Brac Hope Festival wraps up with James' electrifying performance

It was around 9:30 PM, 30 minutes after Artcell finished their performance. A man in a navy blue sweatshirt and a black beanie slowly strolled up on the stage. It was, guru, James! The crowd erupted in a frenzy of cheers as he took up his pink guitar and strummed along.

The final day of Brac's Hope Festival was nothing short of spectacular.  The packed audience at Bangladesh Army stadium was treated to an evening of music and entertainment by some of the biggest names in the Bangladeshi music scene.

The concert kicked off with musical performances by Chandana Majumdar, Masha Islam, Shithi Sarkar and Sanzida Mahmood Nandita. Nandita kicked off the show with Rabindra Sangeet 'Jodi Tor Daak Shune Keu Na Ase.' They all sang one individual song followed by a group performance.  

Next up was Nemesis, who treated the audience with an exhilarating performance. The crowd cheered as the band performed some of their most popular hits, including 'Konodin', 'Bir' and 'Kobe'. 

As the sun began to set, the lights came on, and Artcell took to the stage. Their soulful melodies and intricate guitar work had the crowd mesmerised! The band performed seven of their most popular songs, starting with 'Soul' and even had the audience sing along to one of the longest tracks in Bangladesh's band music,'Aniket Prantor'. 

The sound was also worthy of a mention; the top notch output made the show even more enthralling. 
In between Nemesis and Artcell's sets, Brac honoured five young leaders by giving them the 'Amra Notun Young Changemaker Award.' The award winners were Nayem Molla, Shahriar Kabir Fahim, Md. Shakil Khan, Ashraful Afrin Bishwas and Abdullah Maznu. 

Nayem is a disability rights advocate. Fahim's organisation 'Connecting Disorders' works for people with various communication disorders and people suffering from down syndrome. Shakil established 'Base-Buy and Save Eco,' where they are working to bring fresh agricultural produce from the hilly regions to urban areas, and educate underprivileged communities about waste management through the dividends earned. Afrin works with women's menstrual health from her 'Project Surokkha'. And finally, Abdullah Majnu and his team 'Morning Squad' are working to raise awareness about climate change amongst the youth.

James was the headliner of the evening. He opened his show with a powerful rendition of his song 'Kobita Tumi Shopnocharini hoye'. The crowd sang along to every word, clapped and danced in unison. 

As the night continued, James performed ten electrifying songs, each one more enchanting than the last. If you wanted to make a playlist of James' top ten songs, that was it. He sang 'Ma', 'Diwana Mastana', 'Guru Ghor Banaila Ki Diya', 'Dushtu Cheler Dol', 'Ashbar Kale Aslam Eka', among others. 

With his deep voice and dynamic range, the 58-year-old rockstar had the crowd swaying and singing, completely enraptured by his performance. 

During his performance of 'Taray Taray Rotiye Debo', 'Mirabai' and 'Pagla Hawa' the crowd went wild! From VIPs, security guards, kids, to just about everyone at the stadium broke out into a beautiful chaos. 

As part of Brac's 50th-anniversary celebration, the three-day long BRAC Hope Festival wrapped up with this unforgetful night of music. Like the previous two days, the last day of the festival was celebrated with enthusiasm, vigour, and energy by people from all walks of life, especially the youth. 

The last day of the festival was dedicated to the youth and changemakers of Bangladesh.