United News of Bangladesh

Dhaka-based music producer and journalist Khan Mohammad Faisal has been invited to Switzerland by Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council, for a research trip to explore the country's music and new media industries. Faisal, who co-founded the Dhaka Electronica Scene and The Akaliko Collective and Akaliko Records, is passionate about developing Dhaka’s cultural capital and promoting policy level reforms for the local music scene, according to a press release. During his visit to Zurich and Bern, he aims to gain an introductory understanding of the different types of entities, their organizational structures, and models that exist in these cities, including those that work with music, sound, and new media formats. The research will help plant the seeds for a circular economy in Dhaka's music ecosystem and identify opportunities for feasible projects for artists, cultural practitioners, and organizations from Bangladesh and Switzerland using digital methods, the press release reads. By studying Swiss entities' practices, Faisal hopes to adapt them to Dhaka's context where applicable and understand the local media's role in the ecosystem. This research will also gradually build a strategic gateway for Bangladeshi talents in Europe through sustaining new connection, it said. Khan Faisal produces music under the monikers The B Regiment and Dhaka Dub Hierarchy and is known for promoting emerging Bangladeshi artists through his DIY music compilations, music videos, documentaries, FM radio shows, events, and sound art projects. He has also received the BRAC Manthan Digital Innovation Award and was nominated as a Fellow for 'The Future of Audio Entertainment' at Berlin by The Do School.  

Abel Tesfaye. Does that name sound familiar to you? But anyone who listens to contemporary pop music would know who “The Weeknd” is. Canadian pop star The Weeknd has reverted to his birth name Abel Tesfaye on his social media accounts, BBC reports. In April, the singer, known for his famous pop songs such as “Blinding Lights”, asked his Twitter followers whether he should make the change. Read more: Farhan Akhtar looks to revive DON franchise; Shah Rukh Khan exits "ABEL formally known as The Weeknd?" — he asked his fans in a tweet that received over one hundred thousand likes. The award-winning artist revealed his plan to "kill The Weeknd" in an interview with W Magazine, prompting the name change, BBC reported. “I'm going through a cathartic path right now,” he said. "It's getting to a place and time where I'm getting ready to close The Weeknd chapter." According to the Daily Mail, the artist previously stated that he received the nickname after dropping out of school and "leaving one weekend and never returning home" with his mattress. Abel Tesfaye told W Magazine that he had said everything he could as The Weeknd and added that his next album would probably be his "last hurrah" under that name. Read more: 76th Cannes Film Festival kicks off with premiere of Louis XV period drama featuring Johnny Depp Tesfaye rose to prominence after uploading his first songs to YouTube in 2010, showcasing a dark, explicit R&B style that explored drug use, casual sex, and alienation. He was born in Toronto to Ethiopian parents. Later, famous Canadian rapper Drake then uploaded these early demos to his personal blog, enabling Tesfaye to construct a nine-track mixtape, “House of Balloons”, which he made available for free download, according to BBC. Throughout his musical career, he has won four Grammy awards, achieved platinum status for more than 45 recordings and albums, and broken numerous music records. In March 2023, the Guinness World Records crowned him the most renowned artist in the world based on his monthly Spotify listeners. Read more: Pathaan released in Bangladesh amid huge response As of March 2023, the 33-year-old had 111.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, making him the first artist to reach 100 million monthly listeners on the streaming service.    

