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CLOSEUP 1

Celebrating songs of our roots

KARIM WAHEED
Last Friday night's Closeup 1 was special for a number of reasons: the theme of this round was folk songs, and there were some surprises pertaining to the performances of the participants. According to the regulations, the songs were assigned to each participant through a draw, so that each of the aspiring singers could get a fair shot at impressing the judges as well as the audience. The special guest at the show was ace Lalon artiste Farida Parveen.
Nolok started off with a rendition of an Abdul Alim classic, Shorbonasha Padma nodi. His voice divulged the passion that makes this song an alltime favourite -- an excellent start. During the last part of the song, he seemed to be confused regarding repeating a line. However, he quickly realised the slip and picked up as if nothing happened. Nolok's plus point is consistency. Although his orientation is folk music, he has already proven that he can sing adhunik songs with equal elan. Not surprisingly, Nolok received rave reviews for his performance from all the judges.
Rashed took the stage next and sang another popular number, Amaye ato rate kano daak dili. Rashed made quite a few sob (including Samina Chowdhury) with his heartfelt rendition of a song about a son yearning for his
mother, in a previous round and justified his comeback to the contest. This round however, saw the talented singer miss some notes during his performance. The performance received a lukewarm response from the judges. As Samina Chowdhury put it, “I could sense the pain in your voice but the
romance that should've been there, was missing.”
Rinku performed Shonar Maina pakhi, a song made memorable by Neena Hamid. Rinku's preference towards folk music was evident in the performance. The rendition was impeccable, as the judges showered him with accolades.
Next, Mehrab sang Aar kotokaal bhashbo ami dukher shari gaiyya. Mehrab excelsin adhunik and other urban-oriented genres but his rendition of the folk songjust didn't have enough gusto to make it memorable.
One of the stronger players of Closeup 1, Beauty, performed Holudia pakhi shonari boron, pakhiti
chharilo ke? The rendition was easy to the ear, but considering the folk crooner's calibre in Lalon Geeti, it was a surprise that the performance lacked lustre.
The next performance by Razib, Tomae ami holem ochena, was a show stealer. The zeal was there and the artiste seemed to convey the message of the song effectively. Bishwajit remarked, “The lilt and the style of singing with aari (twists) that you've demonstrated are laudable.”
The last performance was by Sonya. Sonya rendered an evergreen Bhawaiya song, O ki gariaal bhai. Perhaps, the performance was the most pleasant surprise in the round. Who knew the city-slicker could epitomise the pining of a village-belle in rural North Bengal for her beloved gariaal!
The performance reminded one of Ferdausi Rahman's immaculate techniques that made the song unforgettable. Bulbul raved, “You were not just good, you were outstanding.” Samina said, “You're versatility is amazing.”
So whose musical voyage in Closeup 1 will be cut short, and who will move towards the crowning glory? Watch tonight's episode to get the updates.