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Turkish Embassy in Dhaka initiates diplomatic outreach on "Rising From the Ashes” Exhibition 2023
Uniting Turkish and Bangladeshi Artistic Visions, the Turkish Embassy in Dhaka initiated an exclusive diplomatic outreach on Friday evening, marking the inauguration of the upcoming "Rising From the Ashes Exhibition 2023."
The exclusive exhibition is scheduled to take place from September 22 to September 26, at the Aloki Convention Center, Tejgaon in the capital, aiming to bring together the artistic finesse of Turkish and Bangladeshi creators in a vibrant display open to the public.
On Friday, the outreach event was attended by the Turkish Ambassador to Dhaka Ramis Şen, alongside esteemed Turkish diplomats, art connoisseurs, and social leaders, and the event underlines the strengthening of cultural connections between Turkey and Bangladesh.
Istanbul's esteemed fashion designer and artist Tuba Ahsan and the "Cemal Toy" Art School spearhead the "Rising from the Ashes 2023" series. Their united cause channels funds to support the construction of sustainable wooden homes for victims of the tragic Turkey-Syria earthquake which occurred on February 6th, this year.
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In Dhaka, Tuba Ahsan expands the exhibition, amalgamating talent from Turkish and Bangladeshi artists. This synergy symbolizes her relentless passion for art and charitable causes, capturing the essence of the "Rising From the Ashes Exhibition 2023.”
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman separate after 27 years of marriage
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Jackman have decided to end their marriage after 27 years and two children.
“We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,” they said in the joint statement. Their separation was first reported by People magazine.
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They said the statement would be their only one on their breakup. They added that their family is their highest priority and that they’ll undertake “this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.”
The couple met in 1995 on the set of an Australian television show where both were actors. Deborra-lee Furness at the time was the more established of the two. They married in 1996 and had two children: Oscar, now 23, and Ava, now 18. Jackman also ascended to major stardom in Hollywood and on Broadway.
The couple have been red carpet mainstays for years, posing together at the Oscars, at Broadway events and at the Met Gala, including the most recent edition in May. They attended Wimbledon together in July.
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In April, Jackman celebrated their 27th anniversary with a tribute on Instagram.
“I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life,” he wrote. “Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.”
Furness, 67, is an advocate for orphans and adoption, especially in her native Australia, and one of the founding members of National Adoption Awareness Week.
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Jackman, 54, who played the superhero Wolverine in several movies, is reprising the role in “Deadpool 3,” which is on hold due to the actors strike.
"Mujib: The Making of a Nation" premieres at Toronto International Film Festival
The Biopic titled "Mujib: The Making of a Nation," directed by renowned Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal, made its debut at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on 13 September 2023.
The film, depicting the life and political odyssey of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, resonated deeply with the audience, filling the entire TIFF Bell Lightbox hall to its capacity during the screening.
In a statement, Director Shyam Benegal expressed his delight at unveiling the film at this prestigious festival.
"I’m sure the story of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his journey to create the Nation of Bangladesh will echo with people and communities across the globe. It has been an honour to be able to tell this inspiring story of the Making of a Nation."
Dilaram: Coke Studio Bangla concludes Season Two by paying tribute to Hason Raja
On Saturday night, Coke Studio Bangla wrapped up its much acclaimed second season with 'Dilaram', a soulful tribute fusion to Sylhet’s legendary music icon and poet-lyricist Hason Raja.
Sang by Sylhet’s own Hamida Banu, the fusion was accompanied by Coke Studio Bangla creative producer Shayan Chowdhury Arnob’s “Amay Dhore Rakho” – a song that was written back in 2009 as the first song to be released by Arnob & Friends as a part of a world tour to raise funds for underprivileged children organized by Dristipath.
"Dilaram is an emotion, a plea to keep your loved ones close to your heart. Life comprises moments - some of which at times put our hearts to the test. These are the moments we turn to our Dilarams who appear in the form of a confidant, or inner voice."
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"The great Bangladeshi poet from the 19th century, Hason Raja, pens this emotion in “Dhoro Dilaram”, where in the song, he urges Dilaram, his closest companion to hold on to him tight at times he feels that he is slipping away.
"The same emotion can be felt in the song "Amay Dhore Rakho" in which Arnob too calls out to anyone who was ever close to him, to stay by his side because at the time life seemed to be struggling. Decades apart the hearts of two musicians sang the same appeal for togetherness because in togetherness there is #RealMagic," Coke Studio Bangla described.
