Amra Kojon Around The Clock

Featured Article in the Newspaper on Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Screen

2008-08-29T11:55:00.005-04:00

Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Sceen, May 24th, 2008

2008-08-29T11:09:00.002-04:00

Pictures from the Amra Kojon Show
Courtesy of Ashish Kirtania

Pictures from the Amra Kojon Show
Courtesy of Erin Smith

Pictures from the Amra Kojon Show
Courtesy of Mridul Choudhury

Pictures from the Amra Kojon Show
Courtesy of Sourav Biswas

Pictures from the Amra Kojon Show
Courtesy of Tapash Barua

Final DVD Test Clip 1
Final DVD Test Clip 2
Courtesy of Mridul Choudhury

2008-05-28T23:37:00.007-04:00

Dear friends:

On behalf of Amra Kojon we thank all performers, volunteers, organizers and sponsors that helped in creating a successful show on May 24^th at MIT's Kresge auditorium. We would like to extend our special thanks to all participants that traveled from great distance to be a part of this musical journey. We express our sincere gratitude towards the audience that made our initiative worthwhile. Without the combined effort of all the participants and the audience to support and cheer us on, we would not have been able to make this event a success. Finally special thanks to Bangladesh Student's Association of MIT (MIT-BSA) for hosting this show.

Cheers

Amra Kojon

Press Release: Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Screen

2008-04-30T18:07:00.002-04:00

Rehearsals and Gatherings for the upcoming event-"Rupali Aloye Dhushor Otit" (Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Screen)

2008-03-11T19:35:00.038-04:00

MIT-Bangladesh Student Association presents Amra Kojon

2008-03-11T19:10:00.002-04:00

Nostalgic Tunes From The Silver Screen, on May 24th, 2008 at MIT's Kresge Auditorium

2008-03-11T18:25:00.003-04:00

Amra Kojon Presents: "Rupali Aloye Dhushor Otit"-Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Screen, on May 24h, 2008 at MIT's Kresge Auditorium

2008-02-01T13:46:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

Hope this email finds you well and warm in this cold month of January!

We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Amra Kojon will celebrate its fifth anniversary with the Nobaborsha 1515 show on Saturday, May 24, 2008 at MIT's Kresge auditorium that has a capacity of 1,250.

Please take a few minutes to review some of the details regarding our upcoming event.

It is our pleasure to also inform you that the Bangladeshi Students Association at MIT (MIT-BSA) is our official host for this event just as they had been for our 2003 show. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our special thanks to MIT-BSA for hosting Amra Kojon and for their constant support for the success of the event.

Following the footsteps of our very first event, we would like to mark this fifth anniversary by presenting a show of equal magnitude, if not greater, as indicated by our 2003 event.

Bondhuraa, you would be happy to know that a large number of our performers from the first show that are all around the globe have expressed great enthusiasm in planning to participate in this latest endeavor!

As you may recall from 2003, what started as a dream for a bunch of amateurs to unite through our love of music, turned into majestic event by a sold-out show, international media coverage and music lovers from everywhere wishing us well and eager to join us.

Needless to say, we have grown over the last five years with many new faces joining the Amra Kojon music family. It was not one person, but the combined effort from all of you that has made Amra Kojon into what we are today. Together, we are now stronger than ever before and through true team effort as demonstrated over the years, we can once again accomplish an event we can all be proud of. Every effort that YOU make can thus make a difference and help us get a step closer to repeating history once again!

We really hope all of you can join us in this journey. We would truly appreciate if you could let us know by Friday 1st evening (02/01/08), if you will be interested in getting involved. Sorry for rushing you to make this decision. As you understand, we have already spent a great deal of time in trying to confirm the venue & other logistical issues.

Our script for the show will be based on Bangla movie songs: an Amra kojon presentation of Rupali Aloye Dhushor Otit (Nostalgic Tunes from the Silver Screen). We would make every effort not to compromise on the quality of the show. As a result, your commitment towards rehearsals or other aspects of the show that you would like to participate in is extremely crucial to accomplish a successful event. Friends, please know that we will start all rehearsals ON TIME. Since many of you have indicated having to take time off from work or other plans to be at rehearsals, let us all try to value each other's time and effort.

Here is the rehearsal schedule for the next 4 months. Please find the direction and the parking info as an attached file. Also, please find the attachment of our 1st email from 2002 rehearsal and a photo from our 20003 show, just to refresh our memory!!!!

Rehearsal information:

1st Rehearsal:

02/09/08 Saturday, 2:00pm-6:00pm, Room (W20-306)

Introduction among us, share the script ideas, finalize songs, discuss performer responsibilities and commitments, watch 2003 show, share old movie songs, talk about tickets price, flier distribution, etc.

February: 2 Rehearsals
02/16/08 Saturday, 10:00am-4:00pm, Room (W20-306)
02/24/08 Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm, Room 491

March: 4 Rehearsals

03/02/08 Sunday, 10:00am- 4:00pm, Room 491
03/15/08 Saturday, 1:00pm-7:00pm, Room (W20-306)
03/22/08 Saturday, 1:00pm-7:00pm, Room (W20-306)
03/29/08 Saturday, 1:00pm- 7:00pm, Room (W20-306)

April: 4 Rehearsals

04/06/08 Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm, Room 491

04/13/08 to be announced

04/19/08 to be announced
04/27/08 Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm, Room 491

May: 4 Rehearsals

05/04/08 Sunday, 10:00am- 4:00pm, Room 407, Run-thru rehearsal
05/10/08 Saturday, 1:00pm-7:00pm, Room (W20-306) Run-thru rehearsal
05/17/08 Saturday, 1:00pm-7:00pm, Room 407, Run-thru rehearsal

Final Week:

05/22/08 Thursday, 3:00pm-8:00pm, Dress Rehearsal at Kresge

05/24/08 Saturday, Hoi Hoi kando, Roi roi bepaar…

Rock n Roll time: Rupali Aloye Dhushor Otit

Rehearsal venue:

MIT's Stratton Student Center
84 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

(Opposite of Kresge hall, in front of main MIT campus)

Rehearsal venues are located within this building.
Room # 407 (4th floor)
Room # 491 (4th floor)
20-Chimneys (3rd floor)

http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?mapterms=student+center&mapsearch=go

Nearest parking lot is "West Garage", a multi-storied covered parking lot on Vassar St, about 300m from the venue. This is MIT parking lot which is open to people/visitors on weekends. After parking, cross Vassar St, walk throguh/by Z center (W34 and W35), make a left (you will see Kresge in front of you), and the next building on your left is Student Center (W20).

http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=P25&Parking=go

We would also like to plan for our first rehearsal and get together on Saturday, February 9th 2008, as this was the exact date of our first show back in 2003! Even if you cannot participate in our upcoming show, please make all possible effort to join us for this gathering. We will give you an overview of all the planning and script ideas pertaining to the upcoming event.

Friends, those of you that are on facebook, we would request you to please utilize this networking site to spread the word regarding upcoming event! Please contact your family/friends and any music lovers (Bengali/Non-Bengali) you know that may be interested in joining us as a performer/volunteer in this journey.

Bondhuraa, please note that it may not be possible for us to call each person to inform them of any rehearsal cancellations due to winter weather. At the same time, we know some of you do not check your mail in a regular basis. Therefore, in the next few months, in case of chances of inclement weather on the weekends of the rehearsals and gathering, please call at 401-331-5825 for cancellation updates. There will be updated voice recorded message regarding the rehearsal weekly. Also please visit our website regularly at www.amrakojon.org for updates.

Friends, let us make music history once again in this part of the world and make our upcoming event a truly memorable one! It is time for us to "Rock n Roll" again!!!

Thank you for your continuous cooperation with Amra Kojon. We look forward to working with you for our mega-show in May!

Hope to see you all on Saturday, Feb 9th at 2pm at MIT's Student Center.

Cheers.

Taposh

On behalf of AK music family
401-743-0685

currently cooking: Chaayachonda

2008-01-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

Happy snowy Monday morning.

Hope this email finds you well. We apologize for our late response to the meeting held on Jan 6 ^th at Woburn's Red Roof Inn, as we have had to dedicate a significant amount of time towards finalizing some of the logistical details for the upcoming show. First of all, we would like to thank all of you for attending the meeting. As a result of your continuous cooperation with Amra Kojon, we had a total of 52 of you that attended the gathering, and we truly appreciate you making the time to accommodate us in your weekend schedule. We would also like to extend our thanks to all the representatives from the various New England organizations for participating in this meeting. As a follow up email, we would like to share some of the final plans for the show, that were decided during the meeting by majority of you.

Here are some of the highlights of the meeting for the next AK show :

1) For our upcoming event, we will attempt to once again match the magnitude of our 2003 show.

2) The tentative plan is to select a date towards April/May, depending upon on the availability of a desired venue.

3) The show will consist of two parts-One being a segment consisting of Bangla film songs (history & research based script) while the other will highlight the folk music used in Bangla film industry.

4) Our selected venue must accommodate more than 800 audience.

5) Ticket price will range between $10-$100.

Currently we have been working on deciding on a venue that can accommodate our large audience and is available during the time of our interest. We have been successful in getting multiple venues, however, those have been too small to hold such a large crowd. We will update you as soon as we make a final decision.

Enjoy the photos from the meeting:

http://picasaweb.google.com/auditig/162008AmraKojonMeeting

Courtesy of Auditi Guha & Nuzhat Karim Himi.

Once again, we thank you for your presence at the meeting and for your continuous cooperation with Amra Kojon.

Stay warm & drive safely in this bad weather.

Looking forward to see you all soon.

Taposh

On behalf Amra Kojon

Ps. Performers:

Our Chaayachonda (Rupali Pordaye Dhushar Otit) script is almost ready, once we know the exact date, we will send you the rehearsal schedule with other logistical issues. Please do not make any plans for Saturdays (3-7pm) from February. You may invite your music lover friends to join us as a performer in this mega project. Cheers…..

AK's show meeting : Sunday January 6th, 2008

2007-12-12T10:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

You are cordially invited to AK’s planning meeting for the show to be held in April 2008, in celebration for the Amra Kojon 5 ^th year anniversary, along with "Noboborsho 1415"/Bangla New Year. In an effort to once again imprint our perseverance towards music, our rich culture and strong heritage, we aspire to present a memorable show, similar to our first event showcased on Feb 9th, 2003 ( www.amrakojon.org).

Friends, your strong dedication towards Amra Kojon, has been the driving force behind its success. As a result, we would ask you to contribute your honest thoughts at this meeting and only take on tasks that would be feasible for you to manage. Friends, please do not feel obligated to commit to more than you can tackle. However, any responsibilities you may choose to undertake, we kindly request you to remain firm on your stance to assist, in order for all of us to plan all the logistics in a more organized fashion.

We look forward to seeing you at the planning meeting.

Date: Sunday, January 6th, 2008

Venue: Red Roof Inn , 19 Commerce Way Woburn, MA 01801

Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm

Refreshments will be served.

RSVP MUST: Please RSVP by 31^st December 2007.

We do have limited seating arrangements.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at amrakojon@gmail.com or call me at 401-743-0685.

We wish you a very Happy Holiday season and we look forward to working with you in the upcoming year. Thank you in advance for your continuous support and cooperation with Amra Kojon.

Ps: In case of snow/bad weather...if we cancel the meeting, we will inform you by January 5th.

AK Tallships : Making History

2007-07-06T23:26:00.000-04:00

AK just made history in Newport by being the first Bengal performers in the Tallships cultural festival; I'm glad to be one of the lucky people to perform there being an AK member. It was a moving crowd and our audience varied from time to time from around 20 people to hundreds; our second slot was more successful, since it was later on in the day when more people came.

All in all it was a great experience and honor to be and perform with AK; it truly changed various aspects of my life. I want to thank Tallships for the great opportunity they gave us, and the entire AK family including Taps, Swapna mashi, Rahul da, Arjun, Karna, and many more.

It is really an honor and a lot of fun to be with AK.

- Nafiz (a.k.a. Fizz)
on behalf of AK

Let music fill our hearts... through generations.

2007-07-03T15:02:00.000-04:00

Our sons have performed with us many times in the past. But, we can say with certainty that this time they have enjoyed the most. We always wanted to give them music. And, music they have! That is what they live for! Our house is always rocking with music of all sorts.

In their younger days they accompanied us with 'our' vocals. In addition they have played spiritual music on their own (at Rammakrishna Vedanta Society). As a matter of fact Abu (Karna) plays cello at the Boston chapter on a regular basis. However, as they grew older, they became increasingly reluctant to play with us. (However, that is changing lately, and we hear a lot of Indian music being played at home.)

Furthermore, I think that it is difficult for youngsters to play with their parents, because they sort of feel 'traditional', 'old' etc. (I think). It is a mental barrier. This time Fawad was closer to their age (than ours, and even Taposh's), and they made the bonding. In fact they want to play more in our group or outside with Fawad, for example.

I must add that Babu and Abu (Arjun and Karna) were not the only next generation kids performing with their parents. Nila and Paula's daughters and son were there, Samina (Milli's daughter), Ajad's son and duaghter, and Arshi, Tammanaa's daughter. And, of course, Nafiz is an absolute delight. It's funny the way he imitates me (Rahul)! Neepa should be proud of him. (We would very much like Nafiz to get closer to Babu and Abu and make music in or outside AK). We all should be proud of our children performing with us without inhibition.

We must confess that we always wanted our sons to enjoy our music. We mostly do Rabindrasangeets, Nazrul geetis etc. They are slow and somewhat intricate in structure. Furthermore, 'high Bengali' in many Rabindrasangeets is an obstacle for them to comprehend the meaning. But this time, the simple folksy songs of AK, with their simplicity and rythmic structure caught their attention; and they enjoyed it. This is a big achievement for us; and we must thank everyone, particularly Fawad
and Taposh for making that connection to happen!

Let music fill our heart (and our children's heart too)!

Cheers,

Rahul & Swapna

From Tall Ships, RI organizers

2007-07-03T13:22:00.001-04:00

AK team: I am usually not at a loss for words and this time the challenge is for me to limit myself to a few heart-felt remarks instead of the pages I could write.

For me the performance by your group, Amra Kojon, embodied the best elements of what the Tall ships festival is all about: learning about the cultures and people who are represented through the visit of ships and their cadets, celebrating life and each other's contributions, and drawing closer together through the medium of dance, song and music. Your group had it all and expressed it with joy and passion!

Betty and I thank you profoundly and so do all those lucky enough to have experienced your performances at Tall Ships Rhode Island 2007.

I certainly plan to stay in touch with you and look forward to seeing you and Amra Kojon again.

Thanks for sending the wonderful photos. We will select some to keep the memories alive.

Elaine Williams, Co-chairman of Tall Ships entertainment with Betty Czech

Audience feedback

2007-07-02T13:35:00.000-04:00

Here is some audience feedback

The AK Team

Tall Ships Festival, Newport RI - June 30, 2007

2007-07-01T23:53:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures from the rehearsals on Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24

Pictures of the show

Pictures taken right after the show

To share your experiences, please email amrakojon.blog@gmail.com

TallShips Festival, Newport, RI

2007-06-27T14:27:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

As some of you may already know, Newport, Rhode Island is hosting a Tall Ships Festival from June 27th through July 1st. The event brings some of the biggest and the most gorgeous ships from all around the globe and encourages a celebration of diversity by presenting music, songs and dance by various cultures, performing on multiple stages at the same time.

The event is expected to attract approximately 250,000 visitors over three days. The international village with tent-pavilions is an added attraction where different groups will be displaying their art, culture, crafts and native items representing the different countries.

