Audience Review – Toronto
It was a phenomenal show….Arnob er voice niye notun kore bolar kichhu nai…but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Andrew and not only cuz he’s a nice piece of work…he was amazing with the sax! and there were moments when I forgot to clap after a song was done cuz i was so mesmerized by the whole performance… was a little disappointed cuz he didn’t play too many of the songs that are really close to my heart like “bhalobasha tar por” but no complaints really… the crowd was amazing…it was a full-house..a sold-out show (500+ ppl) and I think the band loved the crowd response… er modhhe abar AG-related ekta chhoto vdo o shoot kora hoilo with the crowd, the organizers and the performers themselves… stay tuned for that, it should be up soon, right Fay?
lastly, Nazia was probably the biggest surprise of the night…her “Piya ki Nazaria” left me speechless…fabulous definitely a night that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon
lastly, Nazia was probably the biggest surprise of the night…her “Piya ki Nazaria” left me speechless…fabulous definitely a night that I won’t be forgetting anytime soon
October 28, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Great show! Incredible performance by all. (Nazrul-er end performance was tooooooo-much) Although I have to mention, VERY DISSAPOINTED THAT THESE GUYS DIDN’T GET PAID FOR PERFORMING. How are we to attract more talent like Arnob & Friends if bands are not financially compensated, somewhat adequately to say the least??? I know too many bangladeshi talented musicians digress due to this simple fact. For the sake of Bangladesh and all Bangladeshis – I pray this is not the case with Arnob. (What a shame that would be if that was to happen)
Shout out to Nazurul – keep the dhol culture alive for us!!!
Shout out to Nazia – WHEN IS YOUR ALBUM COMING OUT???
Shout out to Andrew – as Arnob said this tour wouldn’t be possible without you……MAKE SOME MORE TOURS HAPPEN BROTHA MAN!
Shout out to Resalat – more solo mode man
Shout out to Shayan – MAKE SOME MORE TOURS HAPPEN BROTHA MAN!
Big Shout out to PAUL (bassist on Armeen’s set) – if it wasn’t for you and the drummer that set wouldn’t have worked Brotha Man- keep up the good work!
October 29, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Hi Ashol Chini:
Awesome comments! I just wanted to say that I too agree that artists like Shayan, Nazrul, Jibon, Dhrubo, Nazia, Armeen and her band members all are pay worthy. for sure! That is why Drishtipat was very happy with this partnership on promoting this benefit concert – and being what the event was for, everybody contributed their hours thru their skills, talents, money to accomplish the greater awareness of the issues back home and raising funds towards sustainability in Bangladesh.
I am glad you enjoyed yourself. It truly makes every trying second that each and every single person put into this event worthwhile. Do keep in touch…and we hope to hear more from you in the near future.
November 1, 2008 at 5:10 am
Excellent comment.. Completely agree on the issue that one needs to be financially secured for a prolonged career in Music.. And we need to make sure that quality do not get shut out due to need for survival. Artists like Arnob serve Bangla Culture more than anything.. For sake of our ever losing battle on preserving cultural heritage- wishing Arnob all the best…
November 13, 2008 at 3:25 am
Toronto, 26th October: Ever since I learned about the Ornob & Friends tour in USA , I have been eagerly waiting for three months for this evening in Toronto . The journey began from Ann Arbor , MI (300 miles from the venue). As we reached the Toronto Science Center I noticed that 98% of the audiences were college kids (which was no surprise to me) and very few with their parents. Our group ‘Ornob fan club’ as my 8 yr old Raahi put it consisted of nine adults and eight kids ranging from 1 – 8 year old.
The band consisted of Ornob on guitar and vocal, Dhrubo on base. He has been working with Ornob since 2006 and has also been featured in the well-known band Ajob. Nazrul on Dhol one of the finest dhol players in Bangladesh and has been working with the band for around five years. Jibon on drums and has been working with Ornob for three years. Andew on saxophone is from Welsh whose sound adds a fusion element of Western jazz to the group. He has played and recorded with several musicians in Bangladesh and has been performing with Ornob for 18 months. The surprise of the evening was Nazia on vocals Trained in both Bengali Classical and Folk traditions she has won national prizes for classical singing, and performed in Bangladesh and Nepal. I would not even guessed what a talented musician each and every one of them is if I had not seen them live that evening. The coordination among the band members were beyond my imagination.
Ornob started the show with his latest release ‘Sonar Moina Phaki’ from the sound track ‘ Monpura’. The arrangement was so unique from the very first song that I knew we were in for a treat. Followed by ‘Hok Kolorob’ from his second album. And the evening continued with one song after another……
Ekta Ekta, Nil Doria, Sona Dia, Harie giechi, Doyal Tomaro Lagiya, Adhkhana, Lal Pahare, Tui Ki janish na, Bhashaili re, Piya ki Nazaria, Harkala, Porer Jaiga, She je boshe ache, Pal Uraiya de
At the end of the night the mixture of Folk, Rabindra Sangeet, classical songs took the crowd to a different level of trance. Their music stole our heart and left us begging for more.
I highly admire Ornob’s experimenting with all different kinds of music from Rabindra Sangeet to Lalon Shah to the funk based or acoustic or psychedelic rock. I can not really put Ornob in any specific category of music that he sings or plays. Instead he is creating a new genre of music, which takes the good from various different types of music and blend it all together, making the end product a beautiful and memorable sound that will stay in our memories for years to come
No matter how many times I listen to an artist in my living room, bed room, in my car or in my ipod. I always connect with him in a different level after I see him in a live concert. Tonight not only I connected with Ornob in a special way but I finally bonded with him. Speaking to one of the organizers from Drishitipat. He mentioned that they are going to release the Live DVD and CD for Toronto show. That would be the first time we will listen to a live recorded bangle CD in our living room. I am eagerly waiting for that day.
Thank you Ornob and Friends for presenting us such a memorable evening. Most importantly thank you Drishtipat members ‘who are actively trying to make a real difference, one small step at a time’.