Mixed and mastered by Saadul Islam, the song is originally written and composed by Hason Raja, and "Amay Dhore Rakho" is written and composed by Shayan Chowdhury Arnob himself.
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Arnob dedicated this song to the memories of Rajib Ashraf, the young revered lyricist who recently passed away. "Remembering Rajib very much on this occasion. May everyone find some peace," Arnob wrote on his Facebook, sharing the song.
After its successful season one last year, Coke Studio Bangla returned at this year's Pahela Falgun and Valentine's Day,
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The much acclaimed second season showcased 12 songs: 'Murir Tin’ (Riad Hasan, Pollob and Towfique Ahmed), ‘Bonobibi’ (Meghdol), ‘Nahubo’ (Animes Roy, Daughter of Coastal), ‘Darale Duaarey’ (Mukul Mojumder Ishaan, Sanzida Mahmood Nandita), ‘Deora’ (Pritom Hasan, Fazlu Majhi, Islam Uddin Palakar and Ghaashphoring Choir), ‘Nodir Kul’ (Ripon Kumar Sarkar), ‘Kotha Koiyo Na’ (Arfan Mredha Shiblu, Aleya Begum), ‘Dewana’ (Murshidabadi, Tasfia Fatima Tashfee, Shuchona Shely), ‘Shondhatara’ (Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, Sunidhi Nayak), ‘Ghum Ghum’ (Fairooz Nazifa), ‘Anondodhara’ (Adity Mohsin, Bappa Mazumdar) and ‘Dilaram’ (Hamida Banu, Shayan Chowdhury Arnob).
Soma Surovi Jannat becomes the first-ever Bangladeshi artist-in-residence at Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum
Young Bangladeshi artist Soma Surovi Jannat has recently been honoured as the first-ever Bangladeshi artist for the Frere Hall South Asian Artist in Residence program at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, England.
Opened in 1683, the Ashmolean is Oxford University's Museum of Art and Archaeology and the oldest public museum in the United Kingdom.
According to the social media post of the Ashmolean Museum, the aim of the residency is to support South Asia-based artists with the opportunity to access the Museum's collections, while exploring and strengthening their own practices.
It praises Surovi’s artistic ventures, quoting that “Surovi makes work about how human beings can cultivate their senses through their relationship with nature. She creates a multi-dimensional space with drawings, herbs and organic materials, where viewers have the opportunity to enhance their visual perception and senses through interaction with the artwork.”
The museum also shared a painting of the artists titled ‘Resensitizing the Brown Narrative’ created at the Museum in August of this year.
While contacted, Surovi told UNB from her residency in Oxford, United Kingdom that she is absolutely overjoyed to share her incredible achievement.
“On the 19th of August, I had the honour of joining the Frere Hall South Asian Artist in Residence program at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. It was like a dream come true! I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the University of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum for believing in my artistic journey.”
“I'm deeply thankful to my parents, my dear husband Asif Rahman Siam, and my family and friends for their unwavering support every step of the way. Their prayers mean the world to me. All praise to Almighty Allah for this incredible opportunity!” Surovi wrote on her social media profiles, sharing her achievement.
Actor Afzal Hossain hospitalised
Veteran actor and producer Afzal Hossain has been admitted to Square Hospital in Dhaka.
He was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia around Monday night, his close friend Masum Bashar told the media.
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Masum Bashar said the actor was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia but later suffered a heart attack. Later, the doctors shifted him to the CCU department of the hospital.
The Ekushey Padak-winning actor is now under observation in the critical care unit (CCU ), he added.
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Afzal Hossain was suffering from pneumonia for several days. But suddenly his health started to deteriorated on Monday night.
He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2022.
'Margaritaville' singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, dies at age 76
Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, who popularized beach bum soft rock with the escapist Caribbean-flavored song “Margaritaville” and turned that celebration of loafing into an empire of restaurants, resorts and frozen concoctions, has died. He was 76.
“Jimmy passed away peacefully on the night of September 1st surrounded by his family, friends, music and dogs,” a statement posted to Buffett’s official website and social media pages said late Friday. “He lived his life like a song till the very last breath and will be missed beyond measure by so many.”
The statement did not say where Buffett died or give a cause of death. Illness had forced him to reschedule concerts in May and Buffett acknowledged in social media posts that he had been hospitalized, but provided no specifics.
