Celebrating Life' festival in Chittagong

Tagore exponent Rezwana Choudhury Bannya mesmerized the audience in the port city with the light of her melodious tune on Thursday evening. 

As part of The Daily Star and Standard Chartered Bank's Celebrating Life- 2015 Chittagong district festival, the musical evening was held at the auditorium of Theatre Institute, Chittagong (TIC) in the port city.

Local band troupe Tirondaj also performed at the cultural programme.

On the occasion, the music enthusiasts of the port city were eagerly waiting for hearing the renderings of Bannya since the afternoon. The artiste rendered a number of famous Tagore songs successively at the programme. In between the performances, the artiste also narrated the story and essence of the songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore.

Chittagong University (CU) Vice-Chancellor Dr Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury was the chief guest at the festival where SCB's Chief Executive Officer Abrar A Anwar spoke as special guest.

Star Showbiz Editor and festival director of Celebrating Life, Rafi Hossain emceed the programme.

Giving his appreciation to the Daily Star and Standard Chartered Bank, Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury hoped that the platform would help the young talents to arouse their creativity in different fields of art.   

Celebrating Life wants to encourage the youths working in film, lyrics and photography so that they can brighten the nation in future through their works, said Abrar A Anwar. 

At the beginning of her performance, Rezwana Choudhury Bannya said, it is a new experience for her as there is an innovation in the concept Celebrating Life. 

Later, quoting from Rabindranath Tagore “Dibe Ar Nibe, Milabe Milibe”, she urged the audience to render the songs with her.

With her lucid voice she started “Sokatore Oi Kandichhe Sokole”. Following the song, she successively rendered the songs “Doya Diye Hobe Go”, “Bipula Tarango Re” and “Tai Tomar Anondo”. 

Narrating how the Tagore's patriotic song “O Amar Desher Mati”, influenced hundreds of thousands of Banglee people, she performed the song.  The full auditorium rendered the songs “Ami Chini Go Chini Tomare” and “Purano Shei Diner Kotha” in unison with the artiste, creating a mesmerizing ambiance.   

Meanwhile, on the occasion, a three-day photography exhibition was also launched at Haatkhola Art Gallery in city's Surson Road area.

A total of twenty two photographs are on display at the exhibition.