James impressed by love of Bangladeshi expats in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia started Bangladesh Cultural Week Wednesday at Al Suwaidi Park in Riyadh to showcase the contributions of millions of Bangladeshi migrants in the Gulf country as part of the global harmony initiative
More than a million Bangladeshi expatriates have warmly enjoyed the stage performance of the Nagar Baul James, widely known as Guru to his fans.
The renowned singer captivated a large audience in Riyadh on Friday evening (22 November) during a special performance organised under the Saudi Ministry of Media's Global Harmony Initiative at Al Suwaidi Park, performing in front of the remitters.
After his performance, James told reporters in a briefing,
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"Riyadh has amazed me. There is such a huge audience here. I am at a loss for words to express my feelings. I will come back to Riyadh," James told reporters in a briefing after the performance.
Addressing the young Bangladeshis in Saudi Arabia expatriates, James said, "I thank them for coming here. I will keep coming back here."
James also said, "I would like to thank the organisers of Global Harmony, especially the Saudi Ministry of Media."
During the event, James captivated the audience with one song after another. He performed his popular songs, including 'Ma', 'Asbar Kale Aslam Eka', 'Dushtu Cheler Dol', 'Bijli Chole Jeona', 'Beder Meye Josna', 'Sundoritoma Amar', 'Meera Bai', 'Pagla Hawar Tore', and 'Na Jani Kohi'.
James took the stage at around 7:30pm local time. At that time, he wore a red scarf on his head, a black T-shirt, and blue jeans.
After the performance, James said, "You all are my life. If I live, we shall meet again."
Millions of expatriates were enthralled by James' performance to the rhythm of his songs. The organisers reported that over a million Bangladeshi expatriates participated in the event at Al-Suwaidi Park.
"The crowd was so huge that I couldn't enter the park," said Al Kamal Kimu, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Riyadh.
Another expatriate said, "I arrived in the afternoon and positioned myself before the stage. It's because of our love for the Guru."
Fans of James from other cities, including Jeddah and Dammam, also came to the concert.
Saudi Arabia started Bangladesh Cultural Week Wednesday (20 November) at Al Suwaidi Park in Riyadh to showcase the contributions of millions of Bangladeshi migrants in the Gulf country as part of the global harmony initiative. The event will conclude today (23 November).
The event features concerts, cultural and entertainment family events by Bangladeshi artists, traditional foods, and various handicraft exhibitions from November.
The Global Harmony initiative was launched as part of the "Quality of Life" program to help achieve the objectives of Vision 2030.
The initiative aims to showcase the diverse lives of residents in the Kingdom, highlighting their professional and family lives, social and recreational activities, contributions to the economy, success stories, and cultural integration within Saudi society, according to a release of the Saudi Ministry of Media.
It will also highlight government and private sector efforts to improve the quality of life in Saudi cities.
As part of the initiative, the Ministry of Media, in partnership with the General Entertainment Authority, organised events during the Riyadh Season, starting on 13 August.
These events feature cultural, artistic, and folkloric activities and shows, attended by prominent media outlets from the residents' countries.
Cultures from nine different countries — India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Bangladesh, and Egypt — are showcased in various events throughout Riyadh Season, which started on 13 October and will continue for 49 days.