The Cannes red carpet springs to life again Tuesday as the 76th Cannes Film Festival gets underway with the premiere of the Louis XV period drama “Jeanne du Barry," with Johnny Depp. This year's festival promises a Cote d'Azur buffet of spectacle, scandal and cinema set to be served over the next 12 days. It's unspooling against the backdrop of labor unrest. Protests that have roiled France in recent months over changes to its pension system are planned to run during the festival, albeit at a distance from the festival's main hub. Meanwhile, an ongoing strike by screenwriters in Hollywood could have unpredictable effects on the French Riviera festival. But with a festival lined with some much-anticipated big-budget films, including James Mangold's “Indiana Jones and the Dial of the Destiny” and Martin Scorsese's “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the party is sure to go on, regardless. Stars set to hit Cannes' red carpet in the next week and a half include Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Sean Penn, Alicia Vikander, the Weeknd and Scarlett Johansson. The festivities Tuesday will include an opening ceremony where Michael Douglas is to receive an honorary Palme d'Or. (Later, one will also be dished out to “Indiana Jones” star Harrison Ford). The jury that will decide the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or, will also be introduced. This year, the jury is led by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund, a two-time Palme winner who last year won for the social satire “The Triangle of Sadness.” The rest of the jury includes Brie Larson, Paul Dano, French director Julia Ducournau, Argentine filmmaker Damián Szifron, Afghan director Atiq Rahimi, French actor Denis Ménochet, Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Tourzani and a Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni. The opening night selection has attracted some controversy. “Jeanne du Barry,” directed by and co-starring the French actor-director Maïwenn, co-stars Depp as Louis XV. It's Depp's first new film since his trial last year with Amber Heard, his ex-wife. After both Depp and Heard accused each other of physical and verbal abuse, a civil jury awarded Depp $10 million in damages and $2 million to Heard. In remarks to the press Monday, Cannes director Thierry Fremaux defended the choice, saying Depp is extraordinary in the film and he paid no attention to the trial. “To tell you the truth, in my life, I only have one rule, it’s the freedom of thinking, the freedom of speech and the freedom to act within a legal framework,” said Fremaux. “If Johnny Depp had been banned from acting in a film, or the film was banned we wouldn’t be here talking about it.”

A spokesman for Robert De Niro confirmed to CNN on Tuesday (May 09, 2023) that the actor has once again become a father. The Oscar winner broke the news in an interview with ET Canada on Monday, where he was promoting his new film, coincidentally titled “About My Father”. When the topic of paternity came up during the conversation, the 79-year-old gently corrected the interviewer when she said that De Niro had six children. “Seven, actually. I just had a baby,” the actor said. Read More: Netflix Originals in English Coming in June 2023

Renowned author and novelist Samaresh Majumdar died in Kolkata on Monday. He was 81. He breathed his last around 5:45pm at a private hospital in Kolkata, Anandabazar daily reported. He had long been suffering from multiple health complications. The Sahitya Akademi award-winning novelist was admitted to the hospital on April 25 due to brain haemorrhage. Later, his respiratory problems worsened. Samaresh Majumdar is the author of many timeless novels including Uttaradhikar, Kalpurush, Kalbela. He was born in 1942 in North Bengal. He spent his childhood in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. His other notable novels include Satkahan, Tero Parvan, At Kuthuri Noy Dorja, Anurag etc. Besides winning many national and international awards, Samaresh Majumdar has won the hearts of millions of readers at home and abroad.  

Presenting a high energy, festive song that combines Bangla folk genres ‘Shaari’, ‘Jaari’ and ‘Pala Gaan’ with electrifying urban grooves, Coke Studio Bangla released its fifth track “Deora” on Sunday (May 07) night across all its digital platforms. Composed, produced, mixed and mastered by Pritom Hasan – one of the most versatile contemporary musicians, “Deora” is dedicated to the boatsmen’s rhythm and energy during ‘Nouka Baich’ or traditional boat race, popular in rural Bangladesh and held during the monsoon and autumn seasons. The title of the song refers to ‘brother-in-law’ in the regional dialect of north Bengal, and this type of song is performed during the boat races – cheering on the racers – from the banks of rivers. The biggest surprise in the song has been the superlative performance by Islam Uddin Palakar, renowned in the ‘Pala Gaan’ tradition of Bangla folk songs. “The rich heritage of this genre usually requires elaborative theatrical performances where the actor takes on multiple roles – sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, and sometimes an inanimate object – to present stories to their audience. These performances can take up to 8 hours without a break.” – Coke Studio Bangla describes. Read More: Web series Hotel Relax hits a new record: Bongo Pritom jointly penned the lyrics with Fazlu Majhi, a boat racer himself who also performed in the song with his team. The first Bangladeshi Grammy Award-nominated artist Armeen Musa and her ‘Ghaashphoring Choir’ added another dimension to the song. Describing the fusion in detail, Coke Studio Bangla mentioned on the song’s YouTube description, “…’Shaari Gaan’, usually associated with physical labour, and ‘Jaari Gaan’ known for its motivational lyrics – the perfect combination for a sport that requires the participants to have quick bursts of intense energy for rowing their boat across the finishing line.”

