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'Amar E Gaan': Aurthohin back with new music video after six years
Aurthohin, Bangladesh's one of the top and fan-favourite bands, finally returned with a brand new music video "Amar E Gaan" Wednesday after six years.
The band remained inactive for four years and has not released any new music videos in the last six years due to the physical condition of its founding frontman Saidus Salehin Khaled, also popularly known as Bassbaba Sumon.
Sumon returned to the music scene last year and Aurthohin began performing in several concerts this year. The Aurthohin frontman said they are going to release their new album "Phoenix er Diary-1" this year and part two will be released next year.
Read more: Aurthohin's ex-drummer Rumi Rahman dies
The music video for Amar E Gaan premiered on the YouTube channel of Bassbaba Sumon and Aurthohin, starring Imtiaz Borshon and the members of Aurthohin. The song, tuned by Sumon and written by Md Imtiazul Anwar and Sumon himself, has been garnering critical acclaim from the fans on social media since its release.
"Amar E Gaan is not just a song. It's not just a music video. It is sheer love and respect to all Aurthohin fans for the unconditional love and support they have given us throughout our best and worst times," Aurthohin said.
Tuesday, the band announced the release and details of Amar E Gaan at Samsung's BTI Landmark showroom in the capital's Gulshan Avenue.
At the event, Sumon said: "We have not been together and created new music for almost four years. Creating new music from that state was the first challenge, as Aurthohin's songs have always been focused on melody and meaningful lyrics. We wanted to make the song in such a way that the listeners can relate the song to themselves."
"I have been overwhelmed by the support of our fans, as I have recently returned to music from a challenging time in my life. From us, this song is a tribute to all of our fans and admirers," Sumon added.
Read more: “Boyosh Holo Amar”: Bassbaba Sumon returns with new song
Theatre is my home where I always belong: Chanchal Chowdhury
Making a special return to the theatre for the first time in six years, popular actor Chanchal Chowdhury is all set to enthrall his audience once again for an exclusive staging of Aranyak Natyadal’s popular play “Rarang” at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Thursday.
The National Award-winning actor will take part in the 199th and 200th shows of "Rarang" at BSA’s Experimental Theatre Hall on Thursday ( November 17) and Friday ( November 18), which will mark his first stage performance after 2016 when he last performed in Aranyak’s “Che’r Cycle”.
Read more: Munshigiri: Another Epic Creation of Amitabh Reza Featuring Chanchal Chowdhury
Talking to UNB about making his long-awaited comeback to the stage, Chanchal Chowdhury said, "Not appearing on stage on a regular basis does not imply that I am not involved with theatre activities. I started my career as a part of Aranyak, and I've always considered the stage as my home where I belong. As it will be my first time on stage in a long time, it brings me immense joy.”
Chanchal Chowdhury started his career on stage before making a name for himself in television and movies. After getting admitted to Dhaka University’s Faculty of Fine Art as a student, he joined the Aranyak Natyadal theatre group and garnered acclaim for his performances in "Rarang" and "Songkranti," two of Aranyak’s most popular presentations.
Read more: Web Series "Boli": Chanchal Chowdhury Again in an Unprecedented Character
“I have performed in more than 150 shows of “Rarang” in my career, but it’s true that nowadays I cannot regularly take part in shows due to other commitments. It takes months to prepare for a new production, and theatre is such a place which deserves adequate time and attention. Although I cannot take part in theatre now on a regular basis, I try to attend whenever I can.”
Eminent thespian, playwright and director Mamunur Rashid's play "Rarang" explores the uprising of the Santal community—an indigenous minority population living in the country's northern region—against the persecution of the British authority. The word “Rarang” is a Santal word meaning "a cry to rise," and the play's narrative recounts the life of Alfred Soren, a legendary leader of the Santals who died a heroic death defending his community from British tyranny.
Read more: Chanchal Chowdhury like you've never seen him before
Marking its 50-year celebration next year, Aranyak Natyadal will organise a special drama festival from January 24-February 1, according to the theatre group.
Armeen Musa, Nashid Kamal get 2023 Grammy nomination
Bangladeshi singer-songwriter Armeen Musa and her mother and eminent Nazrul exponent Dr Nashid Kamal have been nominated for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the category of Best Global Music Album on Wednesday.
