concert Bar at Bold Tendencies - Live DJ set by Concert From Bangladesh electronics producer Provhat Rahman
12 September 2021 - Pioneer Works (NYC): Concert From Bangladesh as part of Pioneer Works' Second Sundays
8pm - Live DJ set by Concert From Bangladesh curator and producer Enayet Kabir
9pm - Screening of Concert From Bangladesh
16 September 2021, 7pm - Leeds City Varieties Music Hall (Leeds): Leeds City Varieties Music Hall (Leeds) - Yorkshire Sculpture International hosts Concert From Bangladesh in partnership with Hyde Park Picture House’s On the Road programme.
18 September 2021 - Rich Mix (London) - Rich Mix host screening and in-conversation part of Bangladesh @ 50
3pm - Screening of Concert From Bangladesh
3:45pm - Journalist and presenter Momtaz Begum-Hossain moderates in-conversation with Concert From Bangladesh electronics producer Provhat and assistant curator Ruxmini Choudhury
2021, Date TBC, Covid-depending - Event at Srihatta, the Samdani Art Foundation Centre and Sculpture Park located in Sylhet, Bangladesh, a lush and green rural tea district approximately 250km (or a 45 minute flight) from the capital city of Dhaka.
Follow the hashtag #ConcertFromBangladesh, @ubik.productions and @samdaniartfoundation on Instagram for updates.
For all press enquiries, please contact:
Dhaka: Ruxmini Choudhury - ruxmini@dhakaartsummit.org
London: Inês Geraldes Cardoso - k@ubikproductions.com
Official Credit Line
Concert From Bangladesh is a project by UBIK Productions and Samdani Art Foundation in collaboration with Shezad Dawood and in partnership with Pioneer Works, Yorkshire Sculpture International, Chisenhale Gallery and Friendship. It is supported by the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund, which supports UK and overseas cultural partnerships to develop digitally innovative ways of collaborating.
About Co-Producers
UBIK Productions is an immersive film and digital arts production company based in London. It focuses on feature length and short experimental film production as well as cutting-edge digital animation, artworks using algorithm technologies and VR development for theatrical, festival and institutional distribution. We produce interdisciplinary works, building dynamic teams with bespoke methodologies for each project from a range of specialties such as 3D animators, composers, editors, cinematographers, choreographers, researchers, sound technicians, coders, game designers as well as motion capture and world building experts for our award-winning works. https://ubikproductions.com/
The Samdani Art Foundation (SAF) is a private arts trust based in Dhaka, Bangladesh founded in 2011 by collector couple Nadia and Rajeeb Samdani to support the work of the country’s contemporary artists and architects. Led by Artistic Director and Curator Diana Campbell, SAF seeks to expand the audience engaging with contemporary art across Bangladesh and increase international exposure for the country’s artists and architects. Its programmes support Bangladeshi artists and architects in broadening their creative horizons through production grants, residencies, education programs, and exhibitions. www.samdani.com.bd
About Shezad Dawood
Shezad Dawood is an artist working across the disciplines of painting, film, neon, sculpture, performance, virtual reality and other digital media to ask key questions of narrative, history and embodiment. Using the editing process as a method to explore both meanings and forms, his practice often involves collaboration and knowledge exchange, mapping across multiple audiences and communities. Dawood’s work has been shown internationally at institutions including Tate (London), Southbank Centre (London), The British Museum (London), MoMA (NYC), Guggenheim (NYC), WIELS (Brussels), MOCA (Toronto), Manifesta, Venice Biennale, Gwangju Biennial, Toronto Biennial. Dawood is a Senior Research Fellow in Experimental Media at the University of Westminster and lives and works in London.
About Key Collaborators
Enayet Kabir is a Brooklyn based, Dhaka raised, electronic musician, curator and artist whose work is focused on intangible spaces, collective memory, synthetic organics and otherness. He has worked on creative direction, stage and lighting design, and music video direction for artists including Yaeji and Photay. His debut EP Chokkor was released earlier this year by New York label SLINK which he runs collectively with rrao, Simisea and K Wata.
Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury is a Dhaka based art researcher and curator and has been working as an Assistant Curator at the Samdani Art Foundation. She has been involved in the Dhaka Art Summit since the edition of 2016 and has conducted many research projects for DAS, including Art Mediation Programme and MAHASSA,(2019-20). Her research interest lies in the pre and post colonial South Asian art and culture.
Shoummo Saha is a music producer, educator, and event curator based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Through teaching community-focused electronic music workshops, forward-thinking programming and curation at venues such as the iconic Jatra Biroti, and his own musical output, Shoummo has become one of the central driving forces behind the growing experimental music and sonic arts scene in Dhaka.
