There’s a particular kind of tired that sets in by Thursday. The week’s almost done but not quite, and you’re too worn out to plan anything big, too restless to just go home. ‘ The Chords’, the cultural initiative under The Bangladesh Dialogue, decided to build something around exactly that feeling. We named it ‘Almost Friday’. Almost Friday is almost a concert, almost a weekend. It is not a concert series in the usual sense, more like a standing invitation to slow down for one evening before the weekend actually arrives.
Two volumes in, the idea is still holding up.
The first one happened on May 14 at KIB Hall. A proper ticketed event, in that sense, with a lineup people had come specifically to see. Ahmed Hasan Sunny, Shuvo Saha, and Sanzara Javed shared the stage throughout the night, moving between their own songs and old Bangla favorites people still hum without thinking about it. There was something special about that pairing, hearing a familiar chorus stripped down acoustically, right next to a track someone had written the week before. Ahmed Hasan Sunny’s voice has something magical about it that makes you feel extremely sorrowful and comforted at the same time. Getting to hear him sing live, in such a carefully organized environment, really took away all the monotony of the entire week. Shuvo Saha and Sanzara Javed also took the whole experience to another level of comfort.
That was really the point of ‘The Chords’ launching this in the first place, building a space where artists who are just starting out get to stand next to names people already know. Judging by how full the hall got and how long people stuck around afterward, it worked. Volume 1 didn’t feel like it was just the first episode. It felt like it had been existing silently in our hearts for years. All it needed was execution, and oh, did ‘The Chords’ do it so beautifully.
The second volume was a bit different from the first. It wasn’t a standalone show, it happened at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, folded into the finale of the National Civil Discourse debate competition that The Bangladesh Dialogue had organized. Once the prizes were handed out and the formal part of the evening wound down, the stage quietly turned into an Almost Friday set. No tickets this time. It was a gift from ‘ The Chords’ to the incredible debaters who participated in the event and the general students of AUST.
AUST’s own band, ‘Rong’, started the night with old Bangla classics, including songs by the band ‘Souls’ that people of all ages could vibe to. It was amazing to see people who aren’t professional musicians put up such a beautiful performance. Then came the band ‘Monk in a Mug’. Monk in a Mug has always been connected to us in one way or another. They started making music just for the love of it, and we are so glad that they did, because otherwise we wouldn’t know how one can go from ‘Kaavish’ to an Aseer Arman song in such a seamless flow that takes us all on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Finally, ‘Meghdol’ arrived on stage, the moment everyone had been waiting for. The whole atmosphere shifted, and more people started coming into the auditorium. They started singing their classics, and everyone just sat back and sang along. It was an unforgettable experience for everyone.
What’s interesting about watching these two volumes side by side is how differently they were built and how similar they still felt. One was ticketed and venue based, built entirely around the music. The other rode in on the back of a completely different event and didn’t charge anyone a penny to stay. And yet both landed in that same in between zone Almost Friday was named for, not quite the weekend, but close enough to let your shoulders drop.
Just like Bob Marley said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
May the Chords keep bringing people closer for the love of music and culture. May we almost escape monotony, even if just for a night.