Sonu Nigam — A Date in Dhaka – Evergreen Bangla Music -

A “high voltage” concert for music enthusiasts
Aureen Ahsan

Profile:
Sonu Niigaam needs no introduction. The heartthrob of millions and a music icon of India, he has quite a few shades in his character. A host, an anchor and a judge on the popular show Indian Idol, he won the heart of his fans with Accha sila diya during the early years of his career. Born on July 30, this “superstar” singer later went on to make songs such as You are my Sonia and Kal ho na ho superhits. With 30 awards to his credit and having playbacked in over 200 movies, Sonu Niigaam is undoubtedly the most versatile and talented Indian singer of current times.

The Evening of August 07:
A high degree of anticipation and excitement was at its peak on the eve of August 07 at The Hall of Fame, Bangladesh- China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC). After having waited in a long queue to be admitted in, the audience could hardly settle down for the show to begin. Such was the state of excitement. The hall room and gallery of BCFCC were packed to capacity. The event was jointly organised by Fireworks, Events and PR and Interspeed Activation. New Age, Samakal, Radio Foorti and ATN Bangla were the media partners. (It was quite a surprise when Eva Rahman was called on stage to present the opening act of the show with the rendition of her song Dil de diya hai.)

Members of the orchestra however presented a very refreshing performance of the song Rooh-ba-rooh from the critically acclaimed movie Rang De Basanti. Next on stage was an Indian artiste, a member of the entourage, who mesmerised the audience with Raat baki baat baki and Yeh mera dil from Don, and the more recent numbers like Beedi jalaile, Yeh ishq haye from Jab We Met, Aaj ki raat from the re-make of Don.

The crowd was just settling into the mood of the evening when the star of the show mounted the stage singing his popular number Kal ho na ho amidst the thunderous applause of the audience. They were put under the spell as Sonu Niigaam melodiously crooned the chart-topper song Suraj hua madham. The soft rhythm of the song, the subtle glow of the lights and the crystal clear voice of Niigaam created a magical ambience.

Cheers, whistles and applause resonated around the auditorium as the singer presented power-packed performances of his sensational hit numbers back- to back- from Just Chill, Gumshuda and Aaja soniye, to Saathiya, Main hoon na and Kabhie alvida na kehna. It was then time for Sonu Niigaam to be amazed when the audience sang the first stanza of one of his songs for him.

He noted that the Bangladeshi crowd was absolutely wonderful and thanked them for their immense support. In between his performances, the artiste shared with the audience anecdotes from the course of his professional life. On their request, he rendered an all-time favourite of the audience, Bijuriya. Accompanied by electric guitar, table, drums, dhol, keyboard, etc. and the energy with which he danced and sang during the performance, he made it an absolute show-stopper. Be it classical music, bhajans or even pop music, Sonu Niigaam is a specialist and perfectionist in every genre of music and he proved his talent beyond a hint of doubt before his fans in Bangladesh on the evening on the concert.

Other features of the show were renditions of mellow and soulful songs of the legendary singer of yesteryears Mohammad Rafi. Sonu Niigaam successfully maintained the spotlight on himself. The evening prolonged late into the night, as he continued to entertain the crowd with songs that have defined him as a star over the years. It is worth mentioning that the spectators— young and old, generations apart — enjoyed the show greatly. The event, one hardly need mention, was an extravaganza.

Source: The Daily Star

Tags: Classical Music, Sonu Nigam