Amra Kojon will be performing at the Tall ships event at the State Fishing Pier, (150 Washington Street, Newport, RI 02840) at two different time slots (11:45am and 3:30pm) on Saturday, June 30 with a musical glimpse into a world of bounty and life lived at the edge with their presentation "Songs of Bengal's River and Soil." We will be performing side-by-side with Brazilians, Irish, English, African and many more troupes.

Please join us if you can. It is a great way to spend a bright summer day by the waterfront in one of the prettiest beach towns of New England, celebrating diversity with friends from all around the globe.

Here are some of the links regarding program schedule and transportation.

http://www.tallshipsrhodeisland.org/schedule.html

http://www.tallshipsrhodeisland.org/entertainment.html

http://www.tallshipsrhodeisland.org/transportation.html

Here is a press feeler about what it might be like:
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/326371920279053.php

Rehearsal Photos from last weekend:

http://picasaweb.google.com/nainashehzeen/AmraKojonTallShipsRehearsal062307?authkey=txtyMYCkTwM
http://picasaweb.google.com/nainashehzeen/AmraKojonTallShipsRehearsal062407

Your presence at the event will make a big difference. Together, we hope to unite the world through this diversity and love of music. Thank you for your continuous support.

The AK Team.

From Finland

2007-06-07T14:34:00.000-04:00

Dear Amra Kojon,

Robithakur bolechilen''Ei porobase robe ke hai¨¨? But sitting here in Finland I really appreciate what you people done together.
And I feel pity that I cant join you from here. Still am overwhelmed to see your performance and your dream.
I am Tapati, living in Finland, Bangladesher meye.
I came to know about you from BD's daily paper ''prothom alo''
I am not an exåert silpi but ganpagol bolte ja bojhai seta.
Gaite pari tuktak bujhteo pari kichu bole mone hoi.

I am really feeling happy to see your dreams.
Me too very much proud of my language ''Bangla'' and of course our country.
From here I cant join with you but at least I can unify myself with your dreams and I inspire all
of you , please go ahead,our dreams will come true.
We will proof one day as a nation we are more potential than these resist public of abroad.
Wish you all the best.

Thanking you

Tapati

Thanks to Nandini and Raja ...

2007-05-17T09:44:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Nandini and Raja - our buddies across the Atlantic - we now have more pictures of the Amra Kojon in London experience.

Enjoy the pictures!

Behind the scenes....

2007-05-16T14:08:00.000-04:00

Often we do not recognize the hard work of behind the scene friends of AK. We were able to succeed in our London tour because of their help.

On behalf of AK, we salute them for their support in completing our London concert.

Abu Kamal Azad, MA

Adnan Syed, NY

Ajay Vinoben, RI

Amlan Bhattachariya, RI

Asif Saleh, London

Atiqul Alam Jhontu, NY

Atiqur Rahman Sujan, MA

Dr. Dulal, MA

Goutam Chakraborty, Bangladesh

Iqbal Quadir, MA

Kabir Ahmed, Germany

Mahdi Imam, MA

Mohammad Hasan, MA

Monzurul Islam, NY

Mr. Britti, MA

Mr. Monju, MA

Mustahid Ahmed, MA

Naina Ahmad, MA

Rezbul Chowdhury Manna, MA

Rosy Singh, RI

Ruhul Abid Lekhan, MA

Shafique Khan Raja, MA

Shaheen Khan, MA

Shumona Haque, Bangladesh

Sohini Alam, London

Sudipta Sarker, MA

Sujan Bin Wadud, NY

Sujan Kabir, MA

Swami Yogatmananda, RI

A fresh perspective from the inside.

2007-05-13T01:38:00.000-04:00

Woooooooooohoooooooooooo!

All I have to say, I had a jomano 72 hrs with AK in London.....

It was my 1st time with them and hopefully the beginning of a lot more to come for me, In those 72 hrs i received the prestigious title of "Bandor" from Taposh da and Swapnadi's third son.

I loved how Andaleep bhai, Kash bhai, Shafaq Bhai and I gave a restless 5 hr crash course London tour from 5 am to 10 am.

AK rocks........I love you guys!

- Nafiz Ahmed

Thank you, from us at Amra Kojon

2007-05-11T22:12:00.000-04:00

Time for pictures!

2007-05-11T09:59:00.000-04:00

For those of you turning blue with anticipation - here are the pictures from the AK London Tour, thanks to Auditi, our resident media rep!

Enjoy, and don't forget to post your comments here on the AK blog. Your participation and comments inject life into the AK blog!

Note from BI

2007-05-11T08:58:00.000-04:00

Dearest AK members,

Sorry mates, I have lost all words to praise your greatness and generosity. I am sorry that your kindness and love have overwhelmed me so much that it will take a while for my emotional state of being to be normal agin to deliver what I would like to say in saying "Thank You".

So, please be generous again to hear those words I would love to say to all of you for coming home at BI centre and the good works we did together in the weekend.

All I am able to say at these emotional moment is: " I love you Amra Kojon"!

I look forward to seeing you soon.

With Kindest regards from each one at Bengali International,

- Shams
President, Bengali International

How much would you pay?

2007-05-11T08:06:00.000-04:00

Airfare = $577.00

VISA fee = $138.00

Goofed up at the VISA interview and had to pay more for the visa = $400.00

Since VISA did not make on time so had to go the New York Gas = $ 50.00

Park at the wrong spot in new your and the parking ticket =$45.00

2 missing easles =$60.00

Making a trip with the most favorite people of your life,

Staying under the same roof and sleeping on the floor,

Spending sleepless nights so we can have more fun,

Doing the performance of your life,

1st ever international concert,

All lathered up but no water to take shower,

Finally, the standing Ovation……………

PRICELESS

- Dewan Kashem, Tuhin
on behalf of Amra Kojon

AK's note to Drishtipat, London and Bengali International

2007-05-10T15:37:00.000-04:00

Dear members of Drishtipat, London, and members of Bengali International,

There are literally no words left to describe the camaderie and warm reception that we've had the good fortune of experiencing with you guys over this past weekend. You've welcomed us into your tight circle of near and dear ones, and even in this short span of less than 3 days, we've bonded. We've bonded over our common love for Bangla gaan, our common passion for the promulgation of the Bangla culture, and our
obstinate refusal to let our individual differences stand in the way of cooperation, tolerance, acceptance and team work.

We are more than just another expatriate organization collaborating with each other:

We share a common vision and a common spirit. We want to be able to transcend the barriers of what makes us different from one another, and we want to be able to learn to value the richness that this very difference brings to our experiences and perspectives. Like you, at Drishtipat and Bengali International, we at Amra Kojon want to demonstrate through example that we can realize large dreams through the collective endeavors and passionate contributions of many. We want to demonstrate that we are a team displaying unparalleled professionalism in our volunteering commitments - achieving results through effective communication, individual ownership and commitment, and by holding our teammates close to our hearts.

We can not thank you enough for inspiring us. Seeing our spirit, and our vision for unity reflected so clearly in your midst reinforces the strength of our convictions.

Together, we can really make a difference. Amra Kojon would like to invite those who share our dreams of unity despite differences to come visit us in Boston this summer. Lets talk, lets party, lets brainstorm. Let us try to extend the hospitality that you've so warmly extended to us!

We really hope that you will seriously consider a Boston trip soon, and help foster this exchange of energy and life!

Thank you. You've made a deep impact on all the Amra Kojon members.

warm regards,

Auditi Guha,
Chetan Kothari,
David Upegui,
Dewan kashem Tuhin,
Fariha Chowdhury,
Fawad Reza,
Joy Alamgir,
Kabir Ahmed(Germany AK Rep),
Lali Basher,
Mohitosh Talukder Taposh,
Nafiz Chowdhury,
Nandini Chowdhury,
Nita Mahalanobish,
Nuzhat Karim Himi,
Pusha karim,
Rahul Ray,
Rezina Chowdhury,
Shafaq Islam,
Sohini Alam (London AK Rep),
Swapna Ray,
Syed Bashar Jami,
Zahid Osmani Mamun

on behalf of Amra Kojon

In front of the hall

2007-05-10T10:56:00.000-04:00

All of us:

The women:

and the men:

some more quick snapshots to share...

2007-05-09T20:40:00.000-04:00

Amra Kojon receives a standing ovation in London

2007-05-09T19:40:00.000-04:00

For the first time, a 1500-strong audience at the annual Bengali New Year celebration in Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, gave a standing ovation to a chorus group from Boston, USA as they wound their way through the crowds singing "Ami Banglay Gaan Gai."

"This is a big deal. You put up a great show. You really touched the audience and this has never happened before at a Bengali show in London," said Shams, president of Bengali International that organized the annual event on May 6.

Amra Kojon was invited to perform at the show this year and presented a medley of folk songs from both Bengals in a performance titled "Gaaner Feriwala" (Musical Nomads) to a packed audience at the London show this weekend, 6 th May, 2007.

Many identified with popular favorites like "Leelabali", "Shajher Belaa" and "Kaandey Hason Raja" and even joined in the final chorus with tears in their eyes.

This was Amra Kojon's first international concert and a dream come true. A dream to sing and celebrate together and their first step to spread Bengali music around the globe.

Amra Kojon literally means "a few of us" in Bangla. A few years ago, a group of music lovers from both Bengals came together in celebration of their motherland and language, beyond the borders of religion, country, politics and local organizations.

The group come a long way since and are proud and honored with their latest venture. For more information, please visit www.amrakojon.org.

Kudos!

2007-05-09T19:37:00.001-04:00

Priyo Amra Kojon,

Dhonnobad, apnader doler shobaike.

In Sydney I can still re-call our beloved organization 'Amra Ka'jan Mancho sromik'. We work from 1994 to 1996 very well. The organization did not exist because of our various political agenda.

Apnader uddom jeno theme na jai. Bhalo thakun shushto thakun.

Anwar Akash
Bangla Academy Australia
Sydney

Celebrating Humanity

2007-05-09T19:35:00.000-04:00

I am back at work today and have been telling everyone about my experiences in London. I can't thank everyone at Amra Kojon enough for believing that this Colombian could make music with the team.

I had a great time and learned a lot about Bengali culture, music, food, language, and more importantly I learned about myself.

I have come to realize that when examined closely, the Bengali culture celebrates more than the people born to it, it celebrates humanity.

Thank you for letting be part of it all! I am a better person because of you!

Please thank Sohini for the great job she did as our ambassador. She is an oak, strong and resistant!

We'll keep on talking!

- David Upegui, MA
on behalf of Amra Kojon

We are all missing you ...

2007-05-08T23:46:00.000-04:00

Dear Amra Kojon friends,

You have won us over. We are all thinking about the amazing weekend we just had with you guys. Congratulations on getting done what seemed like impossible a few months ago.

AK will be a known brand in London from here on.

Here is a comment I thought worth passing to you:
http://bonbibi.livejournal.com/22566.html

Looking forward to the next time we get together again.

- Asif Saleh
to Amra Kojon

Amra Kojon is back from London...

2007-05-08T23:43:00.000-04:00

... and I am in a daze.

It has been an unbelievable trip -- from 22 of us on the same flight, meeting Sohini after so long, the amazing hospitality of Bengali International and Shams and adda at Asif Bhai and Eeshita's, to a standing ovation at the show, dinner at B.B. Chowdhury's and a long sleepless gaan-bajna session on Sunday night.
It was hectic - but so much fun!

We met an amazing bunch of enthusiastic, committed folks without whom this trip wouldn't have been worth it. And I hope we remain friends forever, that they too become a part of our Amra Kojon madness around the globe!

At the end of the day, it truly is a dream come true. And perhaps one small step towards our greater dream of taking Bangla gaan around the globe. (And please, can I be allowed my traditional caustic comment here? I stick my tongue out to gloat once again to all those who said it could never be done...nya nya nya nya nya!)

Even a week ago some of us were not sure we could go but it was worth all the headaches, confusion, sleepless nights...

Now, 24 hours later, it seems so surreal that I can't believe it really happened and I can't believe we did it. There cheers to Taps, to AK, to us and mostly to our new friends in London!

- Auditi Guha
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Hope all of you got across to the other side safe and sound!

2007-05-08T18:23:00.000-04:00

Apneder kollaney ekta oshadharon weekend'er jonno thanks janatey likhtey boshlam. (This is Zubaer by the way, kala pola with the lal panjabi!) Apneder shob kichhu, pura ayojon shotti khubi mugdho korlo. Onek enjoy korlam, hoi choi gaan bajna hashi tamasha, Asif'er bashae jamming theke shuru korey, gotokal shara raater adda porjonto. Eto bhalo shobai - in both senses - bhishon omayik ebong oshombhob talented! Emon manusher pashey thakleo mon'ta bhalo hoy.

Annu ekta khub bhalo kotha bollo ajke bhor bela on the way back from the hostel - ami sure eita er aageo 100 bar shunsen kintu tao boltey hoy - eto bishudhho Bangali ayojon khub beshi dekhi nai. Khali bhedabhed shikhi amra, eipar bonam oipar, hindu bonam muslim. Amra Kojon'ke dekhlam ekta unit jara shomosto bhedabhed dhongsho korey disey. Ei hanahani ar hingsha'r diney Amra Kojon asholei ekta example shob Bangali'r jonno. Jak, apneder kachhey peye amra khubi anondo pailam, ar ami personally ekdom obhibhuto, apneder bonding, unity, friendship, and commitment to Bengali culture and music dekhey. (Oh aar gaan ja gailen mashallah! Oi niye ar kisu bolar baki rakhlen koi!!)

Apnera bar bar amader eikhane firey ashen, ei asha'i kori :-)

Best wishes,
Zubaer

Amra Kojon Sets its Sail!

2007-05-08T13:52:00.001-04:00

After a few weeks of rigorous rehearsal, "Amra Kojon" finally set sail to England as a test run for the world tour. Against many odds, we hoped to take Bangla music all around the globe starting with our first show in London, UK. As soon as we landed in the UK, we were greeted by Sohini and our hosts, while lines of vans waited to take us to the Bengali International Center where we would reside for the next few days. From that point on, we fell into a rigorous routine of rehearsals, dinners, and gatherings that had been chalked out for us. We had to be well disciplined, professional and together we were fierce, and had tireless determination to achieve our goal. At times, with Taposh Da's one call, twenty five of us had to get ready in just a matter of minutes and be out the door! At the end of each day, we came back to the center, exhausted, but excited, as we sat and ate together, chatted, laughed, shared our thoughts, and slept under the same roof like one big happy family.

The day of the show, needless to say, I was excited, yet nervous beyond belief. The moment we had all been waiting for was finally here. For the first time, in a long time, my hands were cold before my performance and I felt the rush, the pressure, and the anxiety seemed overwhelming. When the trumpet started playing to introduce the beginning of our show, the cheering responses from the crowd, reassured us that we already had the audience captivated. When we entered the stage I noticed the entire auditorium being completely packed, with curious faces waiting to see what we had to offer. Standing on the stage at that moment with bright lights shining over us, I looked around and instantly felt so proud and gratified that all my fears just melted away. As we began the show, everything fell right into place and we captured the spirit of the audience. When we received applauds and whistles during the show, I knew we had accomplished what we came here to do. What an honor it was for "Amra Kojon", when the show ended with standing ovation from the audience! We were greeted with a cheering crowd just applauding and rushing over to shake hands to congratulate us. We did it! Against all odds that seemed so enormous at times, we finally made it happen!