The mother-daughter duo's song "Jaago Piya," which was featured on the Berklee Indian Ensemble's debut album "Shuruaat," enabled them as the first Bangladeshis to be nominated for the world's most famous musical awards.
Read more: 15 receive Aga Khan Music Awards 2022
Confirming the news to UNB on Tuesday night, Armeen Musa said she is overwhelmed by this achievement. “Still in disbelief,” she said although the official website of Grammy also confirmed the nomination on Wednesday.
The first in a series of original compositions from the Berklee Indian Ensemble, "Jaago Piya" was originally written and voiced by Armeen Musa, while Dr Nashid Kamal penned the Bengali version of the lyrics.
Legendary Asian musicians including Ustaad Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan and Shreya Ghoshal, to name a few, are also featured on the Berklee Indian Ensemble's (BIE) debut album ‘Shuruaat’, alongside Armeen Musa.
Read more: List of Grammy winners in top categories
One of the most popular music artists in present Bangladesh and the first-ever the first Bangladeshi student in the Berklee Indian Ensemble and a Visva-Bharati trainee in Indian Classical music, Armeen Musa garnered critical acclaim for songs including “Bhromor Koiyo Giya,” “Lona Deyal” and more. She is the founder of the music troop ‘Ghaashphoring Choir’.
Russia bans 100 Canadians including Atwood, Jim Carrey
Russia's Foreign Ministry announced Monday that 100 Canadians have been added to the list of people banned from entering the country in response to sanctions against Russia by Canada.
A ministry statement said author Margaret Atwood, actor Jim Carrey and Amy Knight, a noted historian of the KGB, were on the banned list.
Read more: Russia bans more EU officials from entry
The ministry said they and the other 97, many of whom are connected to ethnic Ukrainian organizations, were banned because of involvement in “formation of (Canada's) aggressively anti-Russian cou
House of the Dragon: Why do Targaryens have silver hair?
In the “Game of Thrones” universe and the prequel “House of the Dragon” – season 1 of which just finished airing – members of the Targaryen family possess some distinguishing features. The most striking among these physical features is their silver or white hair. But, many viewers have wondered, why does every Targaryen have silver hair?
It is obvious that Targaryens anticipate their offspring having white or silver hair when they are born. In fact, Viserys and Alicent Hightower’s true-born children all inherited their father’s silver hair. Meanwhile, based only on their brown hair, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s children are assumed to be “not of pure Targaryen blood”.
What is it about the Targaryen silver hair? Can Targaryens have hair that is a different colour at birth? Based on George RR Martin’s books, the answer is not as simple as you may expect.
So, what really causes the Targaryens to have silver hair?
Read more: House of the Dragon: Did you notice this actor swap in season finale?
The Targaryen family hails from Old Valyria, where lighter skin tones and hair colours were particularly common. As a result, the family had white or silvery blonde hair. The Targaryens have been able to keep their distinguishing Valyrian characteristics due to years of inbreeding.
George RR Martin might have given the Targaryens such an unusual hair colour out of the blue to set them apart from the Westerosi people and suggest a certain otherworldliness about the royal lineage, underscoring the idea that they do not really belong in the Seven Kingdoms.
But not every Targaryen has silver hair. In “Game of Thrones,” Jon Snow is a Targaryen, and his hair is dark. And he is not the only one. In George RR Martin’s books, characters with black hair include Baelor Breakspear and Aegor Rivers. All these instances include those who chose not to “keep it in the family.”
Read more: ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel keeps dragons, adds diversity
Long story short, as per genetics, it is most likely because dark hair is a dominant gene in the real world and light hair is recessive. Targaryens in “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” who were not born through incest have darker hair, it seems. Therefore, it is less likely that offspring born to a single Targaryen parent will exhibit Valyrian characteristics, such as silver hair.
Pori to Mim: 'Your intimacy with Razz troubles me'
There have been new developments in the chain of events set off by Dhallywood diva Pori Moni's viral Facebook post tagging her husband Sariful Razz, himself an actor on a hot streak, her fellow diva Bidya Sinha Mim, and the director Raihan Rafi.