Diana Campbell is a curator committed to fostering a transnational art world. Her plural and long-range vision addresses the concerns of underrepresented regions and artists. Since 2013, she has served as the Founding Artistic Director of Dhaka-based Samdani Art Foundation, Bangladesh and Chief Curator of the Dhaka Art Summit, leading the critically acclaimed 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 editions and is developing the upcoming 2023 edition. Campbell has developed DAS into a leading research and exhibitions platform for art from South Asia, bringing together artists, architects, curators, and writers from across South Asia through a largely commission based model where new work and exhibitions are born in Bangladesh.
About the Artists
ACT 1
COMPOSED BY ARIF BAUL
ARRANGED BY SHOUMMO SAHA AND NAZRUL ISLAM.
ELECTRONICS BY SHOUMMO SAHA.
CURATED BY ENAYET KABIR AND SHOUMMO SAHA (ASST. CURATOR).
Arif Baul
Arif Baul is a renowned baul singer and dotara player. His renditions of Bangladeshi folk music have made him one of the country’s foremost Baul performers.
Nazrul Islam Percussion (also in Act 2)
Dhol maestro Nazrul Islam is known for his finesse and versatility in both traditional Bengali folk music and multiple forms of musical experiments including jazz and fusion.
Saidur Rahman Harmonium
Saidur Rahman is a distinguished session musician and a virtuosic harmonium player.
Sohel Percussion
Sohel is a multi-instrumentalist and percussionist, proficient in his interpretation of various forms of traditional Bengali rhythms.
ACT 2
COMPOSED BY ENAYET KABIR (STAGENAME ENAYET) AND NISHIT DEY
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT: ENAYET KABIR, PROVHAT RAHMAN AND ADITTYA ARZU (STAGENAME SIAMINIUM).
VOCALS: MEERASHRI ARSHEE AND MOUMITA HAQUE
SITAR AND TABLA: NISHIT DEY
BANSURI: JAWWAD MUSTAKIM AL MUBALLIG
RECORDING ENGINEER: ADITTYA ARZU AKA SIAMINIUM
CURATED BY ENAYET KABIR AND SHOUMMO SAHA (ASST. CURATOR)
Meerasri Arshee (Vocals) is a gifted vocalist who began learning Indian classical music from Srimati Avinanda Mukerji at the age of eight. She enrolled as a disciple of Srimati Asha Lohia of Pandit Jasraj School of music in Vancouver, and since 2018 has taken lessons with Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, the famous Guru of Patiala gharana. She is currently taking lessons from Meher Paralikar, a scholar of ITC SRA, Kolkata.
Moumita Haque (Vocals) (nickname: Shenjutee) is a promising classical vocalist from Bangladesh. Her repertoire covers Kheyal, semi classical-Thumri, Bhajan, Nazrul Sangeet and Modern Bengali Songs. Moumita began her musical journey in Kisholoy Kochikacha Mela at an early age. She went on to become a disciple of Ustad Sanjiv Dey and gradually shifted her focus to classical music. She is currently a student of Dr. Rejwan Ali alongside doing her Masters in English from the University of Dhaka.
Provhat Rahman Electronic production Having co-founded the Daytimers Collective, producer and DJ Provhat has played an integral role in the re-emergence of Asian Underground sounds. His Indian svara inspired debut single, "Pedal" released on Rhythm Labs Records saw support from LCY, Hodge & Raji Rags. Alongside this, his ever-growing bank of Daytimers dubs have been mainstays across sets played by the new wave of South Asian DJs. With recent spots on NTS & Rinse FM, Provhat is set to continue pushing his productions and platform to new heights in 2021.
Adittya Arzu (stagename: Siaminium) Recording engineer / Electronic production
Living in the bustling city of Dhaka, Siaminium is one of Bangladesh’s finest audio engineers and producers. He has been involved with numerous projects including a performance feature in TEDxBaileyRoad and track listings on the BBC Asian Network. He indulges in the ambient nature of sounds and crafts his music to create visual soundscapes.
Nishit Dey Sitar + Co-Composer
Nishit is a 4th generation sitar player, following in a long family tradition of classical music. He first took tabla lessons from his father Sanjib Dey and learned classical music from his paternal uncle Asit Dey, both celebrated Bangladeshi classical music teachers. Nishit is also the founder of the Dhaka-based performance art organization Jog.
Jawwad Mustakim Al Muballig Session Bansuri player
ACT 3
RANA MRIDHA ( GULLY BOY RANA) - HIP HOP SINGER
AND TABIB MAHMUD HIP HOP SINGER, LYRIC WRITER
Tabib Mahmud is a singer, rapper, poet and lyric writer, whose work is inspired by Kazi Nazrul Islam, a poet who spoke against the British rule through poems and songs. He collaborates with Gully Boy Rana aka Rana Mridha, a twelve-year-old by from the slum of Kamrangirchar in Dhaka to raise awareness of social injustice and particularly the discrimination suffered by underpriviledged children.
About the Funder
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We build connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. Last year we reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive a 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. www.britishcouncil.org
With additional support for Covid Safety protocols generously provided by the EMK Center.