We landed back in the U.S. with great pride and satisfaction as we look forward to a promising future ahead. Taposh Da always says, if you dare to dream, you might as well dream big, dream beyond limits and that's exactly what he had sought out to do. Many times we took one step forward and two steps back, but we kept going. It was not just the moment when I stepped on the stage, but the entire experience of so many of us flying across the ocean on the same flight, all of us staying under the same roof, singing "O amar desher mati" and feeling the same rush, anxiety and satisfaction, that made everything worthwhile, and turned it into a lifetime of priceless experience.

- Pusha Karim,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Prepping to tour London!

2007-05-04T01:44:00.000-04:00

Pictures from the last AK rehearsal before going on the London trip:

Musical Marathon Torch bearers

2007-05-01T16:16:00.000-04:00

My visit to the website of Amrakojon was an ecstatic joy I experienced after a long time. I sincerely apologise to Amrakojon specially its 'pranvomora' Mohitosh Taposh for not paying serious attention to their activities or visiting their website www.amrakojon.org.

As a matter of fact, I curse myself for being unresponsive to such an unbelievable musical expedition to conquer the world. Who can believe a group of 50 young Bangali students, scholars and professionals of Boston, getting together for a cultural show just like ordinary Bangalis everywhere in the world, will suddenly spring to their feet and set out on a Marathon to all directions of the world with the torch of Bangla music.

When I first heard about it, just like Hasina-Khaleda breed, I thought it was some kind of hoax for cheap popularity. Even the volcano of will, power and genius of 1971 could not convince us we the Bangalis are genuinely capable and talented people with proven records of unflinching faith in human dignity and universal human rights. What a pity we need to be reminded of our own genius by occasional wins in cricket, a Nobel prize or some military services rendered to the cause of world peace.

The generation that does not believe in Bangali genius must bow out. Thank you Amrakojon, Drishtipath, Porshi Mukto-Mona, Uttorshuri and others for rekindling our faith in us and remind us that weare the same people who said, long before America was discovered, 'Listen, Oh Ye Mankind! Man is the final truth and there is nothing beyond'.

My best wishes to Amrakojon for its global shows. I am truly impressed with the meticulous planning of this very complicated tour. I invite everyone to please visit thier site and join the spree.

Belal Beg

Feriwala's trans-Atlantic peddling begins!

2007-04-29T12:45:00.000-04:00

Today, I went to the Amra Kojon rehearsals.

It reminded me of the intense 9 month long rehearsals we once went
through for the 2003 AK show. It reminded me of all the ups and downs,
all the excitement, the work, the fun, the failures, and the laughter
and the tears that make up an AK experience.

It reminded me just how impossibly difficult it will be to uproot
myself from among this family of friends and move to the west coast.

After almost a year and a half of going back and forth and trying to
iron out logistical hurdles, the troupe is finally making their first
trans-Atlantic trip.

This Friday, May 4, there's going to be a 25 strong troupe at Logan
Airport, sporting the Amra Kojon t-shirts, proudly taking the bold
step towards taking Bangla gaan from door to international door.

While the trials and tribulations of the past year and a half have
perhaps kept the more grand multi-destination plans on temporary hold
as we grow the group's internal capacity and strengths - the first
step of the dream is about to be realized this coming weekend.

Amra Kojon will be performing at a London concert on Sunday May 6 -
celebrating Pohela Boishakh with both local and international Bangla
music enthusiasts. They will be our "feriwala"s of Bangla music -
peddling door to door the vibrance and life of our folk music. Be
prepared to feast on nostalgia, a strong sense of connection with our
roots, and a memorable musical extravaganza presented with Amra
Kojon's trademark professionalism and spirit of unity.

While some of us may not be able to join the international trip - we
can share in on the adventure in spirit. Please invite your friends
who will be in the London area to stop by at this free event and join
in our celebrations to usher in the Bengali New Year.

Event details:
Date: Sunday, May 6, 2007
Venue: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Road, E17 4JD, London, UK
for details, please email: amrakojon@gmail.com

-Naina, on behalf of Amra Kojon

For historical details regarding the troupe, please visit www.amrakojon.org.

On February 9, 2003, Amra Kojon showcased 1000 years of Bangla musical
tradition, performed by more than 100 music-lovers singing in unison
on a filled-to-capacity Kresge auditorium at MIT, Cambridge, MA. The
unique endeavor was endearingly termed "A Festival of Friends" and
became the first ever successful attempt at putting aside all
individual differences of nationality, political ideologies, ethnicity
or religion, and coming together to present our language, our culture,
our heritage, from one common platform, united by our passion - a love
of Bangla music.

Representative of other press coverage, The Boston Globe cited the
Amra Kojon concert as their first opportunity to present Bengal in a
positive context that did not involve floods, poverty, or suffering.
In essence, that is exactly what we had set forth to do: to share OUR
Bangla, our traditions, culture and heritage in all its splendor and
glory.

one more...

2007-02-01T17:12:00.000-05:00

I was amazed to see your work in the website. As we fear being in the verge of losing our culture, "Amra Kojon" demonstrates its aspiration towards preserving and highlighting the Bangla culture by creating a solid ground for it for the New World. Your shows depict a true Bengali culture and tradition through an array of the Bengali songs, dances and outfits. I was impressed with the large collection of pictures provided in your website. I have every intention of viewing all the pictures that I have not had the chance see as yet. I intend to download the video clip as well. In the meantime, I have spoken of your group in my friend circle. Everyone should know of the magnitude of your work. What I liked the most about the work was the idea of uniting people by breaking down the barriers of race and religion. The founder of "chayanot", a well renowned and a legendary figure of the cultural world in Bangladesh, Mr. Wahidul Huq passed away. He played a significant role in the revolution towards Rabindra Sangeet. February 21st is right around the corner. I assume you are preparing your group to observe "Shaheed Dibosh" that is now also known as the Global Mother Language day. I will send two songs for you that were written by one of my friends. Although the songs were composed with tunes many years back, you are more than welcome to create your own tune for the songs. One of my relatives who lives in NY has taken lessons from Ustad Khurshid on setar, while his wife has a knack for reciting poetry. I am not sure if he manages to practice these days, but I know he still has the aptitude for it. Although you live far away from NY, you can contact them if you wish to do so. I can also give their mobile number to you. Many of our artists go unknown and lost in the midst of tussles of everyday life in America. Uniting them together through music would a goal to be attained. My warmest wishes for Amra Kojon.
Nurul Hoque

original version in bangla:

Taposh,

Apneder wave site duke obibuto holam apnader karmajagga deke.Je Bangla sangskriti ekane harie jete boshese apnara "Amra Kajon" nothun prithibite(NEW WORLD) take suddo babe protisthitho karesen.Sangite,Nritookolay,Poshake sholoana Bangaliana fute utese apnader onusthane.Apnader bishal Photo galleryte duke obibuto,jodio sompurnota dekhte parinai Tobe dekhar iccha ase.Apneder Vidiota down load karar iccha ase.Iti modde apnader katha amar bibinno bondumohole boleci.Apnader bapok karmakando somporke sobair jana ucit.Sobcheye balo laglo jati dormo nirbisese sokolke aponader dale ekatrito kara.Amader desher ekjon bikkhato ebong nibedito pran sanskritik bakthitho Chayanoter protisthath Ohidul Hoqoue mara gelen.Jatio Rabindra Sangith Andolone tini Puroda chilen.Samne Ekhushe February.Bhasha Shahid Dibosh Ja ekon Antorjatik Matri Basha Dibosh Hishebe sara biswe palito Hosche.Apnara nichoy tar jonnyo prostuti nicshen.Ami amar ek bandur leka duti gan apnader jonnyo pathabo.Jodio onekdin age etar sur dewa o gaoa hoyesilo tothapi apnader jodi balo lage ta hole apnader nijassha sure gaite paren.Amar ek atmio thaken NY te Ostad Khurshid kHaner kase Setar sikesilen tar strio balo abriti kare.Ami janina odd job kare se charcha ace kina,tobe ekebare harie jayni.Apnara jodio anek dure thake NY theke icce karle jogajog karthe pare.Chaile Mobile no dite parbo.Amerikar onek jaygay amder onek silpi harie jasche jibon jibikar sangrame,tader oikkoboddo kare kale lagate parle ekta birat kaj hobe.AMRA KOJON er sabaike ushna obinandan.

Nurul Hoque

and more...

2007-01-31T11:26:00.000-05:00

translated version:

"I was delighted to learn about "Amra Kojon." It is indeed impressive the way you represent our nation and its songs despite living in the U.S. I suppose only those living afar can truly appreciate the greatness of their culture – something that often eludes those immersed in it.

I could have mailed to you in English, but somehow felt like talking to you in Bangla. Anyway, I fervently hope that your organization continues to flourish in the future."

Original version:
From: Nahid Akter
hi
apnader 'amra kojon' shomporke jante pere khub i valo laglo...........apnara desher baire thekeo jevebe desher gan r deshke mullo dicchen sheta asholei proshongshar dabidar.............ashole desher baire thaklei nij shongskritir tan ta beshi beshi onuvob kora jai..........jeta amra jara deshe thaki tara ter pai na.......
apnake ami english eo mail korte partam.........kintu keno jeno ichche holo apnar shathe banglatei kotha boli.................jak apnader ei shonggothon er sharbik shafollo kamona korchi.............
Nahid Akter, Pharmacist
Bangladesh

One translated message from Bangladesh

2007-01-31T11:22:00.000-05:00

please send us feedback as to whether you prefer to see a translated version, or whether you want to see the original version in Bangla only.

" Those of you living abroad exemplify the Bengali nation to the world, and your unflinching commitment to exalt our culture in certainly commendable. I hope that you will pass the torch on to the next generation of immigrant Bengalis to take up your stead.

One day white people ruled our country, whereas today, Bengalis have dispersed throughout the farthest corners of the globe. With their talent and diligence, they have created a Bengali nation that transcends geographic boundaries – a nation where all can rise above petty labels of caste, creed, and color, and cohabit in comity as humans.

Our nation's history is wrought with untold desolation and depredation. Many nations have come into our contact; we have assimilated them all, while never compromising our own identity. I fervently hope that wherever you live, you will convince people of the supremacy of our culture. As a patriot and a patron of Bengali culture, this is my fondest dream. To achieve that, however, we must attain a sizeable population at a given locale to constitute a voice loud enough to be heard. For example, generations of Sylhetis living in the U.K. have become a cultural force to be reckoned with.

Collectively, you can create a greater Bengali nation and an even larger cultural circumference, where all Bengalis are welcome regardless of national or religious labels. Of course, amity with the host nation and its people is a primary prerequisite to this.

Well, one cannot help sensing an unspoken bond with those striving for the actualization of a shared dream. I send my earnest wishes for the continued success of your organization. Long live the Bengali nation!"

Original message:

"na hoy ta hole apnar Bandu sombodan grohon karlam.Apnara jara bideshe asen tara Bangali jatir protibu hishebe Bangali Songskritir prosarer jonno je kaj karsen tara obosshoi nomossho.Apnader hat dore Bideshe bashobash kari natun projonmo bangali sangskritir bikashe egie jabe ei kamona karci.Ekdin sada camrar lokera amader desh dhakal karecilo.Ekhon probashi Bangalira tader meda o porisromdie Biswabapi sarie porbe ebong Bidesher matite buogolic sima batita ek bishal Bangali jati gosthir bikash gotave,jekhane sober poricoy hobe Bangali ebong manush.Dhormo borno nirbishese shobai paroshporik riddotar bondone aboddo thakbe.

Bangali jati gostir hajar bosorer itihase kebol dukko kosto o lanchona bonchona jutece.E deshe bohu jati gosti eshese,kintu sabai amader modde bilin hoye gieshe.Kamona kori apnara je deshe bas karben se desher manushke amder sangskritir srestotto dara joy karben .Bagali sanskritir ekjon onuragi hishebe e shopno ami deki.Tobe tar jonno obossoi jonogosti hishebe ekta nidristo oncole nijeder sonkha briddir maddome probab boloy toiri korte hobe,jemon siletira englande gostiboddo babe bas kare ekta saktite porinoto hoyese.Apnarao sobai ekta brehotor Bangali jono gosti toiri kare nijosso sangskritik porimondol gore tulte paren,jekhane desh dhormo nirbishese kebol Bangalirai thakbe.Tar jonno sei desher onno jonogosthir sathe Bondutto bojay rakhte hobe.Onek kotha likhe fellam,asole je sawpna deki se sawpner rupokerder kacer mone hoy.Dur theke apnader karjokromer safollo kamona korci.Joy houk Bangali sangskritir.

Subeschante Nurul Hoque"

If you'd like translations...

2007-01-31T11:18:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we receive comments and feedback in Bangla, and we often grapple with whether our readers would prefer that we translate it to English or share the original version. The emotion and charm of the original message is often difficult to retain in a translation.

So we invite your feedback, dear readers. Do you want to see translated versions with the original messages? Do you not care eitherway?

Please leave us comments to this post so that we can best share with you the magical experience that is Amra Kojon.

And don't forget to find the newest writeup about us on blog-space!

Another message from Bangladesh

2007-01-31T11:17:00.000-05:00

Apneder web site duke obibuto holam apnader karmajagga deke.Je Bangla sangskriti ekane harie jete boshese apnara "Amra Kajon" nothun prithibite(NEW WORLD) take suddo babe protisthitho karesen.Sangite,Nritookolay,Poshake sholoana Bangaliana fute utese apnader onusthane.Apnader bishal Photo galleryte duke obibuto,jodio sompurnota dekhte parinai Tobe dekhar iccha ase.Apneder Vidiota down load karar iccha ase.Iti modde apnader katha amar bibinno bondumohole boleci.Apnader bapok karmakando somporke sobair jana ucit.Sobcheye balo laglo jati dormo nirbisese sokolke aponader dale ekatrito kara.Amader desher ekjon bikkhato ebong nibedito pran sanskritik bakthitho Chayanoter protisthath Ohidul Hoqoue mara gelen.Jatio Rabindra Sangith Andolone tini Puroda chilen.Samne Ekhushe February.Bhasha Shahid Dibosh Ja ekon Antorjatik Matri Basha Dibosh Hishebe sara biswe palito Hosche.Apnara nichoy tar jonnyo prostuti nicshen.Ami amar ek bandur leka duti gan apnader jonnyo pathabo.Jodio onekdin age etar sur dewa o gaoa hoyesilo tothapi apnader jodi balo lage ta hole apnader nijassha sure gaite paren.Amar ek atmio thaken NY te Ostad Khurshid kHaner kase Setar sikesilen tar strio balo abriti kare.Ami janina odd job kare se charcha ace kina,tobe ekebare harie jayni.Apnara jodio anek dure thake NY theke icce karle jogajog karthe pare.Chaile Mobile no dite parbo.Amerikar onek jaygay amder onek silpi harie jasche jibon jibikar sangrame,tader oikkoboddo kare kale lagate parle ekta birat kaj hobe.AMRA KOJON er sabaike ushna obinandan.
Nurul Hoque

more comments from Bangladesh

2007-01-23T23:20:00.000-05:00

some more comments (and they keep coming in!)