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“Margaritaville,” released on Feb. 14, 1977, quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a state of mind for those ”wastin’ away,” an excuse for a life of low-key fun and escapism for those “growing older, but not up.”
The song is the unhurried portrait of a loafer on his front porch, watching tourists sunbathe while a pot of shrimp is beginning to boil. The signer has a new tattoo, a likely hangover and regrets over a lost love. Somewhere there is a misplaced salt shaker.
“What seems like a simple ditty about getting blotto and mending a broken heart turns out to be a profound meditation on the often painful inertia of beach dwelling,” Spin magazine wrote in 2021. “The tourists come and go, one group indistinguishable from the other. Waves crest and break whether somebody is there to witness it or not. Everything that means anything has already happened and you’re not even sure when.”
The song — from the album “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” — spent 22 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 8. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2016 for its cultural and historic significance, became a karaoke standard and helped brand Key West, Florida, as a distinct sound of music and a destination known the world over.
“There was no such place as Margaritaville,” Buffett told the Arizona Republic in 2021. “It was a made-up place in my mind, basically made up about my experiences in Key West and having to leave Key West and go on the road to work and then come back and spend time by the beach.”
The song soon inspired restaurants and resorts, turning Buffett’s alleged desire for the simplicity of island life into a multimillion brand. He landed at No. 13 in Forbes’ America’s Richest Celebrities in 2016 with a net worth of $550 million.
Music critics were never very kind to Buffett or his catalogue, including the sandy beach-side snack bar songs like “Fins,” “Come Monday” and “Cheeseburgers in Paradise.” But his legions of fans, called “Parrotheads,” regularly turned up for his concerts wearing toy parrots, cheeseburgers, sharks and flamingos on their heads, leis around their necks and loud Hawaiian shirts.
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“It’s pure escapism is all it is,” he told the Republic. “I’m not the first one to do it, nor shall I probably be the last. But I think it’s really a part of the human condition that you’ve got to have some fun. You’ve got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out. I try to make it at least 50/50 fun to work and so far it’s worked out.”
His special Gulf Coast mix of country, pop, folk and rock added instruments and tonalities more commonly found in the Caribbean, like steel drums. It was a stew of steelpans, trombones and pedal steel guitar. Buffett’s incredible ear for hooks and light grooves were often overshadowed by his lyrics about fish tacos and sunsets.
Rolling Stone, in a review of Buffett’s 2020 album “Life on the Flip Side,” gave grudging props. “He continues mapping out his surfy, sandy corner of pop music utopia with the chill, friendly warmth of a multi-millionaire you wouldn’t mind sharing a tropically-themed 3 p.m. IPA with, especially if his gold card was on the bar when the last round came.”
Buffett’s evolving brand began in 1985 with the opening of a string of Margaritaville-themed stores and restaurants in Key West, followed in 1987 with the first Margaritaville Café nearby. Over the course of the next two decades, several more of each opened throughout Florida, New Orleans and California.
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The brand has since expanded to dozens of categories, including resorts, apparel and footwear for men and women, a radio station, a beer brand, ice tea, tequila and rum, home décor, food items like salad dressing, Margaritaville Crunchy Pimento Cheese & Shrimp Bites and Margaritaville Cantina Style Medium Chunky Salsa, the Margaritaville at Sea cruise line and restaurants, including Margaritaville Restaurant, JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill and LandShark Bar & Grill.
There also was a Broadway-bound jukebox musical, “Escape to Margaritaville,” a romantic comedy in which a singer-bartender called Sully falls for the far more career-minded Rachel, who is vacationing with friends and hanging out at Margaritaville, the hotel bar where Sully works.
James William Buffett was born on Christmas day 1946 in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and raised in the port town of Mobile, Alabama. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and went from busking the streets of New Orleans to playing six nights a week at Bourbon Street clubs.
He released his first record, “Down To Earth,” in 1970 and issued seven more on a regular yearly clip, with his 1974 song “Come Monday” from his fourth studio album “Living and Dying in ¾ Time,” peaking at No. 30. Then came “Margaritaville.”
He performed on more than 50 studio and live albums, often accompanied by his Coral Reefer Band, and was constantly on tour. He earned two Grammy Award nominations, two Academy of Country Music Awards and a Country Music Association Award.