About Presenting Partners
Yorkshire Sculpture International A unique collaboration between four of Yorkshire’s leading art institutions – the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery, The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The galleries work together to promote sculpture in the region. Celebrating the rich history of Yorkshire as the birthplace of pioneering sculptors, including Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and as the home of this unique consortium of galleries and celebrated sculpture collections. https://yorkshire-sculpture.org/
Chisenhale Gallery has an award winning, 38-year history as one of London’s most innovative forums for art. With a reputation for identifying new artistic talent, we believe in making cultural impact through working with artists and learning from our neighbours. We develop ideas with artists over a one- to two-year incubation period, from concept to completion. Located in a dynamic and creative residential neighbourhood in the heart of London’s East End, where many cultures converge, Chisenhale Gallery is an evolving space for experimentation, transformed by each artist’s commission. https://chisenhale.org.uk/
Pioneer Works builds community through the arts and sciences to create an open and inspired world. It encourages radical thinking across disciplines by providing practitioners a space to work, tools to create, and a platform to exchange ideas that are free and open to all. We are driven by the realization that humanity is facing unprecedented social, intellectual, and spiritual challenges; our programs explore new ways of facing those challenges by using the arts and sciences dynamically as both a lens and catalyst. When humanity comes together and combines the ideas and talents of many, we have the ability to engineer what once appeared to be impossible. https://pioneerworks.org/
About Friendship
We are an international Social Purpose Organisation guided by a vision of a world where people — especially the hard-to-reach and unaddressed — have equal opportunities to live with dignity and hope. Friendship’s vision is almost unchanged since 20 years and is more relevant than ever in a world facing increasing global challenges such as exclusion from vital services, environmental crisis, extreme poverty, inequality and injustice. From Bangladesh, a country facing the most pressing of humanity’s challenges, we develop scalable solutions to strengthen marginalised communities, and empower people to transform their lives and reach their full potential. https://friendship.ngo/
About Media Partners
The Face
Launched by Nick Logan in London in 1980, The Face is the original, definitive style magazine. Reborn in 2019, The Face remains forward-thinking, multi-platform title staying true to Logan’s pioneering spirit that continues to champion fresh talent in music, fashion, TV, film and beyond; fly the flag for provocative, rigorous, long-form journalism; and celebrate the best in style and graphic design: a space for immersive, dynamic, multi-faceted stories. https://theface.com/
Dhaka Tribune
All the news from Bangladesh regarding politics, business, industry, lifestyle, culture, sports, crime. The sharpest opinions and op-eds from a changing Bangladesh. It is time for a new generation of Bangladeshis to be heard, for their vision for our country to be promoted. Dhaka Tribune is here to be the platform for that new voice, and new vision. https://www.dhakatribune.com/
MERCHANDISE
Shezad Dawood collaborated with Fraser Muggeridge Studio and No Sweat, two UK based institutions with long-term relationships with Bangladesh, to design merchandise for Concert From Bangladesh inspired by embroidery traditions in the country. The designs include symbols of tigers and Paharpur, which are anchored in Bangladeshi culture and the concert itself. All proceeds from the sales of merchandise will support the work of Friendship, an NGO supporting and empowering climate change refugees in Bangladesh, as well as the musicians who participated in this project. The organic tee and sweatshirt are produced in collaboration with No Sweat, a UK based anti-sweatshop campaign and clothing brand that partners with the garment factory, Oporajeo (meaning invincible in Bangla), a worker's initiative in Bangladesh that emerged in the wake of the Rana Plaza tragedy to promote ethical factory practices as an alternative to sweatshops. The scarves are handwoven and hand-embroidered by women in the chars of Bangladesh (riverine islands made of silt which are vulnerable to flooding) through Friendship, and each scarf will therefore be unique and carry the traces of its maker. Merchandise will be produced on demand and mailed to buyers in late 2021.
CREDITS
Shezad Dawood Artist / Director / Visual Concept
Diana Campbell Curator / Concept Designer
Enayet Kabir Co-curator
Miranda Sharp Producer
Inês Geraldes Cardoso Assistant Producer
Ruxmini Choudhury Assistant Curator, Research and Archive Producer
Sazzad Hossain SAF Production Lead
Amit Ashraf DOP
Himel Tariq Line Producer
Shoummo Saha Assistant Curator, Audio Coordinator
Adittya Arzu Recording Engineer- Dhaka
amoeba Visual interpretations and code
Mikayl Dawood Editor
Rupert Clervaux Audio Mixing and Mastering Engineer
Fraser Muggeridge Graphic Design
Ruxmini Choudhury Translations and Subtitles
MUSIC & AUDIO
Enayet SFX
Rupert Clervaux Mastering Engineer
GREEN SCREEN SHOOT CREW
Arifuzzaman DOP- MD.
Nivan Hossain Assistant Director
Ferari Sumon Production Manager
Mosarof Hossain Gaffer
Nazmul Focus Puller
3rd Space Studio Venue