Concert From Bangladesh To Offer A Virtual Journey Through Bangladesh's Past & Present With A Mixed Reality Music Concert

Expanding upon the 50 year legacy of 'Concert for Bangladesh', the charity event organised by Pt. Ravi Shankar and George Harrison in 1971, London's UBIK Productions and Dhaka's Samdani Art Foundation, with support from the British Council Digital Collaboration Fund, are hosting a mixed reality music concert on August 1 at 6PM Bangladesh Standard Time / 6PM British Summer Time / 6PM Eastern Time, entitled 'Concert From Bangladesh'.

The organisations have commissioned British-South Asian artist Shezad Dawood to create a virtual reality stage which will host a range of performances including Baul singer Arif Baul singing alongside musicians Nazrul Islam, Saidur Rahman and Sohel; Enayet and Nishit Dey merging Nazrul Sangeet, classical ragas and 90s jungle with the help of electronica artists Provhat Rahman and Siaminium, vocalists Meerashri Arshee and Moumita Haque, and flautist Jawaad Mustakim Al Muballig; hip-hop duo Tabib Mahmud spitting bars and 12-year old Gully Boy Rana doing the same.

The concert will juxtapose the performances with archival and documentary footage and visuals from Dhaka's vibrant streets, riverbanks of Gorai River Kushtia, Somapura Mahavihara and Beauty Boarding. Through the concert and merchandise sales, 'Concert From Bangladesh' aims to raise funds for the NGO Friendship which works for climate change refugees and women's rights in Bangladesh. In addition to the virtual edition, the event will expand to on-ground events at accompanied by live events at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (Wakefield), Chisenhale Gallery (London), Leeds City Varieties Music Hall (Leeds) and Srihatta Samdani Art Centre and Sculpture Park (Sylhet).

For more details, head here and tune into the concert on August 1 via Pioneer Works' website.

Image: concept sketch by Shezad Dawood forConcert From Bangladesh. Courtesy of the artist and UBIK Productions.