Bongo’s latest web series, Hotel Relax, reached record subscription sales, thanks to its enticing plot and wonderful characters, said a press release. Hotel Relax, directed by Kajal Arefin Ome, is about a group of unusual individuals like dacoits, cloth merchants, pickpockets, conmen, etc, with intriguing back stories that gather at an infamous hotel - Hotel Relax. The web series followed the events that took place at and around this hotel. As a result of these individuals, Hotel Relax has shattered records in Bangladesh’s OTT space since its release on April 24. Hotel Relax was released during Eid-ul-Fitr as a six-episode web series with exclusive payment partner bKash. The casts of this web series are Purnima, Mishu Sabbir, Ziaul Hoque Polash, Marzuk Russell, Chashi Alam, Parsa Evana, Saraf Ahmed Zibon, Md. Saidur Rahman Pavel, Musafire Syed Bacchu, Abdullah Rana, Schumonn Patwary, Lamima Lam, Shimul Sharma. Within 10 days of release, it has reached a whopping 3 crore minutes of watch time, 4+ million plays and over 200,000 customers that have paid to watch it. Viewers from over 100 countries have viewed and praised this one-of-a-kind action comedy web series. Mushfiqur Rahman Manzu, Bongo's chief content officer, said, "Hotel Relax is our premium web series, which is released in pay-per-view (TVOD) mode." Since release, it has been performing wow! Hotel Relax has already set some records. Thanks and gratitude to Ome and his team for their passion, sincerity and courage. I am truly hopeful about our content industry's bright future. Welcome to “Hotel Relax." Director Kajal Arefin Ome said, "Nowadays almost all web series are based on thrills and crime, but I wanted to take another route and entertain my audience with fun. "I think this story hasn't been tried in Bangladesh before.”  

Showcasing heartfelt tribute to internationally popular bands across the world, a special concert titled 'Rock N Rhythm 3.0: Tribute Fiesta' is going to be held on Friday at the International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB) in the capital. Being organised by Adventor Communications, the concert promises to be the ultimate music extravaganza, with a blend of contemporary music to suit every taste. The event will feature live performances by Artcell which will pave its ‘Tribute to The Legends’, Nemesis will cover Coldplay and Incubus, Cryptic Fate (Iron Maiden), Arbovirus (Linkin Park, Green Day), Powersurge (Metalica), Indalo (Audioslave), Mechanix (Alter Bridge, Pantera), Karnival (Radiohead, Nirvana), Ionic Bond (Eluveitie Children of Bodom), Echoes (Pink Floyd), Unmaad (AC DC, Guns n' Roses) and Shonar Bangla Circus will play tributes to Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley. “Rock N Rhythm” was always focused on the next-gen lineups with their creative charisma. In this musical event, Bangladeshi mainstream bands will cover the songs of renowned international bands along with their own songs, the organisers informed the media. The concert is going to be held at ICCB Hall 4 and the gate will be opened at 1 pm. The live performances will begin at 2:30 pm. Tickets for "Rock N Rhythm 3.0" are available for purchase on www.tickify.live. More information about the event, including the full lineup of performers and schedule, is available on the Facebook Page of Adventor Communications.

Move over Instagram (or Snapchat) — the Met Gala was the place to announce pregnancies Monday night, at least if you're Serena Williams or Karlie Kloss. The tennis legend and supermodel each revealed their pregnancies in interviews on the Met Gala's not-so-red carpet. Williams' announcement had particular poignance given that she stepped away from tennis last year, saying she had to in order to have a second child. “Believe me,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion wrote in an August essay for Vogue magazine, “I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family.” Also Read: Met Gala: Rihanna, Jared Leto as Choupette, Kim K. in pearls Williams was also afforded more agency in announcing her pregnancy this time, sharing the news alongside her husband Alexis Ohanian in an interview with Vogue livestream host La La Anthony. The first time around, Williams publicly posted a picture in profile on Snapchat, captioned "20 weeks" — which she said was an accident. Williams, 41, also said in her Vogue essay that she wanted to focus more on her business interests. Their daughter, Olympia, is now 5. Also Read: Met Gala: Rihanna, Jared Leto as Choupette, Kim K. in pearls Kloss, 30, sporting black hair, shared her pregnancy earlier in the night in an interview with another Vogue livestream host, Emma Chamberlain, prompting squeals of delight and an offer to babysit from the influencer. Kloss and husband Josh Kushner also have a son, Levi, who was born in March 2021.

