Chirkutt shares stage with Scorpions in Madison Square Garden

Bangladeshi band Chirkutt shared the stage with world-famous German rock band Scorpions at a concert marking 50 years Bangladesh’s of independence at the Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.

The event, titled ‘Let The Music Speak’ was organised by Mainspring Limited and the ICT Division of the Ministry of Information and Technology of Bangladesh.

The Golden Jubilee Bangladesh Concert began at 8:00pm USA time, where the national anthem of Bangladesh was also sung. A documentary on how Bangladesh earned Independence and where the country stands now was also screened.

State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak at the event said, “In 1971, George Harrison and Pandit Ravi Shankar organised the ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ here in Madison Square Garden to help Bangladesh. I’d like to thank the USA for supporting our refugees in 1971. Now, after 50 years, we are organising a concert here in Madison Square Garden to fund for global cyber security campaign for youths and children in partnership with the UNDP. Form next year, we’ll be introducing UNDP Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Award on cyber safety awareness.”

After his speech vocalist of ‘Chirkutt’ Sharmin Sultana Sumi took the stage and the crowd started cheering loudly. “Scorpions say that we have to rock it like a hurricane,” said Sumi before starting their performance. Churkutt started the performance with the patriotic song ‘Dhana Dhanya Pushpa Bhora’. Then the band performed a song paying tribute to the organisers of ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ to help Bangladesh in 1971. Sumi performed the song sitting on the floor of the stage. Then they performed their hit numbers ‘Khajna’, ‘Jadur Shohor’. The band also sang ‘Shono Ekti Mujuburer’. Chirkutt ended their performance with another hit ‘Morey Jabo’. The audience was all over cheering for the band with joy.

The band members were seen posing for a photo with Scorpions from Chirkutt’s official Facebook page, gifting Scorpions custom rickshaw-painted sunglasses. The post reads, “Clause Meine: Oh you made these beautiful sunglasses for us? / We: Yes!! This is rickshaw painted, see, one side Chirkutt, one side Scorpions! / Clause Maine: beautiful! / Chirkutt Met the father of the rock music; ‘Scorpions’ and the history has been made.”

Then came Scorpions on stage as the curtain falls saying ‘Are We Ready to Rock’. Their performance started with ‘Gas in the Tank’. As each song ends the crowd got more excited to see their favourite band performing. The concert follows as Scorpions sang, ‘Make It Real’. ‘The Zoo’, ‘Coast to Coast’, ‘Seventh Sun’, ‘Peacemaker’, ‘Bad Boys Running Wild’, ‘Delicate Dance’. The band performed an acoustic version of their famous song ‘Send Me an Angel’.

Scorpions also sang, ‘Wind of Change’, ‘Tease Me Please Me’, ‘Rock Believer’, ‘Blackout’, ‘Big City Nights’, ‘Rock You Like a Hurricane. There was also a solo drum cover by the band.

Madison Square Garden is the same place where Pandit Ravi Shankar, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Ringo Starr, and Joan Baez performed on August 1, 1971, in front of 40,000 people to raise funds for Bangladeshi refugees.