Buffett was actually in Austin, Texas, when the inspiration struck for “Margaritaville.” He and a friend had stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant before she dropped him at the airport for a flight home to Key West, so they got to drinking margaritas.
“And I kind of came up with that idea of this is just like Margarita-ville,” Buffett told the Republic. “She kind of laughed at that and put me on the plane. And I started working on it.”
He wrote some on the plane and finished it while driving down the Keys. “There was a wreck on the bridge,” he said. “And we got stopped for about an hour so I finished the song on the Seven Mile Bridge, which I thought was apropos.”
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Buffett also was the author of numerous books including “Where Is Joe Merchant?” and “A Pirate Looks at Fifty” and added movies to his resume as co-producer and co-star of an adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s novel “Hoot.”
Buffett is survived by his wife, Jane; daughters, Savannah and Sarah; and son, Cameron.
'Call of Duty: Brigadier General Jamil' documentary screened at BSA
Showcasing the patriotic, sacrificial story of Shaheed Brigadier General Jamil Uddin Ahmad, ‘Bir Uttam’, a special documentary film titled ‘Call of Duty Brigadier General Jamil’ was screened on Saturday at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in the capital.
The documentary film, directed by Sentu Roy, demonstrated how the valiant soldier, the then-Director General of DGFI and former Military Secretary of the then-President of independent Bangladesh, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, went on to embrace martyrdom on the horrific night of August 15, 1975, with a quest to save Bangabandhu and his family.
At the National Art Gallery auditorium full of enthusiastic audiences, the documentary screening was joined by Awami League lawmaker from the Gazipur-4 constituency and member of the AL praesidium Simeen Hussain Rimi as the chief guest.
She was also joined by eminent artist Afrozaa Jamil (Konka) and Karishma Jamil, daughters of Brigadier General Jamil Uddin Ahmad, among other esteemed guests, including author Nazneen Haque Mimi, the niece of Shaheed Sergeant Zohorul Haque who along with some other accused in the historic Agartala case, ultimately sacrificing his life in 1969.
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After the opening remarks, the one-hour documentary film was screened to the audience, narrating with a visual demonstration of that particular timeline when the nation lost its most iconic family along with the lone warrior, the valiant patriot and a lifelong companion of the Father of the Nation.
Brigadier General Jamil Uddin Ahmad was married to Anjuman Ara Jamil, who later became a Member of Parliament for Kushtia, Meherpur and Chuadanga. The couple had three daughters: Tehmina Enayet (Tonu), Afrozaa Jamil (Konka), and Sam Jamil (Shweta) and were expecting a fourth child (Karishma) in 1975 when Jamil sacrificed his life to save Bangabandhu and embraced martyrdom.
In the hour-long documentary film, they all reminisced about the beautiful memories of their father and also demonstrated how the family dealt with their tragic loss during that horrific period.
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“In the year 1966, our father Brigadier General Jamil Uddin Ahmad was in the ISI office at Minto Road in Dhaka where he was the Second-in-Command. During that time, Bangabandhu was convicted in the Agartala Conspiracy Case. To save the great leader from that case, our father burnt and buried all the files and evidence against Bangabandhu at Ramna Park. As a result, Bangabandhu could not be charged in that case. He was called and questioned by the ISI chief and was even scheduled to face a ‘Court Martial’, however, that did not happen but this is just one of the many examples of his intelligence and bravery,” Afrozaa Jamil reminisced in the documentary.
Jamil’s elder daughter Tehmina Enayet recalled the earlier days of Jamil’s excellence as an Army officer, stating, “During the 1971 Liberation War, we were confined as hostages in Pakistan with other Bengali military families. When the war was over and we were about to be repatriated, the Pakistan Army offered my father with higher rank and additional facilities as he was a senior officer of the Inter-service Intelligence, but he refused, saying, 'I want to go back to my country and serve'. Upon our arrival in Bangladesh, he was invited by Bangabandhu to join as the Military Secretary to the President in 1973.”
Sharing their fond memories, Sam Jamil stated - “I used to sneak in to Ganabhaban during the afternoon meetings of Bangabandhu. One day my father noticed and told my mother, and I told him that I would not repeat that if I could see Bangabandhu for once, to which he agreed. As promised he took me in front of the door of Bangabandhu’s office, however, Bangabandhu noticed me and talked to me, then called my father who after a while informed me that Bangabandhu permitted me to visit him every day.”