Rihanna shut down the Met Gala carpet Monday encased in white camellias on a jacket with a long train gown. Janelle Monáe dropped a bulky coat to reveal a see-through cage and Jeremy Pope walked in a 32-foot cape emblazoned with the visage of Karl Lagerfeld. In the spirit of Lagerfeld himself (he was not often on time), Rihanna and her Valentino couture had the carpet to themselves save her partner, A$AP Rocky, who wore a red tartan skirt over crystal-studded jeans with a train of his own. They showed up well past everyone else. Around her neck was a short Bulgari necklace in Akoya cultured pearls and pearl-shaped diamonds. Lagerfeld was the honoree at the A-list gala with many in the crowd of about 400 dressed in vintage looks from the fashion houses where he worked during a career of more than 60 years. Also Read: Inside the Met Gala: A furry feline star, a tardy Cinderella But elegant wasn't entirely the hallmark of the evening. Jared Leto dressed as Choupette, Lagerfeld's beloved fluffy cat. Lil Nas X went full cat covered in crystals by Pat McGrath and Dior Men. Bad Bunny showed up late in bright white from head to toe with a long cape also adorned with camellias, a Coco Chanel motif embraced by Lagerfeld. Monáe’s look, with a black sparkly leotard underneath, was made by Thom Browne. Cardi B first donned pink then switched to a full black ballgown with, you guessed it, camellias. Up top, she said, “is giving Karl, the house of Chanel and Karl at the same time.” It was a men's white collar shirt accent with a black men's tie. The outfit in honor of Lagerfeld was done by an up-and-coming British design house, Chenpeng Studio. “The Met Gala dress code was ‘in honor of Karl’ and guests definitely understood the assignment,” said Alison Cohn, deputy fashion news editor for Harper's Bazaar. “They referenced the many signatures Karl Lagerfeld developed over his six-decade plus career.” Many used boucle fabric (Teyana Taylor's Thom Browne suit and Anne Hathaway's Versace safety pin number). Also adorned in camellias were Emily Blunt in a Michael Kors blouse and Adut Akech in a Carolina Herrera gown. Dua Lipa walked in a white Chanel ballgown from the fashion house’s archive and Nicole Kidman chose a look Lagerfeld himself made for her 20 years ago. And there were some bombshells: Serena Williams wore a flapper Gucci look when she announced she's pregnant with her second child. Lipa, a gala co-chair, wore a Tiffany & Co. diamond around her neck. She called her cream-colored dress, by Chanel from 1992, “very, very special” as it has been on her mood boards. Claudia Schiffer wore the gown on the runway for its debut, although hers had a matching hat. Lipa's necklace in platinum included a center diamond of more than 200 carats. Nicole Kidman said it was Lagerfeld who ignited her fashion spark. She wore a pale pink gown created by Lagerfeld for a Chanel No. 5 commercial she starred in. It's adorned with 3,000 silver crystals for the ad directed by Baz Luhrmann. “I’m very grateful to wear it,” she told The Associated Press. “He was so much a part of my life, as were his whole team. He was the one really sort of shepherded me … in terms of my love of fashion.” Kidman topped off her look with Harry Winston diamonds. “My favorite look was Nicole Kidman's ethereal feathered sequin Chanel gown. Typically stars wear new couture straight off the runway or have a custom look commissioned. It was a lovely statement about sustainability, proving that beautifully hand-crafted pieces never go out of style,” Cohn said. Kim Kardashian, meanwhile, went with loops and loops of pearls all over her Schiaparelli look. And Cardi B went big in pink, complete with a feathery head piece. Brittney Griner wore a warm stone shade in a suit with a long jacket by Calvin Klein, who also dressed her wife, Cherelle Griner, in a sleek strapless column dress in white onyx. Many in the crowd counted Lagerfeld as a friend or worked with him at Chanel, Fendi, Chloe or one of the other fashion houses where he created. And many guests wore black to walk the unusual carpet in a line