NAOHA: When old songs find a new stage

Every time NAOHA's song, 'Kaalo' makes its round in my playlist, I cannot help but take a moment to pause. Whether it be during commute, in the middle of work, or even in the midst of writing, its lyrics force me to stop and listen. 

Perhaps I am not the only one with this habit because when Pragata Naoha started singing another original of hers, 'Debi', which she wrote for her mother, the whole crowd went silent, lost in their own thoughts and the music. 

With roots in Bangladesh and based in Winnipeg, Canada, the singer and songwriter, known by her stage name 'NAOHA', has made a long-awaited comeback to Dhaka's music scene with two shows, the latter of which was a laid-back show at The Attention Network on 10 January.

The show had quite an interesting lineup including Zuri, Shadab Shams, Okkhor, and Modernotaku, with the evening ending with NAOHA's performance. 

Though the venue was only half filled, it gave the artistes space to create an intimate space for music.

I have to commend Zuri for how she carried the first leg of the show, transitioning from a casual mic check to the opening of the evening, which meant that she had been on stage for approximately two hours.

While mostly singing cover songs, her charisma spills off the stage, as she dances while singing songs such as Aurora's 'Runaway' and 'Fly Me to the Moon'. 

It seemed like Shadab's dance music was just what the doctor called for to round off the mood. The upbeat music brought everyone from the sidelines to the front of the stage, dancing to the upbeat music. 

But at the end of the day, the audience eagerly awaited to hear NAOHA. So, when she stepped on stage, she didn't drag her set on, going right into the music. 

NAOHA cherishes her time on the stage, and it even brought her tears during her Jatra show. 

"A lot of the music scene is the same, but the crowd has definitely changed. During the shows, I'm reminiscing," shared NAOHA. 

And we reminisced with her when she started singing 'Bedroom', a single she created with her former band, Hades. Needless to say, the audience stood awe-struck, listening to the power of her voice. 
But it was clear that what the crowd really wanted was, 'Nokkhotrer Konna', 'Omanush', and 'Kaalo', and the singer did not disappoint. 

What comes as a surprise, though, is that this was perhaps the singer's third time performing 'Kaalo'. The song was released around the end of 2019, right before she left the country for her studies and the pandemic, giving her almost no time to bring this song in front of a live audience. 

Fast forward six years later, this song is what the singer is known for, and has held the top spot on her Spotify for quite some time. 

"I released songs like Kaalo and Nokkhotrer Konna so long ago. I didn't know that people were still listening and holding onto these songs," shared the singer. 

Referring to her recent show at Jatra she explains, "I only performed Kaalo once before, which was before its release, and people loved it. But now I get to perform it live for the first time after its release," she explains, referring to her show at Jatra. 

The compact venue worked in the favour of the artistes, allowing little room for malfunctions, and letting the audience experience the music as it is meant to be heard. However, the few malfunctions that did happen, NAOHA laughed them off casually. 

Thankfully, the malfunctions did not get in her way as she sang 'Omanush' and 'Kaalo', because these two songs proved to be the showstoppers of the event. The songs proved her strengths as a singer as she steadily held the high notes, echoing through the whole venue. 

Perhaps this is just the nature of music events, but it is hard to brush off the feeling that NAOHA's set felt a bit rushed. Perhaps it was the four-hour wait to see the headliner perform, but I wished her set lasted a bit more than approximately 40 minutes.

Though this was probably her last show before she leaves again, this doesn't mean this is the last we will hear of her. In fact, NAOHA is planning to release her first full-length album this year.