"ami shudhu eta bolte paari je I count myself lucky to have made friends with some of you at AK, and in the process getting to know a few people of great quality. Being a part of AK's performance team was an added bonus. ar shudhu tomaar katha ekbaar boltei hoy, erokom inspire koraar khamota aami khub kom loker modhye dekhechhi.
SHAMIM"

"You did forget to mention the contribution from one tiny AK performer (as always you do/have to), unpardonable omission in my opinion, but on behalf all audiences I would like to congratulate him, salute him with all our love respect and veneration. He came to us from another world, from beyond the star and void of space. We love what he does for us. He is our most favorite Mohitosh Talukder Taposh, aami jake "tupi khule obhibadon" janai sarakkon.
MUJIB"

"It was quite enjoyable. I really appreciate your all efforts to present our historical heritage and culture. I salute you and your all group members.
Paul Biswas"

"I could not keep my eyes dry, if this does not touch some ones heart then nothing will, I sew tears on audiences eyes around me. Thank you for so powerful and excellent art that you did from bottom of your heart. One tiny little piece was missing, if you want to know I will tell you that story, I am one of the witness of that part of the history that no one includes or want to know about it."

comments from Bangladesh

2007-01-21T19:04:00.000-05:00

I'd like to share some comments that we've received following the publication of Adnan bhai's article in Prothom Alo. The comments are in Bangla, and I have not translated to preserve the original emotion in the comments. If you want a translation, please leave us a comment!

"Prothom Alo Chutir diner 384(13January 2007,30 poush 1413) sonkhay aphnar lekha amra kojona pore khubi bhalo laglo.Bangali sanskritike tule darar procestake Obhinondon janai ebong asha kari bangali sonskritir ontornihito folgudara pocshima jantrik sobbotay palito jantrik manushgulir atmar unnoon gotie manobotar ek satar tole nie ashbe.Poschim Bonger silpirao ace jene bhalo laglo.Ashole manusher ektaito jat"MANUSH".Je shopno amra puron karte parini,se sopno sob Bangalira mile bidese bastobaito karuk ei kamona karshi.Poro Bhume jat dormo nirbishese ek Bangla.
Nurul Hoque "

"hi,
apnader 'amra kojon' shomporke jante pere khub i valo laglo...........apnara desher baire thekeo jevebe desher gan r deshke mullo dicchen sheta asholei proshongshar dabidar.............ashole desher baire thaklei nij shongskritir tan ta beshi beshi onuvob kora jai..........jeta amra jara deshe thaki tara ter pai na.......

apnake ami english eo mail korte partam.........kintu keno jeno ichche holo apnar shathe banglatei kotha boli.................jak apnader ei shonggothon er sharbik shafollo kamona korchi.............

Nahid Akter, Pharmacist
Bangladesh"

" Bhaskar Mazumder:
hello-- i am a student of chittagong university over in bangladesh.today i find ur organisation in a newspaper's magazine named chutir dine.i am realy very much happy to know ur work for bangla songs.i send my best wishes for all of u-----long live your amra kojon."

"hi
this is joyita from bangladesh. aj prothom alo chutir din a apnar lekha porlam. valo laglo jara u.s.a thekeo amader bangali music practice kore. and thank you also for inform us this news.apni aro likhben asha korte pari ki?
take care and have a nice day. BYE.............."

"hi Adnan vai
apnar lekha "amra kojon" lekhati prothom-alo chutirdine porechi,thanks to Taposh da,khov mogdha holam j apnara bideshe thakeo desh o bangla gan ato valobasen,thanks again to Taposh da & ur team for creat "Amra kojon" bangla gan & bangali culture bishwer kacha tole doron,bangli hisebe ami gorbito,adnan vai apnake o thanks lekhar jonno
jito,
narsingdi,
bangladesh"

The whirlwind

2007-01-16T23:09:00.000-05:00

This is coming from a person who is not much good at reproducing emotions on pen and paper, or expressing much emotion at all, however I shall try my best. My life has been quite a whirlwind after being swooped into the AK family in the past few months… making numerous friends, 'friends' I must stress, not merely acquaintances, finding the same passion, the passion for music, in all these 'friends'… what more could I ask for? And what a learning experience it has been! From learning about the history of Bangladesh, which is where my roots are, to learning about functioning as a group, where individuality steps back to give way to altruism and co-operation. Thank you AK family for opening your arms and hearts to me! Here's to many more late nights full of music, good food, lots of adda, Khaleda- Hasina, hookah, booze and throwing up!!! Vive la AK.

- Roshni Basu
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Energy that comes from within

2007-01-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

Quite a lot of feedback comes to us via personal emails, and its always a challenge to translate that into a blog entry. But I'll do my best. This is the email that Jhontu bhai wrote to us after the Jan 13th screening of the "Daam Diye Kinechhi Bangla" DVD. -naina

" It was a wonderful party. We really had good time. Food was delicious. Thanks for everything.

It was really unexpected and indeed was a surprise for me when you guys called me with a gift of appreciation. I felt hesitant and sort of uncomfortable at the moment.

The LP player looks really nice. Thanks again.

One thing, I disagree when Taposhda and Ahmed Bhai say repeatedly that your generation could not do anything (zero). I feel your generation are doing a lot of things in Bangladesh and abroad. You are doing something that a lot of other group in North America could not do. I have said it before and please keep doing it. Some will confess some will not what Amra Kojon is painting on us - who are plainly confused and know very little about Bangladesh. The beauty of Amra Kojon is that the energy comes from within.

Music diye possible manush ke bojhano, boktrita, seminar er tolerance ekhon anek kome gase......in bangladesh at least. [It is possible to reach out to people through music - our tolerance for speeches and seminars have been worn thin, at least in Bangladesh.] People are being deceived. Speech, seminars, meetings are seen to be a complete failure to create emotions in Bangladeshi's heart. I guess they are tired of hearing it too. Amra Kojon is an alternate source of power and it should continue producing the very best. Music is close to our heart, we understand it well.

As you said, "Let music be the conviction of our heart," this should be the slogan of Amra Kojon. We can not live comfortably and think of making social change at the same time! Amra Kojon must make its platform in North America first and make its massive appearance in Bangladesh. I may sound emotional, but I am damn serious. If we can think, we can also do it."

- Atiqul Alam (Jhontu)

[excerpted from an email sent by Jhontu bhai]

DVD of the Dec 03, 2006 show now available!

2007-01-16T22:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

Hope you have all had a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend! Some of us got together on Saturday night to watch the "Daam Diye Kinechhi Bangla" DVD together.

In another week or so, we will have complimentary copies of the DVD available for our performers(Daam crews). We will also have limited additional DVDs available for purchase at $5.00 (S&H not included), so that those of you who want to buy copies for your friends or families or as gift items can do so at the subsidized rate. Please email Naina at naina@alum.mit.edu to place your pre order by 01/31/07, so that we can make copies accordingly.

After 31st January, you will be able to buy the DVD from Foodland (Cambridge), India Restaurant/Shaptaak Music House in RI and Music stores in NYC for $10.00 per copy.

On Saturday night, we also discussed a project idea for the Noboborsho celebrations this year - we want to showcase the evolution of the Bangla film music in an exciting production that we'll call "Chhaya Chhondo". Tentatively slated for sometime in mid-April, we're looking at a time commitment of roughly 6 weekends - so if you'd like to be involved, please email us at amrakojon@gmail.com and we'll make sure you receive the rehearsal announcements.

We look forward to working together again this year - and in the meantime, please keep sending us your comments and input for the AK Blog ( http://amrakojon.blogspot.com/) by emailing naina@alum.mit.edu.

Few good news needs to be share…...TV Asia broadcasted our Daam show last Sunday at 4pm. There is a write-ups about AK at Prothom Alo, Saturday January 13, Chutir dinee by Adnan Syed.

If you have any pics/video recording from Daam diye kinecchi Bangla shows, please send it to us ASAP. Soon we will put all the pics in our web.

Let this year be another one filled with music, AK family fun and team-work!
Cheers!

- amra kojon

Daam Diye Kinechhi Bangla on ATN Bangla!

2006-12-27T22:55:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends:

Hope this mail finds you well.

ATN Bangla will be broadcasting Amra Kojon's Gitinakshaa "Daam Diye Kinecchi Banglaa" tonight, December 27, 9:30pm, EST. This is 8:30am in Bangladesh & 8:00am in West Bengal, December 28 th.

They will be broadcasting our Harvard show, staged on December 3 rd, organized by Owning Our Future. Our special Thanks to Mr. Atiqul Islam Jhontu from Mayamax Studio, NY & Mr. Manjurul Islam Manju from ATN Bangla, NY.

Please spread the words, let your family & friends to watch us back home.

We thank all the performers from 3 different performance, and its organizer, volunteers and behind the scene friends, who helped us stage the Daam Diye Kinecchi Banglaa and of course the audience for their continued support.

Cheers!
Taposh
On behalf of AK music family

Kudos!

2006-12-22T14:58:00.000-05:00

Dear Amra Kojon,

You are simply great and asset for our beloved Bangladesh. When I was watching your show, it was really heard for me to control my tears. I was literary spelled bound!! Our country needs you and your all performers. They all of are simply "great".
Please let me know if this 'Odhom' can do anything for you.
My hat's off. You are now my hero.

Selam
Adnan

Kudos!

2006-12-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Holding the Flag.

2006-12-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

The fun that we had on the on-the-spot rehearsal for 16th December show was not less than expected. We simply ran on Amra Kojon's call for help and may be it was nothing we could do for the show....but enjoyed so much on the context of Taposhda's trying his best to give the show the perfection it deserved. And it was great at the end. The regret of not being able to perform at the show was weekened by getting the opportunity to hold the flag of our nation......Bangladesher potaka dhorar obhiggota age kokhono hoini amar, chokhe shotti pani eshe gechhilo. Thank you, Amra Kojon.

- Nehreen

Owning Our Future performance

2006-12-18T23:23:00.000-05:00

A performer's perspective:

The show was a unbelievable! All our efforts paid off because the
audience had tears in their eyes by the end of the show. The thing is
anyone can perform, but performing in a way that touches people and
brings out their emotion is much harder to do. I feel that thats
what is unique about AK. There was complete silence during our
performance which was an hour long. It was a continuous flow of
songs, dances, chorus, musical pieces, slide show and a skit in the
end. We recognized and paid respect to our history while conveying a
very strong message on what we must do to move forward, so we can
truly say that "amader desh ta ke amra shottekar orthey "sonar bangla"
hishebe shomman dite perechi".
It had a very dramatic and unexpected ending that no one suspected
which added a different dimension to the evening. Jodi dorshokder
moddhey ekjonero chokher pani jhorto, we would have felt that our
mission was successful, whereas we had everyone in tears. I was
looking at people's faces and from young to the old, all had such an
emotional expression that I simply cannot describe. Many ppl in the
audience could surly relate to 71, but there were many that didn't
know the history as well, or didn't even understand the language,
that were in tears. Amar shob friends ra were telling me how they
didn't have to understand anything, but they understood it all. From
beginning to the end, the show captivated the audience and I was
blessed to be a part of such an experience. No one would think that
we only had 6 rehearsals to showcase something of this nature. It was
short but extremely powerful. Taposh Da chara ei mission amra eibhabe
attempt or successful korte partam na. He brought out the emotion in
all of us which clearly showed during the performance. Lokjon je ki
shomman diyeche ta bole bujhate parbo na. Many said that they don't
even see of show of this magnitude in BD. Shottey, onekdin por
perform kore eibhabe ekta satisfaction pelam. This is what makes
everything worthwhile...

Amra Kojon performs at Owning Our Future

2006-12-18T23:16:00.000-05:00

Sharing a few snippets from our mailboxes:

"I just wanted to say how proud I am of all of you. Tonight's show was one of the best shows I have ever seen! Srijan, who doesnt understand Bengali, followed along the whole time and could feel all the emotions. I look forward to all the upcoming amrakojon shows and cant wait to be a part of them!:)
love
ruhi"

"" Dam Diye Kinechi Bangla " One of the best performance by "Amra Kojon".
Another cultural milestone for Bangladeshi people in New England.
Congratulations "Amra Kojon", we are proud of you.

Mahdi"

"I am truly a skeptical person in all aspects of life; never satisfied with anything; but I was really amazed by your spell bounding performances. Thus AK becomes my hero.....Go AK Go.... "

"Congratulations. It was a superb function, touchy and pathetic. A little political too, but it was okay. The performance touched my heart, really glad I went, thank you for sharing it with me :)Thank you for everything Amra Kojon, meeting you all, knowing you all, has been truly inspirational. "

"Such a vivid display of emotion!!! Absolutely superb, appropriate and very
relevant to the current time. But my "afsos" [regret] is as always.....
I wanted more and more people to watch this....more and more.....the whole
world.....until it gets into everybody's veins..."

"Everybody was simply perfect in each of their roles.....I guess everybody would hold the same opinion as me..........Even the dress up was nice too, as if all the colors representing something of Bangladesh. Superb, simply superb, I really really feel sorry for not being able to participate, but I appreciate your effort from the core of my heart......like me, I guess most of the spectators were compelled to shed tears .......with such an overwhelming performance. "

and this is but just a few of the messages that have been pouring in to support the endeavor. Amra Kojon is truly lucky to have such supportive well-wishers and friends. We could not have done it without your support - Thank You!

-Amra Kojon

Remove the ceiling above your dreams!

2006-06-28T19:53:00.000-04:00

Responses came pouring in as soon as we made the announcement about our London show this summer. However challenging it seemed, we believed in our culture, our heritage, our music and the sense of unity among us to make all possible effort in taking Bangla music beyond its limit, to an endless boundary. The pre-concert organizational meeting in London was a tremendous success with sponsors pouring in. We were ecstatic to know that there are others who truly believe in our dream and hold a strong passion for music, and for our roots. With so many eager performers and generous sponsors, we had no time to waste now. We quickly started getting all our energy together that we have been harboring since our first show. We started looking for venues, for tickets, for possible concert dates. We started clearing our schedules for the summer so we can spend more time preparing for the big show! Our summer plans now revolved around how the rehearsal schedule will run. We simply couldn’t wait!

Then came the unfortunate news - losing a significant chunk of the funding from a major sponsor, due to an unforeseen circumstance. Now the only way our dream can come true, is if we can somehow bear our own ticket expenses. The minute I heard the news, I didn’t hesitate for a second to say, “Taps, I’m still in”. Yes we are faced with roadblocks, but no one said it would be easy. Isn’t life all about challenges? Isn’t life also about rising above those and not giving up? Then why should I let one obstacle get in the way of my dream? Yes MY dream, not just AK’s dream, it is OUR dream. What have I got to lose? Not much. What have I got to gain? A priceless experience! Some may think its easy for me to say. Under all other circumstances it would not be. But in the grand scheme of things, it was an easy decision indeed. That one ticket can now earn me a memorable experience that I will cherish forever, an unforgettable story that I can share all my life, a true bond of friendship that will be unbreakable, a chance to be part of history, part of an extraordinary adventure, and an opportunity that may never come knocking on my door again. Our biggest strength is our unity, and united together, anything is possible. As Taps always says, if you dare to dream, you might as well dream big, and you’ll at least reach half way. That’s exactly where we are! Very close, almost there! I certainly will not back out now, because just like many of us, I want to be able to say today, “we have removed the ceiling above our dreams, there are no more impossible dreams”.

- Pusha Karim,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

The fervor in the air....

2006-06-28T17:28:00.000-04:00

There's an unexplainable charged up feeling in the air. A muted excitement, sort of bubbling under the surface. I can't really put my finger on it...

It all began with the project update email we've just received. The final update includes description of how our sponsor in London had to withdraw their financial support because of incapaciating financial losses they incurred in their business this quarter. As a result, we're now inviting performers to join our traveling troupe to London in Sept 2006 and pay for their own airfare/visa costs, while we try to arrange for a series of smaller scale sponsorships to defray the costs of accommodation, venue reservation, and local incidental expenses.

Instead of letting this setback get us down, it seems like all the performers and team members are responding back with enthusiasm and treating this roadblock more as a challenge we can all surmount together.