She has now shared a screenshot of her and Mim chatting on Messenger, where we can see Pori wrote:
“People who don't know me might think I'm jealous, but how could you? I am the one who insisted that you two should work more as you look good on-screen together.”
She also wrote, "Your mother also talked with me and I knocked you for Infinity Season-2. How did you forget this?"
Read: Jealous of my success, a party is spreading rumours about me: Mim
"Five days ago, I told Abu Raihan Jewel Bhai - to pair up Razz with you for his next project," Pori Moni also commented as can be seen in the screenshot.
At the same time, Pori Moni explained that the intimacy of the on-screen pair is affecting her married life. “Making work excuses, you talk over the phone all the time,” she wrote. “But your late-night talking is troubling both me and my child. Stop these."
Earlier Mim, in a Facebook post from her verified profile, asked fans and journalists not to be misguided by “false accusations”. Mim also wrote she is having the best time of her life after two of her films “Poran” and “Damal” were hugely successful.
“At this particular time, a party – jealous of my success – is trying to hinder my journey by spreading rumours about me.”
This is the accusation of jealousy Pori Moni was presumably addressing.
Mim also warned of legal action against those circulating rumours against her, but her fellow actress let that go.
This all started with Pori Moni's initial post on Wednesday in which she accused Rafi of 'dalali', implying he plays the pimp, told Mim she should've contented herself with her husband, and warned Razz he shouldn't have allowed things to get so far.
Bangladesh's Meghla scores first prize at Dubai ASAS Art Exhibition
Bangladeshi artist Jannatul Fardous Meghla scooped up the first prize at the first Annual Student Art Show (ASAS) in the UAE's Dubai.
Organised by UAE-based Art Group Funun Arts at De Montfort University, 320 student artists from 60 nationalities participated in ASAS from November 4-6, focusing on 16 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Artist Meghla won the first prize in the third category for her painting "Give Clean Water," which was based on SDG Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation. She is now pursuing her BSc in architecture from North South University.
Also, another Bangladeshi calligraphy artist Shamsunnahar Tasnim, a tenth-grader at Jannatul Banat Madrasha in Dhaka, received an award for her Arabic calligraphy on SDG Goal 3: Good health and well-being.
The event was inaugurated by entrepreneur and Chairman of the Al Zarooni Foundation Suhail Mohd Al Zarooni, also a renowned Emirati collector and Guinness Book World Record holder, and Ahmad Al Awadhi Rukni, a renowned Emirati artist.
Read: GENTLE GRASS: Faroque unveils his world in first solo exhibition in Dhaka
The founder of Funun Arts Shiba Khan and Farah Khan initiated this large-scale student art show and the inaugural edition welcomed 26 self-taught artists from Bangladesh under the mentorship of artist Mahfuzur Rahman through Mahfuz Canvas.
Love rock music? Get ready for November Rain II
Continuing its successful legacy of hosting early winter concerts for the rock music lovers in the capital, Brandmyth Experiential is organising ‘November Rain Volume 2’ at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) Expo Zone in the capital.
The concert, scheduled to groove the rock music fans on November 12, is showcasing an ensemble line-up of 10 esteemed bands in the country: Aurthohin, Artcell, Black, Cryptic Fate, Viking, Chirkutt, Indalo, Meghdol, Ashes and Powersurge.
A press conference was held at The Daily Star center on Tuesday, where the organisers briefed the journalists with the event details.
Also read: Nora Fatehi finally gets permission in Bangladesh
“The maiden edition of our ‘November Rain’ concert series, which featured some of the biggest artists in the nation, was held on the same date the previous year. We have then successfully organized the 25th anniversary concert of the popular band Shironamhin with overwhelmingly positive reception, and now we're ready to entertain band music fans with the ‘November Rain Volume 2’ this coming Saturday,” the organisers said at the press conference.
It was announced that the Artcell, Black, Cryptic Fate – collectively known as the 'ABC' generation during the golden era of these popular bands between 2000 and 2010 - will once again enthrall their fans on November Rain Volume 2, with some exclusive collaborative performances including a special song titled ‘Ashirbad.’
