Carpe Diem: A night full of opportunities not fully seized
Hasan Raheem and Young Stunners lit up Dhaka, proving the city’s hunger for international acts is stronger than ever, even if the organisers weren’t quite ready for it
When my wife mentioned a month back that Hasan Raheem will be performing in Dhaka, we did not think twice before jumping in and purchasing the tickets. It's not everyday that international artistes perform in Dhaka and Raheem has been a favorite since he burst into the indie pop scene with Aisay Kaisay, followed by Peechay Hutt in Coke Studio Pakistan.
With early bird tickets themselves at premium prices, 'Carpe Diem: The Takeover' featuring the Pakistani boys Young Stunners and Hasan Raheem, phase 2 tickets sold out as well.
The location of the concert? Still to be announced on their website and social media pages. Apparently early bird ticket holders were supposed to receive venue information via right before the concert started, which I still did not get.
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This was the first thing that was off-putting. Luckily, I had friends who knew the organisers and I got to know about the venue, which is 15km away from my home, a distance that luckily, I could cover in 45mins due to lack of traffic on a Friday afternoon.
After multiple security checks in case anyone was carrying tobacco or contrabands, guests were ushered into the venue and the energy inside was inviting. The organisers did a wonderful job to ensure guests had access to food, water and designated smoking zones, which was appreciated as the gates opened 3hours before the concert started.
The wait was worth it, as Jalali Set burst into the stage with raw energy cruising through the crowd as they started the show with Dhaka City. The Dhaka crowd welcomed the band with open arms as they sang along with the hip-hop crew.
The stage was set, electrifying atmosphere – yet instead of continuing the show the organisers gave a 30-minute break, during which there were scuffles where bouncers threw out multiple concert goers possessing tobacco and contrabands.
The smoke did not really help with the auditorium filled to the brim with people and the air conditioning not being able to cope, so these evictions were welcomed by the audience.
The show desperately needed an MC, as lineups and artistes were not announced and only the visuals of Raheem and Young Stunners were playing on a loop in the only LED screen on the stage.
As the content Dhaka audience walked out of the venue guarded heavily by police and private security personnel, Carpe Diem: The Takeover proved to be a much better experience than previous Dhaka concerts which saw security breaches. However, Bangladeshi music lovers deserve more for the premium price they pay, specially from concerts comprising of international artistes. It's time for organisers to make better preparations for events and take a step back rather than hastily putting together a mediocre event, because both the artistes and audience deserve better.
Audience were either sitting on the floor waiting for the next artiste to start or were outside the hall munching on snacks when suddenly Hasan Raheem jumped into the stage unannounced and started with Joona, followed by Radha, Maand, Faltu Pyar, Memories and Peechay Hutt.
As the crowd shouted, "Once More" after he completed "Wishes", Raheem turned to the crowd and playfully remarked, "I will cover them all!"
Raheem had a surprise waiting for all, as he taught the crowd the lyrics of his new number, "Fly With Me", as the crowd grooved to the mix of R&B, soul and funk. Raheem with his soft, yet diverse vocal style kept the crowd on their feet with many remarking, "This was worth every penny".
Raheem had played his part, and the stage was set for the showstoppers - The Hip Hop duo of Young Stunners, comprising of Talha Anjum and Talhah Yunus, as they made every single person in the audience jump on their feet with Departure Lane, Phir Milenge, Gumaan and Heartbreak Kid to name a few.
As the content Dhaka audience walked out into the late autumn evening of Dhaka, out of a venue guarded heavily by police and private security personnel, Carpe Diem: The Takeover proved to be a much better experience than previous Dhaka concerts which saw security breaches.
However, Bangladeshi music lovers deserve more for the premium price they pay, specially from concerts comprising of international artistes. It's time for organisers to make better preparations for events and take a step back rather than hastily putting together a mediocre event, because both the artistes and audience deserve better.