And then there's this charged feeling in the air, as AK members prepare to start rehearsals for the September show in London. There's energy, passion, and rescheduling social activities to make time and space for bangla gaan.

And I can't help being impressed and amazed all over again - at the spirit that's become the Amra Kojon concept.

-Naina Ahmad
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Counting the Blessings

2006-06-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

It's been a while but all these new posts makes me all teary-eyed :)

Sohini, we miss u painfully and want u back here asap.
Charishma-Shaila, what a surprise!
David, we are are thrilled to have you be a part of us.
Chip, the DVD of the show is truly incredible - esp.ly since I didn't get to watch the whole show live.
Himi, it's been way too long since I've heard u sing - we must remedy that.
Angela, u belong to that pride too - we all do. Like lions!
Pusha, u embody the spirit of AK as a non-performer this season and I hope everyone reads what you wrote.
Jhilmil, Switzerland is seeing much more of you lately than we are. But have a blast and come back faaaast.
Sujon, thank god for the sessions CD since I never tire of hearing Nobi Nadia's golden voice - live or recorded!
Naina, words fail me. I will never know how u do all that u do and do AK and blogs and a thousand other things at the same time...

Yes, it's tough to pull stuff off when all of us are volunteers, have different jobs, live in different cities, states and countries.
Sometimes it's a struggle with time, commitments, words...

But still we do it.

And something somehow makes it all worth the while no matter how many things go wrong.

There are so many wonderful ways in which AK brings people together, bridges gaps and builds hope.
These posts are mere testimony to some.

- Auditi Guha,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

The Time in Between

2006-06-17T13:08:00.000-04:00

It has been almost a couple of months since I left Boston after our show. I have missed everyone more during this time than I did after I first left Boston for London. So much have I missed everyone that I have worked every hour of overtime made available at work so that I can take time off to see everyone again. When I flew into London after this show, I had to make my way directly from the airport to work. The overtime that week felt never-ending, but I knew that it was worth it. Right now, the focus is on the less fun stuff: scouting for venues, making bookings, etc. I remind myself that the fun of rehearsals will not happen without the logistical work and that many of us have made and are making sacrifices for AK. But then, that’s what makes it more special.

- Sohini Alam,
on behalf of Amra Kojon.

The curling smoke of the ever-present cigarettes

2006-06-16T00:48:00.000-04:00

When I was first introduced to the music and dance of Amra Kojon in 2003, I immediately recognized that I was in the presence of a breath-taking ancient tradition. The music was transcendent: the bittersweet wails of a landscape and people that -- even without knowledge of the language -- gush beauty, sorrowful images and wisdom. One can only imagine a serene pond, a grieving mother, or a bride's ecstatic joy of hope and goodwill when one hears the poetic melodies played so soulfully by these performers.

With their carefully choreographed steps, iconic gestures and ever-present sweet smiles, the dancers are equally inspiring. The audience is left to feel as though they are receiving the grace of goddesses small and large, breathing life and vigor into their mythologies, evoking childhood playfulness, the strength of maturity, and the tantalizing allure of a young woman.

Three years later, after being treated so kindly by the Bengali community of Boston, I was honored to photograph their most recent performance. Every song, every meditative lyric was performed with the concentration of mystics consumed by the deep beauty of...everything: life, death, sickness, prosperity, the everyday, truth. The ancient instruments, mastered by Taposh Talukder and a host of other musicians -- including [one woman] who commanded a massive sitar like a deft equestrienne -- laid the foundation for the expression of life's constancy and vicissitudes.

When I was a college student, a philosophy professor first introduced me to curry and notions of the eternal behind the curling smoke of his ever-present cigarettes. Amra Kojon has done the same for me, helping me to further understand the dimension of beauty that lies beneath the ethereal vehicles of song, dance and milieu.

- Glenn Kulbako,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

A new friend and a rediscovered friend

2006-06-14T01:37:00.000-04:00

1. Got a frantic email from an administrator of our department on 7th noon: we desperately need someone to perform live instrumental music in the commencement reception hosted by the Civil Engr. Department on 9th noon.
Who else do I have to turn for help except AK ?!!
Thanks to Taposh-da's magic, Koyel agreed to perform in a days notice, made the long trip to Cambridge from RI in a weekday noon and we had a wonderful commencement reception.
And I got this opportunity to better know a wonderful person like Koyel.

2. As a kid of grade four I had known a sweet girl named Shaila ...later we attended the same high school for a short while. After long 10 years in the AK April show I discovered that 'AK Dina' and the Shaila I knew as a kid is the same person !! And we have been living in the same coast for the last 4 years !

Being a part of AK is such an amazing experience in so many different ways !

Charisma
On behalf of AK

Bring on the paint!!

2006-06-06T16:30:00.000-04:00

I am wrapping up my last day of work before I go off and pursue a completely new career path. Naina knows this is a chaotic time in my life and wanted in on the action. She asked me to recount this past year... and as I think about what has really changed in my life, I think about my friends. I have a beautiful past and present because of friends. This is how I recall times in my life and how I pinpoint memories... friends. I know as long as I look back to this vibrant time in my own life history, Amra Kojon friends will pop happily into view. It's as if they have rushed into my life with buckets of colorful magic paint and have splashed glittery textured strokes in every corner of my being! Now as I move to the next phase in my life, it doesn't quite feel like a phase at all because I know that these friends will continue to bombard my life with energy, excitement, love and faith in friendship. So please, keep bringing over your buckets of paint to me!

- Jhilam Biswas Jhilmil
on behalf of Amra Kojon

ATN Bangla broadcasts

2006-05-21T01:18:00.000-04:00

ATN Bangla will be broadcasting parts of the Amra Kojon's "Let Music be the Language of our Conviction" during one of their shows that focus on expatriate community life and activities.

One part will be broadcast at 1010pm, EST, on Saturday, May 20, 2006. This is 810am in Bangladesh and 840am in India, on May 21, 2006.

Don't forget to watch the show and check back frequently at our website for subsequent broadcast dates and times.

Take 2

2006-05-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

After finishing (and re-finishing) the DVD for the MIT concert in 2003, I eagerly awaited my turn to shoot video for Amra Kojon. I assumed that first chance would be London, but thankfully a preliminary concert would appear in Cambridge before the drastic leap overseas.

Upon early arrival at the Morse School, I felt simultaneously excited and at ease with the environment created for the show. Immediately I knew it was going to work! It had to. So much care and attention to detail must be rewarded with success.

One show and a few weeks later, I sit with the footage I shot and marvel at the talent displayed that night. Amra Kojon has found an amazing collection of talents. The future will only reaffirm this feeling.

- Chip VanDyke,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Post-production updates

2006-05-11T15:41:00.000-04:00

If you've been keeping up with all the updates made to the Amra Kojon website - well, then you're already up-to-date, good for you. For those who've missed the recent updates, thought I'd let you know what's happening :)

We've added the April 22 Photo-Gallery to the website. Now, you can find all rehearsal pictures, behind the scenes pictures, party pictures and pictures from the show all neatly organized in one place.

If you have pictures taken on the day of the show and want to share your pictures through our photo gallery, please get back to us. Comment in response to this post and we can get back in touch with you to coordinate picture collection :)

Remember how there were 4 professional photographers on the day of the show? Well, they've taken exceptionally beautiful shots of the performance, stage, backstage, the lobby area and of the audience members. Their online exhibits are also linked from the Photo-Gallery page.

The performer profile pages have been put up on the web. Yes, some are still under construction, as I coordinate with Mark, our current web-saavy volunteer, and some are missing the biographical profiles. If you haven't given me your profile yet, or your friend hasn't (and you can tell because their profile reads "coming soon") - now is a good time to get in touch with me.

We are waiting to receive the original sound track from ATN Bangla - after which, Chip, our talented videographer friend, will create the individual mp3 files to post along with each performer profile. We will then work on finishing the video editing of the show, and posting the songs on the website. What else? Oh yea, Matt, our documentary director/producer, will be working with the various interview footage to create a coherent "The spirit of Amra Kojon" clip. Again, once all that is done, you'll be able to access a lot of those materials through our website.

We're short-staffed - as always. If you want to volunteer in some capacity to deal with the logistics and post-production followups, please let us know :)

And in the meantime, enjoy the pictures from the show at the Photo-Gallery!

-Naina Ahmad
on behalf of Amra Kojon

An embracing pride

2006-05-09T15:07:00.000-04:00

I received this on April 25th from Angela:

I woke up last night with an insomnia attack where Jhilmil's "pa ma gare sa" song was stuck in my head! I don't even know the words to that song and it's been going through my head ever since. It was one of the most wonderful concerts I've been to in years. Perched between my very white husband and two malayali friends, I was so proud to be a bangali sitting among the audience. The whole time, I was thinking, this is what we are all about. After years of being in the most-corrupted-nation-list or the infamous bottomless-basket-list, this show tells the story of passionate bangalis in the best possible light.

I don't know Faarzein but her words from the AK blog express exactly how I feel also:

" If there were ever a true, ideal Bangla nation, it would be AK because AK is what Bangla nation should be: self-less hospitality, crazy passion for Bangla culture, infectious merryment and pride in being a Bengali.......and all this without any of the religious/political narrow-minded nonsense that afflicts most Bangalis! As far I am concerned, AK is more home to me than Bangladesh. At AK, we worship Bangla culture, we uphold Bangla ideals and we passionately sing Bangla songs! What more could a Bangali girl like me ask for? :)
- Faarzein Mahmud,
on behalf of Amra Kojon"

I would like to add that when Bangalis are proud, it's not because of our might in the sword but rather it's a sense of love for the nature and the people that nourished us, expressed through the poetic hearts and singing voices of our people. The uniqueness about "bangali pride" is that there is an absence of a sense of dominion or power over others. In its place there is an abundance of closeness to our love of culture in whatever form it may take, be it poetry, paintings, songs, or dance.

It's a pride that embraces others and doesn't isolate. It's even more inspiring in these times because pride today means burning down the bridges of understanding and connection between us and them.

Thanks for reminding us of all the songs we grew up with. Songs in which we actually call nature "our mother" and thus invoke a sense of belonging that stretches the boundaries of modern nations and making a family of us all.

Good job all of you for bringing that embracing sense alive!!

-Angela Muhuri,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

The "ultimate thrill"

2006-05-09T12:11:00.000-04:00

It has been a family tradition for us for many years to perform and for those of you who know me, know that I like to have fun with music, absolutely love the thrill of being on stage, yearn for the excitement and the anticipation right before a performance, long for those sleepless nights when all I could think of is the show, the sound of "ghungur", the rhythm and the beats and ultimately seeing the look on the faces of those who crave for music. My universe revolves around it and it is a world that to me only I own; it is my ultimate comfort zone. Then how was I willing to step outside of that and not perform on the 22 nd show? Many asked, many were surprised and many thought I was not given a choice. But I still remember Taps asking me if I wanted to dance and this was the first time I found myself refusing to perform as I was longing to work behind the scene.

The fact is I wanted to know what it takes to create that comfort zone, beyond the limits of the stage. I wanted to find out what is it that makes performers like Taps always say that they enjoy rehearsals and all the behind the scene work a lot more than being in lime light. How could that be? Well, I found out, as I stepped aside to experience the "ultimate thrill" as many may call it, and explored the behind the scene work. The intricacy of actually crafting a show was beyond my imagination until now! The excitement of meeting new people, making friends, all the hard work, the laughter and the fun in creating the environment for music and for performance, the drive, the dedication and most importantly the team work involved to hold it all together, allowed me to see a world that I had never seen before. Watching a show blossom into something so wonderful is something that can only be experienced and cannot be explained with the clicks of the keys from my computer. I always wanted to be known as a performer and after the show many only knew me as someone who was at the entrance or at the DVD booth. The fact is it didn't matter to me because today, I can finally say that I got to have the experience of a lifetime; the "ultimate thrill"! Today, if I had to choose again between performing and being back stage, my choice for AK will remain the same. It is the same excitement and the anticipation, the same sleepless nights, the same sound of rhythm and beats that aspire me to conquer whats beyond my comfort zone and expand my horizon to a "limitless boundary".

- Pusha Karim
on behalf of Amra Kojon

They say I'm a dreamer....

2006-05-04T10:18:00.000-04:00

"They say I'm a dreamer,
Ah, but I am not the only one."

There are many reasons why *I* will never lead AK. Mainly because a lot of people I hate will not be allowed to participate in it in any way.

Unfortunately, I have to swallow that bitter pill often given the platform that is our pride -- the fact that we are a close group of friends and music-lovers beyond the borders of country, class, religion and community.

But that platform does not spell out a lot of things that AK deals with every day -- both good and bad.

-The bond that makes our AK friends come from London and SFO and Albany and NY to support us or participate in our endeavors.

-The dedication that makes people donate 100 percent of their blood, sweat and time to working behind the scenes despite holding full time jobs and with very little rest or sleep. (Hey one even gave up his job a week in advance so he could help AK fulltime a week before our Nabo borsho show!)

-The belief that many have in us to give us their time and money so their our dreams can come to fruition.

These people, and I, cannot understand why, when we are trying to do something positive, something different, and something we believe could really make a better world, there are others who pour in cynicism, criticism and lies.

-Yes, we make mistakes. Our projects are great but we are not. We are humans and not even professional event organizers, but we try our best. When we know mistakes have been made, we feel worse than anybody else could and we apologise, sincerely.

-When Murphy's Law takes it's course and things go haywire, we try to learn from them to prevent it from happening the next time around.

-AK's unofficial disclaimer is that we do not intentionally leave anyone out of our planning and process. If you want to serve coffee or make copies just volunteer and we'd love to have you. But be on time and don't ditch us. Keep that commitment when you make it because we can't keep track. When there are so many people in charge of so many things that often we can't check every single aspect.

-We welcome criticism and no one has been more critical of our events than many of the most involved people themselves. But at same time we have to move beyond our mistakes. There's more work to do, more goals to meet, bigger projects to unveil and very little time. We can't afford to be bogged down by things smaller than our dreams.

I still remember the first Amra Kojon meeting at MIT where we met prospective sponsors and most of them laughed off the idea of a large-scale event showcasing 1,000 years of Bangla music with more than 100 singers on a stage as prestigious as Kresge.

But hey, it happened. And it was sold out. On a snowy weekday. And it received rave reviews in the media in Boston, NY, London and Dhaka. Don't believe me? Check our press clippings online at www.amrakojon.org.

About a year ago, another meeting took place when Taps voiced his dream for the project we now call AKoTRo or Amra Kojon on the Road -- a never-before attempt to take Bangla music chorus all over the globe -- a world tour, no less. Once again, we were met mostly with derision and cynicism. They said it was impossible. They said it could never happen. They said he was dreaming.

Well, guess what, it's happening again. I for one will be laughing on the other side of my face when I board that plane. Or when others board, in case I have to manage the home base if needed.

I do not understand Taps' obsession to involve and appease everyone, be they performer, organizer, one-time assistant or guest. But I respect it and I admire him for being able to do something I clearly cannot. For his sake and AK's, I am respectful towards all those people who crib and contribute nothing because it is not my place to tell them to shut up or stay out. Because the dream is no longer mine
alone and I have no rights sabotaging it for others. And AK needs the strength of diversity, of numbers, to succeed.

So if you want to come and join us, do. We want you. We need more dreamers -- and doers. But do so at your own peril because AK will monopolize ur life, make giant demands of your time, demand instant action and a commitment to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, 'till death do us part. You can either believe or not. There is no middle-path. Call it a cult, if you must.

