‘Fete de la Musique’ at AFD

Alliance Francaise de Dhaka (AFD) and the Embassy of France in Bangladesh jointly organised a two-day celebration programme on the occasion of the “Fete de la Musique 2012” (World Music Day 2012) in two different venues in the capital.

AFD and the French Embassy in collaboration with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy organised a special concert from 6:30pm to 8:30 pm at the Main Auditorium of Shilpakala Academy.

Olivier Litvine, Director of AFD, inaugurated and welcomed the audience to enjoy the concert. The bands performed were, The Bridge, Benziin and Old School. They offered a heady blend of western rock music Among the performances of The Bridge performed ‘The best was summer wine’, ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Valentine’, ‘Wonder wall’, ‘Leaving on a Jet plane’ and ‘So what’.

Benziin performed ‘Stairway to heaven’, song of famous band The Doors, Beatles, The Kinks and songs of Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Oasis including one of their master pieces.

Last one hour of the concert The Old School spelled over the audience as they performed all Bangla songs including their masterpieces. Vocal of the band The Old School summed up the special mood of the event in saying that now that the musicians and the audience know about Fete de la Musique, they would try their best to organise a bigger festival next year.

French languages students and the students of Ecole de Musique of AFD presented their talent by singing and playing violin, western classical guitar and piano on June 21 from 4:00pm to 8:30pm at La Galerie of AFD.

Students of guitar performed ‘Harmonious Blacksmith’, ‘Guardame Las Vacas’, ‘La Cathedral,’ ‘Allegro’, ‘Love is Blue,’ ‘Caprichio Arabe’, ‘Study I,’ ‘Opus 60’ and many more.

Students of violin performed Gerardo Matos Rodriguez’s ‘La Cumparsita’, WA Mozart’s ‘Bagatelle’, Maria Theresia Paradis’s ‘Sicilienne’, Hungarian folk song ‘Song of the Ghetto’ and Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight Sonata’.

Students of Piano also staged their talented performances. Director of AFD, Olivier Litvine also handed over the certificates to the violin students of the Ecole de Musique. Performances of Litvine and the teachers made the programme special.

Fete de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, is a music festival that began in France in 1982. The idea was conceived by French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, in 1981. Since then June 21st has been celebrated every year in more than hundred countries in Europe and over the world as the World Music Day. It takes place in the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere.

The concept of ‘Fete de la Musique’ is an open air and non-stop musical performances, to help making all sorts of music accessible to the public.

It gives an opportunity to commune and share a special bond through music. This Music Day allows the expression of all styles of music in a cheerful atmosphere.