Father, son and the Wonder

• Father, son and the Wonder

Rock music is all about missions and visions. The Concert for Sundarbans was a beautiful testament that rock music can also be about family relations

by Faizul Khan Tanim

It is often said that “hope rocks”. And as the rockers on stage hollered “Save the Sundarbans” and the 15,000-strong audience replied “amen” in unison, the huge October 1-event at the Army Stadium to create awareness about the Sundarbans and promote it as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, proved this to be right. This BAMBA (Bangladesh Musical Bands Association) concert at one of the country’s most esteemed music venues, the Army stadium, was otherwise most noted for its display of two generations of Bangladeshi rock. Sharing the stage with their fathers Manam Ahmed (Miles) and Maqsoodul Huq (Maqsood O’Dhaka), were Zeheen (Mechanix), Zerif (Power Surge) and Dio (Nemesis). Together they reached new, rocking heights.

The only complaint was the omission of a good sound system throughout the show – a definite setback at such an epic gig as this. However, that didn’t take away much of the crowd’s enthusiasm.

One of the most exciting things to watch was the difference in stage acts between the veterans and newcomers. Wearing fancy cloaks, faces of angry rock persuasion and motions oozing of hiphop/rock ‘n roll rebellion, the newcomers staged very energetic performances. The air became porous to absorb the new sounds and the audiences all over the ground welcomed these new talents with mosh pits, head banging and all the things that can be expected from a satisfied rock crowd.

With a cool dusk setting, and the floodlights setting the stage in multicolour, everything was ready for the main acts. And as the routined bands started relieving each other, the audience was caught up singing along to immortal tunes like James’s Leis fita leis,Jalajala by Miles, LRB’s love anthem Cholo bodle jai, Feedback’s Melai jaire, Maq O’ Dhaka’s Bangladesh 95, Dolchut’s Din bari jay, Shironamhin’s Hashimukhey, Artcell’s rendition of Nazrul’s Durgom giri and Trap’s Sharthopor. Hope set the rock in motion, and then it rolled well into the night.

*This article was first published in The Independent, Bangladesh October 03 2010

http://www.theindependentdigital.com/?opt=view&page=9&date=2010-10-03