If you only want to party with us and not participate in the AK workload, still join us. Our parties very much capture the spirit of AK.

But the moral of my long story is, if you have nothing to contribute other than negativity, hysteria, criticism and lies, DON'T! And if you must, well, we've survived this long with the negativity, chances are we still will....

"I hope someday you can join us,
And the world will live as one."

- Auditi Guha,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

How can I not be proud?

2006-05-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

It is quite feeling to be surrounded by such talented friends, and quite fulfilling to take pride in the achievements of not just one individual, but a whole team. I know that people have been thanked all over the place and that some are getting tired of it, but I have to express my appreciation for a few special people who put in so much time and effort to make others on stage look good. Undoubtedly, our singers and musicians were awesome, but I got to see firsthand what Audi, Pusha, Naina, Sujan Bhai and Tuhin Bhai did for all of us. And what impresses me most is the unselfishness with which they did their work. Hours of hard work put in and no recognition desired. How can I not be proud to have friends like that?

- Sohini Alam,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Dare to Dream!

2006-05-03T13:32:00.000-04:00

I am writing two weeks after the show and the drunken afterparty.

That I am writing at all is a miracle cos I think I have had it with Bangla songs, alponas, maniacal backstage chaos and fatigue! I have a secret plan to move to the Arctic reserves and fight against drilling for oil or something that will take me out of the next AK project.

Unfortunately I have no drive and no money and without Taps to feed my mind and soul (and stomach too!) I'd be starving anywhere else.

Five years ago I remember my first highway drive in the US in a beamer he claimed wasn't his, maybe at 3 am in the night. We listened to sad songs on the way and cried and exchanged lifestories, two strangers in the night.

Later at his studio, we sang our favorite songs, told our saddest stories and wept our happiest tears. And I wondered aloud why we can't leave our mundane lives behind and roam around the world and make music instead.

I was serious and I know the thought stayed with him.

So I wasn't surprized when our first AK show came into being - it was just one step closer to a bigger dream. And I don't think AKoTRo will be the end of it.

This is just the beginning.

- Auditi Guha,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Midnight Bulletin

2006-04-29T00:27:00.000-04:00

This is friday midnight...the weekend after the show...atiq here....no...I'm not reading a midnight bulletin to you...just saving you the effort to scroll down to see who it is....rather than thanking everyone involved in the show I prefer to express my gratitude toward everyone to make it an enormous success. I feel honored to be a part of such a unique and one of a kind event. I specially would like to acknowledge the roles the behind the scene people played. Taposh da, Sujan, Tuhin, Fawad, Naina, Auditi, Pusha, Sujan (MIT), Noreen....and the list continiues.......jobab nei tomader......and of course the performers.......I know...Amrakojon is a such a close knit family that thanks and acknowledgements are hardly enough to capture its grace but I wanted to share my thoughts anyway.......Soon we'll be preparing for the London show....and I know Amrakojon will continue its journey to simultaneously setting standard and raising the bar.....last but not least....Tuhin is moving to CA this Sunday.......I don't want to say he will be greatly 'missed'........because the feeling in 'missed times 100'....don't seem to find a word in english or bangla to express it....we really need to add some new words in modern languages...our best wishes with you Tuhin :)

-Atiq Rahman
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Lalu

2006-04-27T10:27:00.000-04:00

My Lalu could say things that you couldn't quite believe. He would spin his precious yarn of tales about his childhood and adolescence, that would sound so wild, so remote and, therefore, quite incredible. He had us in stitches when I last saw him in Dhaka, telling my wife and me about how strict his father had been when he was growing up, and all the ways he got punished for his waywardness.

And all his unbelievable conspiracy theories about American foreign policy, Israel, 9-11! Very interesting indeed, but hard to believe. And if you know him like I do, you had to wonder - could it be true?

Lalu, of course, is what I call my youngest "Khalu". Its a thing I picked up as a child, calling him Lalu and his wife - my mother's youngest sister - Lala. And I never lost it. Lalu wouldn't let me.

After 14 years of marriage, Lala-Lalu were blessed with a beautiful son too. But before him, they doted on me. Lala still calls me 'boro chhele' (older son).

Lalu - the life of the party. Loud, raucous, rambunctious and humorous. Full of love and laughter. But being a barrister's son, he would never lose an argument. It was hard to hold any stance against his.

My Lalu died last weekend, during AK rehearsals, of a heart attack. I can't believe it.

I couldn't cry that day, for some reason. Maybe it was the presence of all the friends around me. The air of positivity we revel in. Or maybe I just didn't want to believe it. Like many of Lalu's stories, maybe I was hoping this would just be such an incredible episode.

But as I write this today, I cry, knowing that I have lost my Lalu forever.

But I still can't believe it.

- Sujan Bin Wadud
on behalf of Amra Kojon

shoutout to the backstage people.

2006-04-26T19:48:00.000-04:00

Had to share excerpts of this email exchange with you guys:

Taposhda wrote us an email, thanking us for backstage support and volunteering. To which, Sujan Kabir replied, “Three cheers for Taposh'da...Hip Hip........................Three cheers for Amra Kojon...Hip Hip.........................

Commenting on the event will be patting our backs, so let others do that. It was fun, will always be cherished, specially the new ties and bonds we just made :-) Amra Kojon is a large family in the true sense."

Taposhda countered with a shout-out to Tanvir bhai, “And my dear Bondhu Tanvir: All this personal emotional talk goes to you too. I know Noreen was pretty upset with you and Sujan for AK related over work!!! Thank God, your wife was not in Boston.
Welcome to AK family my friend. Aami bhalo bhabe kotha bolty likhty pari naa, aamar okkhomotaa etaa [I can not speak or write well, that’s my shortcoming]. But mone mone tomaader sobaar mongol kamonaa kori [But at heart, I wish the best for you all]. What ever all of us did, its not for me or ak or for us...its for our bangladesh, for our motherland, jaar kachee aamder ontoheen reen [for our motherland, to whom we are indebted infinitely].

Noreen: Here is your husband Sujan, take him back to your life again...keep him for next two months. Will borrow him again from August 2006, hee hee heeee.....”

Noreen apa quick replies, “What??!?!? August 2006?? We never talked about August Taposhda! Oh wait, I won’t even be in Boston, okay, do with him what you will, but I want him back in early September again!”

Sujan bhai writes in, “Bhai aar bon-er majhe aami "shuttle cork"! "Keep him" "take him" choltase. Ki aar korum! [I’m the shuttle cork between the brother and the sister! What can I do?] BTW: How are other 2 AK Sujans' doing!”

Sujan (ATM) writes back, “Hey, Sujan-bhai, I'm doing well.
Just got back home and am reading this thread of mails.
It was all a whirlwind of an event. Looking back, it seems like a dream,...well, borderline nightmare because of the pressure! With the responsibility of the "Sound of Music", I probably looked the most grumpy on stage. Taps tried to get me to smile, with his warm and encouraging "Has na, shala!" but to no avail. Also, I messed up many things. But next time will be better - there will be 4 keyboards for me alone! I'm just kidding. (Or am I?)

Anyway, here's a suggestion for Taps - we know how important backstage is to the main show, so why not bring the backstage to the front (say, at the end), and highlight the backstage crew in an elegant way? They deserve to be seen by the audience, to give them a sense of the sheer magnitude of work behind some of these shows, and for us to express our gratitude for being able to stand on their able shoulders and sing. After all, Amra Kojon isn't just the 20 or so singers and a few musicians, but much much more.

Anyway, Taps, thanks for creating this platform for us. I feel very proud to be a part of it. You da man!”

I had to pipe in, “I vote for glass backstage walls, sound proof though, and then at one point, we airlift the glass walls away, and reveal the chaos and madness behind scenes. :) hahahaha.

Sujan bhai - there were no messups that you guys all didn't deal with exceptionally well.

Frankly speaking, and you guys might hate me for saying this, but I feel that we're focusing a bit too much on "highlighting" those who made the production possible. In my view - we all wanted to do something fun, present something aesthetically pleasing, and share bangla gaan with our audience. Wwe did that. Doesn't matter who helped - we were all in it for our personal satisfaction and not for the recognition. Acknowledgment and recognition gets into the tricky game of "who did we leave out" and other icky areas I love to avoid :) but that's only me.

Alright, now for the next one week - I forbid all AK show related thanks, acknowledgments and the like. We need to all focus on recharging, strategizing for the next projects, and surging forward. Yes, part of that can not come without learning from our experiences, but I think Taposhda needs this week and the weekend TOTALLY off from AK life and AK. Just sleep, eat, and vegetate. Everything else, we will handle, and keep going.”

A quick support from Nadia, “I second Naina, 210%. Everyone, please vegetate.”

Yet almost simultaneously, the jhari pours in from Fawad, “Naina, Two words. Be quiet. Who needs to rest anyway? (This comes from the person who didn't make it to the afterparty since he was too tired.. hehehe) I am up and ready for our next array of rehearsals. So damn excited and ready to kick ass, not even funny. As far as Taposh da goes….. we all know he doesn't need to eat, drink OR sleep. And asking him not to think of AK for a week is like asking him not to breath for a week (even worse, smoke). Anyway, I can't wait to watch a recording of our show. Any words on when where and how???

Sujan (ATM), Tumi jodi maiya hoita [if only you were a girl]..... ok never mind.. hehehe

Hope to see you guys soon.”

My quick reply, “Recording of our show - ETA at least a week from now. Our direct audio capture from the first half of the show was "burnt out" - so we've requested the audio track from ATN Bangla, and it will take them a few days to get it to us, and then Chip will do the video editing and prepare a DVD. One week, 10days from now.

Show pictures - Auditi and I took some that are ready for viewing – by the end of the weekend. The professional pictures will take a bit more time - we expect that the photographers will give us their collection by the end of this week.

Performer profile pages will be up soon. for a sample, click on "Abhijeet Bhutra" from the show page, you will see what I mean. Fawad mia - profile dao [give me your profile].

I'll be quiet, promise. but "da man" needs to recharge.

For antsy performers who want to do more RIGHT NOW - send me your profiles, send me blog entries, send me notes on the songs you sang, so we can put it in the description section under each mp3 clip :) I know this email isn’t going to reach the performers, but I will rely on Fawad bhai's exuberance to call people/email them and badger them for profiles, blog entries and song descriptions :)”

Feedback from our visiting audience from Bangladesh

2006-04-26T11:56:00.000-04:00

Dear Taposh and everyone of "Amra Kojon",

This is to convey our heartiest congratulations and appreciation for the
performance of "Amra Kojon" held on April 22 ,2006.
It was an excellent and well managed programme and outstanding performance
of each of the participants impressed us very much.
It was above and beyond our expectation to have enjoyed such a quality
programme in a far away land with a limited resource base.
Please keep up your efforts for continued improvement and excellence. We
pray and hope that some day the name and fame of "Amra Kojon" will spread
far and wide and will bring glory not only to its participants but also to
Bengali music and culture.

With best wishes,
Nilufer Karim
Dr.Abdul Karim

more audience feedback

2006-04-26T11:42:00.000-04:00

Dear taps!!!! my thanks to you again for this most wonderful show; I really enjoyed it a lot -- that girl Jhilmil was so cool and her expressions are so cutre!! my god! Patrick enjoyed it a lot too; I enjoyed each and every song because I could relate to them and of course many of these I have heard before and hearing them with your wonderful instrument coordination was just out of this world; as for Patrick, he told me he really liked the songs where there was a rise and fall or cadence of beats like the Raag, Jhilmils' two songs, Atik's songs -- however for the slightly slower, mournful song! s, he could not tell the difference --- that was his feedback -- though overall, he was very happy to be able to come; I was also able to speak with another girl who is not from bangladesh but is heritagewise bengali -- so she said that although some of the songs were so wonderful and touched her, the fact that there were so many solos one after the other became a little monotonous -- I just wanted to tell you this as some people did find the continuous solos a little too lengthy. if it could be interspaced with maybe one dance piece betwen each solo segment -- thats just a commenty i heard and i wanted to share it with you.
But I think people who really love bengali songs appreciated each and every song
because they were all so rich in content and each performer is so talented;

- Farah Zaheer,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Audience feedback starts pouring in

2006-04-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

Much awaited audience feedback that we want to share with you all:

"Dear Taposh Da,

I just wanted to let you know how good the Boishakhi show was! It was a great treat to listen all these rich melodious bangla songs. I do not know all the performer's names but Nadia, Mukta (both), Sujan, Nita, Niva, the person who sang "Moina Go" and the person who sang "Ami Mela Theke Taal Pata er" - Hats off to all of them! The stage looked great and the total presentation was awesome! Thanks a lot.

Fida Hasan"

At the show and after

2006-04-26T10:02:00.000-04:00

Again, I have to share this email a few of us received from Pusha:

"How am I feeling today? Ek kothaye proud! [In one word, Proud!] This time the show gave me an opportunity to work with some of the most wonderful individuals that I did not get to work with in the past. I only got to capture the first few minutes of the show. I saw everyone line up with “Ami Banglaye Gaan Gai” playing in the background and that was it. I came out of the auditorium with tears rolling down my cheeks as it brought back many fond memories of 2003. AK is a reflection of everyone’s hard work, their dreams, and their passion for music and it gives a true meaning to what team work is all about. The fact is, I did not need to see the rest of the show because I was happy and fulfilled within the first few minutes. It allowed me to work very closely with two of AK’s soldiers this time: Tuhin/”kash” and Sujan Kabir. While everyone did their best, I will not even attempt to thank people because that is something only Taps is good at, but I do have to say a few words about some of the individuals that made an impression during that weekend.

Tuhin/”kash”: The more pressure, the more calm you get. I have never met anyone who can remain so focused and composed under so much pressure (Taps, don’t fire me for telling the truth! he he he)…I think you should forget Red Roof Inn, and consider yourself an employee at the Shaptaak Inn!

Sujan Kabir: We were really the “bad guys” at the show. But you were absolutely terrific at handling everything that day, most certainly better than me! I had no choice but to direct people to you! he he he..

Sohini: Thank you so much for your kind words and a big hug backstage. Yes, once again that day, your words brought tears to my eyes.

Audi: The only one who noticed that I didn’t get to eat and got dinner for me. Thank you!

Abhijeet/Naina: Thank you for making sure I was not lost on friday and for calling me up every few minutes to check..how sweet :-)

Taps: Thank you for the opportunity that allows me to meet such great people. I may not always be able to make it to all the fun parties, but you can always count on me at other times when I’m needed.

Lots of love,
P :-)

- Pusha Karim,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

How am I feeling - II

2006-04-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

This is part of our email exchanges from April 21, before the show, from Abhijeet:

These songs like shaat bhai champa...are not only in my head all the time, but they almost got me killed last Saturday morning.

so, we have all had neighbors who play loud music the night before you have an exam, interview or something very important the next day...and practicing with all the musicians and performers in AK family (whom Tapushda calls amateurs for some reason, I still cant figure out why...) is not easier than writing any exam.

so anyways, this black guy (african american guy) lives in the apartment below mine, who is always playing loud music until I start jumping in my apartment like a mad man dancing to Koi Kahe Kahta Rahe song...

to make long story short, I am half asleep at 9 on saturday morning only after sleeping at 5 (after 8 hours of practice all friday night) and I knock on this guys door, cursing like anything and at the same time wondering that this guy playing shaat bhai champaa doesnt sound right.....and the guy walks out and beats the shit out of me saying why the $%@# did you wake me up at 9 on a Saturday morning...of course he wasnt playing any music and all this was only in my head...

and BTW, for you people who wrote stuff in Bangla in this email exchange, SAME TO YOU!

see you all tomorrow. get some sleep people.