Reminiscing the last moments with their father, the daughters of Shaheed Colonel Jamil shared what exactly happened on the day of August 15, 1975. “In the dawn of that day, Bangabandhu called our father and informed him that he and his family members had been attacked. Our father responded quickly and rang senior officers, including Chief of Army Staff General Shafiullah, and told them to send in the troops. He also rang the Rakkhi Bahini, Presidential Guard Regiment (PGR) head towards Road 32 immediately.
Dameer & Fuad Present Sanjoy: A Celebration of Bangladeshi Music’s Global Impact
Dameer & Fuad, two of Bangladesh’s most popular and acclaimed musicians, will join forces on August 31st for a special show at Dhaka’s Aloki.
Music director Fuad Almuqtadir is returning after a long time to the stage with two young artists - Sanjay and Dameer.
Fuad is a pioneer of the contemporary Bengali sound.
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He has been praised for his innovative production techniques and his ability to blend traditional Bengali music with electronic influences. Dameer is a rising star in the Bangladeshi music scene.
His hit songs “Amar Jaan” and “Bashbo Bhalo” have been featured on radio stations around the world. Sylhet-born Sanjoy is a DJ and producer who has worked with some of the biggest names in music. His hit songs “Shangri-La,” “OBVI,” and “One in a Million” have been streamed millions of times.
The concert is at the Aloki Convention Center in Tejgaon in Dhaka, is a celebration of the global reach of Bangladeshi music. The three artists have all achieved success outside of Bangladesh, and they are an inspiration to young musicians around the world.
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Tickets available online: https://partyinvite.club/e/Dameer---Fuad-present-SANJOY-64df9339a0af6f4590deb83e
Britney Spears' husband seeking financial support and attorneys' fees in divorce
Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari separated nearly three weeks ago, and he is seeking spousal support and attorneys' fees in their divorce, according to his divorce filing.
Asghari, 29, filed his petition to dissolve his 14-month-old marriage to the 41-year-old pop superstar in Los Angeles County court late Wednesday.
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Like the vast majority of those who file for divorce in California, he cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
The document lists the couple's separation date as July 28, though reports of the split did not emerge until Wednesday. It says he will try to get financial support from her, while blocking her from getting any from him. And it seeks to have her pay for his divorce lawyers.
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The filing says the value of Spears' and Asghari's assets, and those they own jointly, has yet to be determined. Spears and Asghari had no children together.
“No negative intention has ever been directed towards her and never will be. Sam has always and will always support her,” Asghari’s representative Brandon Cohen said Thursday afternoon.
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Email sent to a Spears' representatives were not returned.
She has not addressed the split on social media. An Instagram post since the divorce filing is a photo of herself on horseback on a beach, with a caption that begins, “Buying a horse soon!”
Spears married Asghari at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, on June 9, 2022, in front of guests including Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Madonna, in a wedding seen as a milestone in her newly reclaimed life after the dissolution just six months earlier of the court conservatorship that controlled her life for more than 13 years.
Spears met and began dating Asghari, a model and actor, when he appeared in her video for the song “Slumber Party” in 2016.
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She cited her desire to marry Asghari as among the reasons she wanted an end to the constraining conservatorship, which she said was preventing it. The two announced their engagement in September of 2021 as it became clear she would be freed from the conservatorship — which was ended that November.
Spears said she and Asghari lost a baby early in her pregnancy in May 2022, about a month before they married.
Reports of the couple's struggles had increased in recent months.
Their marriage is the first for the 29-year-old Asghari and the third for the 41-year-old singer. She was married for less than three days in 2004 to childhood friend Jason Alexander, who attempted to crash her wedding to Asghari and was later convicted of misdemeanor trespassing and battery.
In 2004, she wed dancer Kevin Federline. Their three-year marriage would come at a time of intense media scrutiny and increasing mental health struggles for Spears. Federline is the father of her two teenage sons, and has custody of the boys.
She would be placed in the conservatorship run by her father in 2008. She did well under the arrangement at first, continuing to release records, make videos, and perform live, including a major concert residency in Las Vegas. But as she appeared less in public, fans began to demand that the court #FreeBritney, in what would eventually become a major movement.
Since the conservatorship ended, Spears has put out music, including a collaboration with Elton John in 2022, but has not performed live in years, nor announced plans to do so.
Her memoir, “The Woman in Me," is scheduled to be released in October.