Meghdol vocalist Shibu Kumer Shill praised the initiative behind the event, saying, "Our generation has huge expectations for these types of concerts. The band music scene in Bangladesh experienced a severe loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and this type of mega concerts can benefit the bands and the artists.”
Also read: 'Dhaka Classics Japanese Recital' enthrals audience at Japanese mission
Brandmyth mentioned that unlike the previous edition of ‘November Rain,’ this year the concert will be an open-air concert to entertain more audiences. The venue has been divided into two separate zones - Myth Zone and Rockers Zone, and two tiers of tickets, worth 1050 tk and 550 tk, are available for the concert at the getsetrock.com website.
The venue will be welcoming the concert-goers from 1 pm, according to the organisers.
Nora Fatehi finally gets permission in Bangladesh
Globally renowned Bollywood actress-dancer Nora Fatehi has finally been granted permission to arrive in Bangladesh, the Ministry of Information said on Monday after much speculation and controversy regarding her arrival in the country.
Women's Leadership Corporation, a community organisation, had previously applied to the government for permission to welcome the Indian-Canadian actress to shoot for a documentary titled "Women Empowerment in Bangladesh," as part of the organisation’s Global Achievers Award on November 18.
In a letter issued by the Ministry of Information on Monday, it was stated that the government has granted permission to the artist, exclusively for the shooting of the aforementioned documentary. She will be allowed to visit Dhaka on November 18 just for the purpose of filming.
Sharna Maria Mrittik, President of Women Leadership Corporation, confirmed the news to the media on Monday. Social media handles of the event have also been referring to her as the special guest of the event.
The clearance was granted subject to five conditions, according to a circular from the Ministry of Information that was signed by Deputy Secretary Mohammad Saiful Islam. Except for travel time, the actress is only permitted to enter the country for one day to participate in documentary filming and is not permitted to work or participate in any other activities during this period.
Nora Fatehi was scheduled to arrive in Dhaka in mid-December to perform at an awards event, but the permission was denied by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs due to the dollar crisis.
Read more: Bollywood: Katrina Kaif & Vicky Kaushal get death threats
The dancer-actress gained popularity for item songs including "Saki Saki" and "Dilbar," and worked in several Bollywood films including "Baahubali: The Beginning," "Kick 2," "Sher," "Loafer," "Satyameva Jayate," "Stree," "Bharat," and more.
She also performed in the music video of the song “Light The Sky” as part of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Soundtrack.
Read more: Bollywood actress Sunny Leone arrives in Dhaka
Bhupen Hazarika's songs inspired our freedom fighters: KM Khalid
Remembering the late Indian singer, cultural icon and politician from Assam Dr Bhupen Hazarika on his 11th death anniversary, State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid said Hazarika's songs played an influential role during the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh.
"During our Liberation War, songs of Dr Bhupen Hazarika inspired our freedom fighters. He was not only a prolific cultural icon but also a politician and even served as MLA of Assam. He passionately created meaningful melodies that transcended the barriers," Khalid said.
To mark his death anniversary, a Bangladesh-India ceremony was held in the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA)'s National Theatre Hall auditorium Saturday, which Khalid joined as the chief guest.
Cultural Secretary of the Awami League and member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Cultural Affairs Asim Kumar Ukil, Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur and Chief Coordinator of Friends of Bangladesh ASM Shamsul Arefin were also present.
Bhupen Hazarika's sister-in-law and singer Manisha Hazarika and Byatikram MASDO President Soumen Bharatiya joined the event as the speakers.
"I often wondered why Bhupen Da wandered around here and there – from Assam to Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangladesh and so on. Later I realised, he brought Assam to the world through his remarkable and majestic literary creations,” Manisha said.
Bhupen Hazarika used to travel to Bangladesh regularly and study the folk culture of the nation, crafting an everlasting cultural bond with the country. BSA DG Liaquat Ali Lucky was a close acquaintance of Hazarika and often performed his songs as a singer.
Lucky said: "While serving as the Dhaka University Central Student's Union's cultural affairs secretary, I travelled the nation singing Dr Bhupen Hazarika's songs. Also, Bhupen da complimented me and gave me the title "Bhupen of Bangladesh" after listening to my rendition of his songs."