- Abhijeet Bhutra,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

How am I feeling?

2006-04-22T12:24:00.000-04:00

How am I feeling? Like I'm single! Sujan has been in an AK world the last week
or so.

The other day he needed to go get printouts after we had come home.
Normally he tells me before going somewhere, but this time the only way I knew he was gone was the slamming of the front door!

Today I was talking to him on the phone and all of a sudden the line
went dead. I call back, it goes to voicemail. I call the home number "I'm talking to
Tanvir" *click*

Taposhda, after tonight I want my husband back!!! :-)

- Noreen Zaman,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

The show is in a day!

2006-04-22T03:59:00.000-04:00

These are my feelings the day before the show:

I am very very excited to be part of the Amra Kojon venture this time
around! It has been great fun for me to attend the jamming parctice sessions
at Shaptaak Bangla House. I have learnt a lot from fellow singers and
musicians. I am also amazed to see such great passion for the love of Bangla
music and devotion to our culture among the Amra Kojon team. I am looking
forward to tomorrow's show as I will be able to enjoy and see the whole
thing to come alive, I am also scared that I will be lost on my way to the
auditorium and will not even make it to the show....

- Sabina Ahmed, Tani
on behalf of Amra Kojon

The day before.

2006-04-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

The show is tomorrow. I'm so excited – I really want to see what the finished production will actually turn out to be like. What are the others thinking? Are they excited, nervous, tense? I wanted to find out – so I asked. Here are some excerpts:

Abhijeet was the first to reply, within a few minutes of the email going out, “tense :-( I am trying to convince Shafaq to play for me in all songs...haha.”

Himi wrote, “I know who would want to write a lot!!!! MY MOTHER !!!!! about getting casted as a volunteer... he he he”

Jhilmil answered, “Honestly, I think I'm most nervous about the thought that my sari is going to fall off on stage... or that I'll trip over it going to the mike!”

Sujan Kabir wrote back, “This girl......Jhilmil......I am yet to get introduced to, and the song she's going to sing (Ta, ta......) is banging inside my head since morning today. This is Sujan (MIT). I shouldn't have gone for the rehearsal on 15th. Now I eat, drink & sleep Amra Kojon”

Nadia perked in, “Jhilmil, same with audi and me -- for the few minutes we see of each other during the week, we spontaneously break into singing Pa, Pa Ma Ga Re Sa! What have you done!”

The voice of reason and reassurance comes from Tuhin bhai, “I am not worried at all. Those of you are worried "I got your back". A Kuna Ma Ta Ta. “

Shafaq wrote, “Me, I have "Shat Bhai Chompa" stuck in my head. Especially the interludes. Last Friday night I went to sleep with the 'ta na na na na' stuck in my head, and Saturday morning I woke up with the song still firmly lodged in my head. I listened to the song at least 25 times on my way back to New York from Boston. Ektu ghumai, ektu gaan shuni [I sleep a bit, and I listen to the music for a bit]. And guess what, even now I can't get it out of my head.

He khoda [Oh God]. Someone save me. Please.

Da na na na
na na na
jabo na jabo na jabo na re
da na na joubon jala
tomay deke deke shara
da na na na

arghghhhhh!!!!!”

Tanvir bhai wrote, “Initially, Sujan bhai more or less coerced me into buying a ticket for this show. Then I found out that my wife’s cousin, Anila, will be performing so I got the ticket to see her. Now I am finding myself working as a volunteer....Amazing transition for me....hahahaha. “

Past 2am Auditi wrote, “How strange, do people on this list never sleep?” leading to a string of an entertaining late-night exchange.

This morning, Himi wrote, “For some reason I have Mukta's 'jete dao amaye dekona' stuck in my head. That's what I am singing all day. I can't wait for the after party!”

Tuhin bhai chimed in, “T - 31 hours and 18 minutes.”

Pusha wrote, “This is one active group!!! Lots of energy, no desire to sleep...perfect for AK! verrrrrry excited about tomorrow!”

Jhilam wrote, “Sujan... it's true, I don't think I've met you. Yet from the sound of all these emails, you've been to all these rehearsals. How did I miss you? Were you hiding under the keyboards? To all of you- I apologize... my songs are completely stuck in everyone's heads... and I can't imagine the kind of banging Dhe Dhe Ta Dhe Ta Dhe will cause in people's heads if it's on replay! Thank god I get to sing it and just get it out of my system! haha.”

Later on, I was speaking to Abhijeet on msn messenger, and he commented, “I am not really tense for the show, but I am tense for 'after the show', since the beating would be all after the show based on how good/bad you performed....”

There's this vibrant energy in the air somewhere. I have a splitting headache from not sleeping much throughout the week, and yet its fun to blast music in Taposhda's dining room as we work frantically trying to make posterboards, checking last minute packing details and figuring out logistics of trying to move a few truckloads of decoration material from Providence to Boston.

-Naina
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Our Promise

2006-04-21T03:08:00.000-04:00

David, We could not say it any better. You just said what had been hidden in our heart. I welcome you again as part of our family where “all for one, one for all”.

For those of you who will be on stage, I want to promise you on behalf of Naina, Auditi, Pusha, Noreen, Sujan and the team, “ We will make you look good”. You guys knock everybody down with your voice, your bits, and your piano. We will impress the hell out of them by our decor, presentation, and professionalism.

We will set the standard for the world of Bangla music and let the other follow.

-Tuhin
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Amra Kojon, The Ideal Bangla Nation

2006-04-20T16:54:00.000-04:00

Amra Kojon defies description. You have to be there, feel it and LOVE
music to know what AK is. But since I've been gently nudged *wink* by
Naina and Taposh da to write up something on AK, here it is.

If there were ever a true, ideal Bangla nation, it would be AK because
AK is what Bangla nation should be: self-less hospitality, crazy
passion for Bangla culture, infectious merryment and pride in being a
Bengali.......and all this without any of the religious/political
narrow-minded nonsense that afflicts most Bangalis! As far I am
concerned, AK is more home to me than Bangladesh. At AK, we worship
Bangla culture, we uphold Bangla ideals and we passionately sing
Bangla songs!
What more could a Bangali girl like me ask for? :)

Thank you SO much for bringing me into your family, AK!

- Faarzein Mahmud,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Memories..

2006-04-20T16:36:00.000-04:00

I dont really know what to say because other people are so eloquent about their feelings and experiences in being part of the amrakojon family and I am not! But i will say this...Amrakojon to me is about memories. I have memories of the rehearsals that we used to have for the 2003 show...sitting in the corner with Afreen...and trying not to get caught while we whispered to each other. Getting yelled at by Taposh da and Mamun uncle because we got caught. I have memories of the show, of being exhausted but so amazingly happy that we pulled off such a great show. I have memories of laughter and joy, of getting to know new people and of strenthening old ties. Now with our new show and London trip and the world tour...i look forward to creating more memories ...filled with love and music:)

- Tahira Sharmeen, Ruhina
on behalf of Amra Kojon

sharing an email

2006-04-20T16:25:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel that a glimpse into our email inboxes is the only real way to get to know the emotion, sacrifices and the strong bond of friendship that keeps Amra Kojon together. From time to time, I'm going to use the blog here to share an email or two precisely for that purpose - to show you guys what AK really means to those who work with the team.

Here is a short email that Mahdi bhai sent to Taposhda this morning.

-Naina
on behalf of Amra Kojon

"yes, Boss. I have done so far 11 T shirts, I/2 Back screen, 1/2 both
boards, haven't start with orange sari, I will finish back screen and board
tonight and yes we will be able to finish our Back screen at Morse school
tomorrow by the evening. Tshirt and Sari will be finished by Friday
midnight. after long time feeling like working for "UTTORON".........it was
my AmraKojon at BM College. Some tears on my eyes..............no
good...............
Thanks Taposh Da letting me do this work. It has been long time I haven't
touched "Tuli & Rong"...........Now I remember Badol Bhai ( My Guru) ,
Partho Da ( My Light house), Roton( half of me), Udichee. Im crying Taposh
Da...............Thanks. After 10 years you made me cry."

Rehearsal pictures

2006-04-19T09:57:00.000-04:00

Selected pictures from the Rehearsals are being uploaded now. Check: http://www.amrakojon.org/April2206Show/april2206show_rehearsal.html

-naina
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Steps of 391 Hope

2006-04-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

I sat down on the cement front steps of 391 Hope Street and breathed in the fresh air and blinked at the warm afternoon sun. I looked at my watch, was it already 6:00 PM? How had I missed the whole beautiful day? I thought back through the weekend. Fuwad picked me up at 6:30 PM last night from my Boston apartment, and there I was 24 hours later, with about 4 hours of sleep, ears drumming and blood pulsing in Bangla music and the Amra Kojon spirit. I even smelled like Amra Kojon. Don't ask me- I can't describe it... but there is a smell to the hours of keyboards, harmoniums, tabla powder, people singing into reverbing mikes and Indian food all meshing together. Where did the time go?

Others slowly followed me outside, blinking into the sunlight and plopping down onto the steps in exhaustion. It was beautiful. Everyone was happy to be there... to feel exhausted from playing music. And Naina was happy to be snapping away at us with her camera outside and not have to worry about the flash! It's nice to feel like we've used all of our senses for hours and hours at a time. It made us feel alive until we were tired but proud of what we had accomplished. Yet, there is an antsy feeling in the air as well. The show is exactly one week away and there is still much to be done. Everyone feels like a little more effort would allow for even more quality, but we also know we've done our best for now. We know that we still have a week to make everything perfect for the show- and it is so nice to know how many people are invested. It's sold out and even more are wanting tickets!

- Jhilam Biswas
on behalf of Amra Kojon

From sunny NoCal

2006-04-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

There's a saying in Bangla, "Killing two birds with one stone". Likewise, this trip east-ward representes a fulfilment of many goals for the three of us. First and foremost, we get to see everyone! It's been almost 3 years since we departed Beantown and took the Northern trail to sunny NoCal. Second, it gives everyone the opportunity to meet one of the newer members of the "Kojon" family; Zaif. :) Just what kind of participant he will be - well y'all will find out soon enough, Insh'Allah. Finally, this trip is about music. It's been a while since the stubby fingers typing these words have participated in a righteous jam session; 'Kojon will fix that I hope. And in the end isn't that what Amra Kojon is all about? A few honest souls making honest music? I am excited, Munazah is excited, and Zaif is excited. Borrowing from "that" quote: "music fills all our hearts!"

- Razab Q Chowdhury
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Shoes and cold feet

2006-04-17T19:12:00.000-04:00

I was chatting with Pusha today and marvelling at the joy of being able to do that in person again. We were talking about what great team spirit AK has. When Taps tells us that no one gets to wear shoes on stage, there is no argument about whose feet will get cold and whatnot. We understand that we are being told to maintain the uniformity of the team. We understand, without being told, that those who look shorter without their heels will just stand in the front. There is no room for grandstanding, but that does not mean that we just accept what is said without independent thought.

Taps asked me to sing songs of his choice for the show. Upon learning that I was tired of singing the same songs over and over again, he allowed me to present alternatives until one met with his and Sujan Bhai's approval. What was implicit for all of us was that I would sing the original selection if nothing else worked because others were already singing similar songs or if the music would be too hard to coordinate at this stage. I had no problem with that, and Taps certainly didn't. I appreciated that Taps was willing to listen to me and understood my desire to do something different and thus more interesting to me. At the end of the day, though, we do what's best for the team, and that goes for all of us. We look out for one another and we welcome with open arms, people who understand and appreciate the concept of teamwork. It seems that all my blog entries about about how we are family. We really are lucky to have more than one each.

- Sohini Alam,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

I quit

2006-04-17T16:32:00.000-04:00

Ok here how it goes. AK’s show is coming soon in few days. We have lots of things to do. This will be one of the best shows ever. With all this exciting things happening it is very hard not to stay away for it. Every day we are singing, making lists, sending emails, making plans etc, etc. I thought with all this happening there is no point wasting time at work. So this is what I did. I QUIT!!!!

Now I can spend my 100% time with AK’s show. There is one thing though which I did not think about.

“HOW WOULD I PAY MY BILLS” ??????

- Dewan Kashem (Tuhin)
on behalf of Amra Kojon

It's good to be back

2006-04-17T16:26:00.000-04:00

I am reminded of what makes us family. It's more than rehearsals. It's washing dishes for the stream of people coming through, as you would at home. It's working around the bedding situation so that everyone fits under the covers. It's making tons of food so that no one goes hungry. It's making a dash for the table so that you can get some food before it's gone. It's forgetting to make that dash because you were so engrossed in the music. It's being too happy to sleep and too hyper to sit still. It's catching up with old friends and making new ones in the blink of an eye. It's smiling and crying at the same time at the thought that if Taps were given $500 and asked to choose between buying something for AK and heating his house during a cold Providence winter, he'd choose the former....and Nita Di wouldn't bat so much as an eyelash at the notion. Wow, it's good to be back.

- Sohini Alam
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Playing Bengali Music with Amra Kojon

2006-04-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

Charlie Parker wrote: “Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art.” This made sense to me and I thought I understood it, but then I played with Taposh.

This week during practice I felt the vibrations of thousands of years of songs and stories and wishes and rainstorms. When all the singers broke into the opening chorus, I recognized the passion in all their voices. Their bodies were gently swaying and mixed in with sweat and notes and foot-tapping then, there came some tears. At first they seemed to sneak out of her eyes, and then after playing hide-and-seek they poured out loud and joined the bellows of the music. Taposh noticed and without any hesitation he embraced her and he too began to cry. These were tears of joy, of memories, of possibilities, of days of hunger and days of plenty, of travelers, of friends, and of souls who know each other. After a few more seconds of music, others began to cry; they struggled to keep on singing with that lump in their throat. This I knew: the pain of losing someone, the passion of the first kiss and the excitement of the ones that will follow, the touch of renunciation, the smile of a stranger, the notes that my soul has been chanting for a millions of years. I stopped being a foreigner, a Colombian, an outsider; this I knew. And like that, the Bengali music was born in me.

Forget about the accents, the key signature, the scales, the bars, the measures, the patterns, the rigid ways of melodies; leave behind the structure of songs and let go of the mechanics and then, then you’ll be playing Bengali music with Amra Kojon. Like being found by the love of your life, who you’ve been searching for in silence all your days and nights, like holding her hand, like that, just right.

- David Upegui,
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Note from Albany

2006-04-05T19:51:00.000-04:00

Amra Kojon was an idea, then became reality! Thanks to Taposhda and many others for bringing everyone together. This past weekend, more people joined the group and it feels like we are getting better and stronger. What seemed impossible is starting to feel easy to do if we can all stick together. The best thing about Amra Kojon is that there are so many of us from all over, and everyone has something to bring to the group! The talents are incredible. We were all mesmorized by Modhumita's songs. We appreciate each other and can learn from each other, the group is unique because its deciplined but at the same time a lot of fun and the most informal group in terms of food, staying togehter, cooking and cleaning together. A big thanks to Naina for cooking such big meals this weekend, there were countless number of people who always show up at AK house and feels welcome instantly. Its where we meet friends and find out about each other's common friends from Dhaka (Nadia and Me:), this is probably the only place where a non-bengali wakes up in the morning and takes charge of the whole kitchen and cleans it up after there were 70+ people who ate the night before. Thanks to Liana. Thanks to Atiq for driving 5 people from RI to Boston when the sun was rising at 6 AM and dropping each of them to their homes and getting home at 7:30 AM. This is all crazy, but thats who we are and we just love it!!