design. It was a color Lagerfeld wore almost exclusively. Black-and-white combos were also plentiful. Kristen Stewart wore the color duo in a suit with a cropped white jacket. And Cara Delevingne honored her old friend Lagerfeld with a ruffled white shirt look short in front with a train at the back. Ruffled shirts were among Lagerfeld's favorites. The classic colors weren't for Viola Davis. She walked in a stunning neon pink strapless gown with long feathers at the bodice. Frenchye M. Harris, CEO and founder of the online fashion site The Black Fashion Movement had one word for Davis: “Gorgeous!” She called Anne Hathaway's Chanel-inspired but Versace-created look with the pins and camellias at the breast “super cool and a great marriage between the brands.” Gigi Hadid wore Givenchy in black with feathers, a drop waist and sheer train in tulle. It took more than 300 hours to make. Kendall Jenner was also in black, sans pants. She wore a sparkly leotard with long sleeves that has pieces doubling as a train. On her feet were kinky, towering black boots, all courtesy of Marc Jacobs. Jenner's high white collar was a nod to those worn by Lagerfeld. Her hair was in a high ponytail. Rita Ora was also in black, a stunner of a peekaboo sheer look from Prabal Gurung. It was silk tulle with corset detailing and sexy draping in chiffon. One shoulder was dropped. Margot Robbie, who stars in this summer's “Barbie” live-action film, wore a 1993 Chanel gown in black that Cindy Crawford first wore on a runway. Robbie said she was the last Chanel ambassador to be handpicked by Lagerfeld. “I feel really great in it. It's an honor," she said. The invitation-only gala earned $17.4 million last year for the museum's Costume Institute, a self-funding department with a budget dependent on the gala's success. The price of attending went up this year to $300,000 for a table and $50,000 for a single ticket. The guests from fashion, film, music, theater, sports, tech and social media were asked to dress “in honor of Karl” by gala mastermind Anna Wintour, a close Lagerfeld friend who first signed on to the event in 1995 and took over the helm in 1999. The party coincides with the Costume Institute's blockbuster spring exhibition: "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” American fashion was last year's vibe. It followed gilded glamour and white tie. Camp was the theme in 2019, producing what is considered one of the wackiest displays of dress by the celebrity crowd. Lagerfeld worked for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, Jean Patou, Balmain, his own brand and more. This year’s five hosts include Wintour, as usual, and also Michaela Coel, longtime Chanel ambassador Penélope Cruz, and recently retired tennis superstar Roger Federer. Cruz looked like a bride with a sheer hood on her white Chanel belted gown with silver details from spring/summer couture collection in 1988. Asked how he got to be a Met Gala co-chair, Federer said it helps to know Wintour. He said it makes sense for athletes to be at the gala because they’ve become a bigger part of the fashion world in recent years. “I think the sports people have gotten more and more fashionable,” Federer told the AP. “We’re fortunate to get onto covers much more frequently nowadays. Before it was always the models, the good-looking people, not the athletes.” Fendi, where Lagerfeld worked for more than 20 years, was also represented. Suki Waterhouse wore a 2019 Fendi design by Lagerfeld in silk tulle and delicate flowers and birds on sheer panels. Lagerfeld's cat, Choupette, had been rumored to attend but her humans posted on Instagram earlier in the day the 11-year-old feline was staying put in Paris. Doja Cat's cat-eared hood on a sparkling white and silver-beaded dress was an ode by Oscar de la Renta. She wore prosthetics that gave her a feline face and claws. Chloe Fineman carried a cat-shaped bag and Emma Chamberlain wore “Choupette blue,” a light blue hue created by Lagerfeld. James Corden also showed up in the shade. As for Leto, he swapped out his cat costume for a black caped look.