-Shaila Zaman Dina
on behalf of Amra Kojon

And another weekend rolls around!

2006-03-31T16:04:00.000-05:00

I got this email from Auditi, and wanted to share - it does a very good job of summarizing the spirit of the AK rehearsals. I can't wait for the workweek to end so we can start the rehearsal weekend in full swing!
-naina

"All my 10 tickets have been promised out. I have 5 more if any of you are still looking. We will be sold out by Monday and you can't enter without a ticket so please confirm asap.

While many of you I know are coming to the show, I strongly urge you to attend any of our Saturday rehearsals just to see the madness and get a flavor of what Amra Kojon is really all about behind the scenes.

"Last week was a blast, especially with the new music system and audio console, new singers and other AK folks - and I am sure this week will be too. For anyone who hasn't seen a rehearsal at Taposhda's house, you are in for a treat. There are lots of non-performers (like me!) and food and jokes to entertain you if you aren't watching the rehearsal proper.

"All in all, it's quite a scene there. Please coordinate with me if u need a ride because we have people coming and going from Bos and Provi Fri, Sat. and Sun. and Naina and I are usually there all three days. Friends/music-lovers and funky instruments are welcome.

"And I can guarantee that you won't have any kind of weekend plans that could possibly outrival this in amazing you - so please try!"

The first time...

2006-03-31T11:10:00.000-05:00

I got off the phone with Taposhda wondering "What did I get myself into?" Taposhda spoke to me about the sheer dedication everyone had to the "Amra Kojon," and a nearly physical concept of family that the group steadfastly adhered to. The passion flowed from his voice so effusively that it took me some time to adjust my own senses to truly grasp what he was saying. "Jhilmil come, I promise you... once you come, you'll never want to leave. I can just feel that you right for this group. You have no idea what this experience will be but I promise that you will leave here, or never leave here, with a brand new family."

Armed with a healthy dose of skepticism, I went to rehearsal, ready to seize this unknown but excitingly new experience. The family began to take form in the car. Himi picked me up from the T and immediately she drew me in and acquainted me with "Amra Kojon." From then on, the entire weekend was awash with music, dancing, drinking, and delirious laughter until almost 6:00 in the morning. I cannot explain exactly what happened that weekend, but it made me see what is lacking in most of our worlds: passion for people, passion for love, and passion for the arts. It is rare today to find those who are passionate enough... and I realized what I was thirsting for and was afraid I would never find.

Here at Amra Kojon, everyone seems to give up everything they have for musical friends. They are honest with each other and loving toward each other. This family had barely known me for a couple hours when already they were toasting to my presence and loving me wholeheartedly for the little that they had discovered about me. In a world full of suspicion, superficiality and cynicism, how rare is it to find such a thing? I feel as though I've hit the jackpot this week.

-Jhilam Biswas
on behalf of Amra Kojon

The Thorny Bed of Roses

2006-03-29T17:44:00.000-05:00

The tragedy of AK...

.......Is that while Taposhda in his infinite wisdom and goodness manages all the politics single-handedly and has to be a friend to the annoying and the ugly (Hey, I have a huge theory on needing the world and its beings to be everything warm, friendly and beautiful or I dont want to have anything to do with it, thank you!), sometimes, unfortunately, so must we.

Snippet from a recent conversation between Amra Kojon 'Library' and one such Annoying Person.

L: Can you send me two paragraphs for the blog?
Annoying Person: Oh my god, I can't! I am so busy! I don't have timeto eat or sleep!
L: Two sentences?
AP: You have no idea how crazy my life at work is. I get up and go straight to the instead of my desk.... then I work constantly all day and then I come home and hardly spend any time with my kids and then I have to go to work again...(blah blah blah)
Me Interrupting: Errr...you are talking to someone who doesn't sleep at all.
AP: (continues work rant...)
MI: She sleeps at 4 a.m.
AP: So do I....(work rant continues)
MI: EVERY DAY. She sleeps 4 hours so you fail.
AP: (Ok now definitely ranting, tone louder, pitch higher....more workrant - something about how the outsourcing to India didn't work and he fired a whole bunch of nitwits and now cant hire back that man power and has to do all their work...)
Nadia interjecting: sarcastic sympathetic "Oh"
MI: You still fail!
AP: (more work rant...now bordering on the incoherent)
MI: Still fail!
AP: (work rant continues - in a cartoon strip he would now start sweating profusely and try to strangle me but this is real life where I continue to smile sweetly and say things like "Zero" and Fail" with glee!)
Nadia and MI exchange eye rolls.
AP leaves room.
Curtain.

There are some people who clearly just don't get it. Sigh.

- Auditi Guha
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Our out-of-towners.

2006-03-28T13:55:00.000-05:00

Last night, I was exchanging emails with a friend of mine, Shafaq Islam, who had been unable to come to the rehearsals this weekend. He has to travel from NYC to make it to the rehearsals, and we had to pick 3 weekends out of the 5 for him to come rehearse with us.

A brief excerpt from our exchange:

"Here's a few thoughts of my own. Ok, as I understand it, the spirit of Amra Kojon isn't to showcase the individual talent of a few accomplished musicians. Rather, it's more about the group, right? That's evident in the name itself -- "Amra Kojon." As Taposhda was quoted by India New England, AK was formed as "an ensemble of musicians who would set their individuality aside to blend their sounds together." AK is about celebrating the performers' "Bengali culture together and passing on traditions through music, not featuring stars," reported Auditi's Cambridge Chronicle.

At the same time, I feel AK strives to discover and support new talent, taina? Otherwise it would be just a handful of the same people all the time. Rather, AK makes an attempt to be dynamic, always trying out new, creative, some would say crazy, ideas. It is at heart a youthful organization, trying to have some fun, entertain its members and audiences, and accomplish a greater social (and Bangali) good at the same time. "

Just another little glimpse into what Amra Kojon family members are thinking - you know, in case you were wondering why someone would travel from out of state (NYC to Boston, then down to RI with a group of us from Boston) every weekend to come partake in the AK way of life. Because it's worth it.

Sujan bhai, Dina apu - this is also a tribute to you two, driving up to Providence from Albany every weekend to help put together this April 22 production. To share the AK experience with us. Add to that, Sohini from London - doesn't seem like geographical distance is going to keep *this* family apart!

-naina
on behalf of Amra Kojon.

Worldwide 'energy crisis' and Amra Kojon

2006-03-27T12:04:00.000-05:00

“Amra Kojon” is an explosion – an explosion of passion, nostalgia, harmony, and youthfulness. It is like the “big bang”, with which a universe is re-created, in the image and in the spirit of a universe that lives in our hearts and that exists thousands of miles away. Being a part of this creation was an extraordinary experience. Thinking back, it’s hard to believe how this enormous task was done with such perfection! We had the ideal leadership; the right mixes of personalities (hard to find it in a group of 100 individuals!), and a sense of belongingness and ownership that liberated the spirits. Music was the vehicle. What can be a better way to embrace our deepest longing for the culture and milieu that we lived and breathed in our tender years!

“Amra Kojon” is a platform from where I could connect with my friends who are at arm’s length, and, more importantly, with friends living in a universe half the world across, with whom I shared my dreams, of changing the world, of wiping out all distress, and of cheery stories, of a world full of optimism. They say people turn more cynical as they age – this is not the case with Amra Kojon. It’s lead by such upbeat energy that it only progresses in fervor with the passage of time. It is like a cyclone, except that it doesn’t destroy, it builds, and it elates anyone who comes into contact with it. It’s not a group, nor an organization or association; it’s a concept, a way of life. It’s a tribute to our loved ones scattered all over the world, and to our origins, proclaiming that we haven’t forgotten, we don’t forget, and we draw our energy from what they have given us – it is their spirit that we uphold…

- Mahrukh Mohiuddin (Nadia)
on behalf of Amra Kojon

Some reasons why AK is worth the nights we stay awake...

2006-03-27T00:44:00.000-05:00

When on one such "work and rehearsal night" you meet a newcomer who sings like a dream AND composes and writes her own music...

When she is amazed by how amazed we are by her and amazed at our general excitement and enthusiasm where music and working together isconcerned...

When she catches the AK fever and leads us to jam with her after a grueling day of rehearsals -- till 6:30 a.m. the next day -- including a really cool version of "With or Without U" with impromptu harmonisation and music....

When you sleep for 4 hours and wake up refreshed and ready to go with more AK madness and realize you had the most fun ever......

You thank your stars for the people you know, the folks you get to meet, the things you get to do by being a part of the life-enhancing experience that Amra Kojon is for an ordinary person who certainly leads an extraordinary life.

Welcome to the family Jhilmil, and here's to many more such nights of madness and bonding!

April 22 rehearsal kick-off

2006-03-25T14:49:00.000-05:00

We just kicked off the official rehearsal season for the Amra Kojon April 22 concert. Amra Kojon will be proudly presenting 20 of their best solo artists from the New England area, and ATN Bangla will broadcast the show live, worldwide. This is in preparation for our 'AKotRo - London 2006' project. If you don't already know about it, here's the relevant link: http://www.amrakojon.org/April2206Show/april2206show.html

Last night, Sujan bhai and Dina apu drove up to Providence from Albany, and Taposhda picked me up from Somerville on his way back from another cultural show in Cambridge. We all congregated at Shaptaak House (or AK headquarters, or alternatively, all of our second home!) and excitedly began discussing our rehearsal strategies, how best to produce the show, and caught up with each other's lives in general.

No AK gathering is ever really complete without the feast that Nitadi arranges for. So even though most of us had already had a round of dinner, we all sat down at the family dinner table around 1am! Tuhin bhai came downstairs from his apartment to join us.

Right after dinner began the real *work*. Elo Melo Sound's equipment had arrived from NY under the able guidance of our musical director, Sujan Bin Wadud, aka Cool Dude. Seriously, the 32 channel mixer just upped his coolness factor a few notches in my book, for sure!

We unloaded the car, and set up the equipment in the music room - and now it's up to par with any professional recording studio. Even better perhaps. I had to whirl around in excitement, snapping pictures of the cool machines that sport blinky lights, and just being excited in general. They worked until 5am in the morning with the setup, but I had gone to sleep long before that.

And now they are rehearsing. I've managed exclusive managerial rights to the kitchen, which has made me rather a happy soul. The excitement, the energy, the electric tension in the rehearsal room - it's back again!

-naina
on behalf of Amra Kojon

ps: if you don't already have tickets to the April 22 show, please do get yours quickly. There's limited seating, and we're selling out pretty fast. Remember, performers, volunteers, organizers and sponsors all need to buy tickets to attend the concert!

2006-03-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Last week, I opened my e-mail at work to find several e-mails from members of my AK crew. My inbox had a link to this blogspot as well as e-mails from several people about how, “Amader Sohini-ke amra Boston-e anbo.” [We will bring our Sohini to Boston] I can tell you that I was surprised and touched, but couldn’t possibly describe how much, so I’m not going to get all mushy and try (because I already cried at work). As Naina said in her first blog, many of us AK members, including me, are students and/or young professionals on limited budgets. However, as we did during the 2003 show, we put our money where our mouth is. We don’t just talk about being a big family, we act like one. Family-r karo biye hole jebhabe ghorer manushder ghore ashar bebostha hoye jaye, sherokom obostha! And just like you automatically form bonds with family members you had never met before, new additions to our Amra Kojon are welcomed with open arms on the very first day. I should know: back in 2002, I was a new addition myself.

I, like many others, I’m sure, have stories to fill many pages here. I’ll go easy for now. I still marvel at how, in just the year and a half I lived in Boston, I managed to make so many good friends in such a short time. Not just people to go out and have fun with, but people to call when things go wrong. Not since college have I looked forward to e-mail on a daily basis as I do now, with the AKotRo project approaching (especially since, as the only AK participant based in London, I’ve become the AK London contact by default!). I can already see that I am going to have an experience in London that was similar to my Boston one. When Taps and Sujan Bhai were in London last week, we trawled the town making presentations (Naina, you rock!) and drumming up interest from the local community. It was a buzz to see them again and to watch people’s reactions to our work. It was a good reminder for me too, of just how impressive we were. I watched clippings of our show with a sense of pride and achievement…..the weekly rehearsals, the sacrifices made, the big dinners, the informal music sessions, the weddings, the births, the road trips….this is a fun family. And soooo talented!

In London, I have been asked by many people if I really think that this AKotRo show is possible. Do I really think it can happen? It is a good feeling to be able to spread the word about our music and our culture. It is an even better feeling to feel the smile spreading across my face as I realize that I have no doubt that it is possible. I don’t just say that because I want us to succeed (although I do). I don’t say it just because Taps’ enthusiasm is infectious (although it is). I smile because I have the conviction of someone who is backed up and inspired by a hundred other people. I can look someone in the eye and say it will happen because I’ve seen us do it before and I know, I truly believe, that we can do anything we decide we want badly enough. If you have doubts, just ask me on April 22nd. I’ll be in Boston

- Sohini Alam
on behalf of Amra Kojon

My harmonium!

2006-03-24T18:14:00.000-05:00

It was 8 in the morning. Ammu woke me up. 'Himi, your April 22 show is less than a month away. Gola shadha to cherei diyecho. [translation - you've stopped vocal training completely!] How are you going to sing if you don't practice?'

For a moment I wasn't sure how old I was and where I was. Cause Ammu waking me up from sleep and forcing me to sit with my harmonium and 'gola shadha' was my every morning in Dhaka till I left in June 2000. Then reality hit me and I got up scratching my eyes.

It is 2006 and I have recently become an Amra Kojon family member. And my life has completely changed since then. It now has a meaning and a goal to accomplish. Through Amra Kojon I found true friends to share my passion with. What else could I ask for? What else can anyone ask for? But now I need to be worthy of my family. The show has to be perfect and I need to practice.

So I jumped up from bed, quickly brushed my teeth and opened my harmonium. But there's no sound !!!! How can that possibly happen??I was just singing a week ago and it was perfect. My brain froze for a moment and I could feel warm water flow down my cheeks. Ammu too became paranoid. Her first reaction 'practica na korle to harmonium noshto hobei'. I could barely speak. My frozen brain was trying to work up some logic as to what to do now. I need to make a phone call and talk to Taposhda. But for that I need to be able to talk. So I took some deep breaths and tried to calm myself down. My lungs were revolting with all their might. But I need to talk to him. Now.

So, I reached out for the phone on the bedside table and dialed Taposhda's number.

"Himishona..kire. Ki khobor'

'Taposhda, my harmonium' .... (I tried to speak. I believe I said something. I don't think he understood)

'What happened to your harmonium'

(Then I tried to speak some more and he tried to understand some more)

'Himishona, calm down. Tell me what happened. What happened to your harmonium?'

'My harmonium is not working' (that's all I could gather myself to say. I was afraid if I tried to explain the details I would break down again)

"I will take care of it. Bring it with you on Friday. And I promise - it's my responsibility. Now don't cry anymore."

'hu'

"bring it with you on Friday, ok?'

'hu'

'and don't cry. I promise it will be fixed'

'Ok. khoda hafez'

And I knew right then that it will be fixed and I stopped sobbing. I don't know what really happened to my harmonium. Neither does Taposhda (yet). But I know everything will be ok.

I know this sounds crazy. But I also know that the feeling is right. I don't know how to explain it. And I am not sure if there are words to explain how I feel. But this is how I have been feeling since I have been in AK. And one needs to be in AK to be able to feel this way. There is just no other way.

- Nuzhat Karim Himi
on behalf of Amra Kojon