The New Nation - Internet Edition

Event: Khudey Gaanbaj 2008: Effort to promote child singers

Faridur Reza Sagor, Samina Chowdhury, Ferdousi
Rahman, Sabina Yasmin and Kumar Bishwajit at the press
conference.

Entertainment Report

With 'Shera Kontho 2008' in full gear, Channel i has launc-hed another musical talent hunt 'Khudey Gaanbaj 2008.' The latter is specifically for chil singers. Faridur Reza Sagor, Managing Director of Channel i and Impress Telefilm Ltd, made the announcement at a press conference held at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel on Wednesday. The talent hunt will highlight talented young singers (between the ages of 6 to 12).

Speaking on the contest Sagor said, "During the auditions of 'Channel-i Shera Kontho' we noticed that the turnout included a large number of children, who wanted to sing.

The main reason behind organising this contest is to give them an opportunity to demonstrate their talent."

Five children from each division will be selected. The audition rounds in Chittagong, Shylhet, Barisal and Khulna have already ended. The audition in Rajshahi will be held on June 14 and the auditions for Dhaka is scheduled to be held on June 20 and 21.

A total of 30 children will be selected from all over country who will later take part in the selection round, and one of them will win the title 'Khudey Gaanbaj.'

Veteran artiste Ferdousi Rahman was the chief guest at the press conference. Noted singer Sabina Yasmin was also present at the occasion.

Singers Samina Chowdhury and Kumar Bishwajit will evaluate the contestants.

'Khudey Gaanbaj 2008' will be aired on Channel i, starting from the end of this month or the beginning of next month, according to the sources.

TV Watch :Sisimpur on BTV

Entertainment Report

The 44th episode of Sisimpur aired on BTV at 9:05 am on Friday. 'Sisimpur' is the Bangladeshi adaptation of children's television series 'Sesame Street.' Yesterday's episode featured various happenings in the lives of the inhabitants of Sisimpur such as 'Ikri,' 'Tuktuki,' 'Elmo' and 'Grover.'

Ikri was alone in a room when the electricity goes off due to load shedding. Overcome by darkness, she was finally calmed down by the encouragement from a friend, and wandered away into the lands of her imagination. Meanwhile, 'Mukul' tries to pacify 'Tuktuki' who was extremely angry due to some reason. 'Elmo' was sad having lost one of his most priced possessions, best friend Grover tried to cheer him up.

Rerun of the show will be telecast on Saturday at 2:15 pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:05 pm.

Bollywood:Arhaan is my weakness: Malaika Arora

Entertainment Desk

Model-anchor-item girl Malaika Arora thanks her five-year-old son Arhaan for whatever she is today.

"Arhaan is the best thing that happened to me. For anyone it's the greatest joy to have a child and for every mother her child is her weakness. And, yes, he is my weakness," said Malaika, best remembered as the 'Chhaiya Chhaiya' girl.

Malaika, who was here to launch a store last week, has been married to actor Arbaaz Khan for 10 years and says of her son: "Arhaan brought a lot of changes in me in terms of the person that I am and to my temperament as well. I really thank him for making me the way I am today."

The 34-year-old is all geared up for her first full-length role as an actress opposite Arjun Rampal in Suniel Shetty's 'EMI.'

"I am really excited about 'EMI.' I play Arjun's love interest in the film. The film talks about easy monthly instalments (EMI) and how people who take such loans are not able to repay them," Malaika said.

On being asked if there are any films with Arbaaz in the pipeline, Malaika said, "There's no film as of now, but there is a song that I am doing with him. I have done a song with him earlier (for Shubha Mudgal's album 'Dholna'), but this is the first time I am pairing up with him for a film song."

The couple will soon be seen grooving to a number in Indrajith Lankesh's 'Shaadi Ke After Effects.'

Apart from her stint on television as MTV's popular video jockey, Malaika has played judge on reality dance show 'Nach Baliye' and also hosted NDTV Imagine's music show 'Dhoom Macha De.'

Now, brother-in-law Salman Khan has also turned to the small screen as the host of reality game show 'Dus Ka Dum.'

"I have seen the promos of the show. They are really cool and I am sure Salman bhai would do a great job. I wish him all the best," she said.

Music: Folk music ends at Shilpakala Academy

Entertainment Report

A two-day long musical programme, featuring different genres of folk songs, ended yesterday at the National Music and Dance Centre auditorium, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA). BSA arranged the programme titled "Hridoye Bangladesh" to promote folk songs among urbanites. The two-day programme featured 'Bhawaiyya,' 'Gambhira' and songs of Radha Raman and Hason Raja.

On the first day (June 11), a brief discussion was held.

Bikash Kishor Das, director of the department of Production, BSA gave the welcome speech.

Renowned folk singer and researcher Mustafa Zaman Abbasi was the special guest. The chief guest of the programme, Dr Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman, Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, inaugurated the programme. Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Bhuiyan Shafiqul Islam presided over the programme.

On the first day, renowned artists performed 'Bhawaiyya' and songs of Radha Raman. Noted 'Bhawaiyya' artiste Nadira Begum started with a rendition of 'Moishal kisher badey.' The singer also rendered popular numbers 'Mon tui janiao jano na.'

Ashutosh Adhikari rendered another 'Bhawaiyya' song 'Chharilen mor moyare.' Popular singer Subir Nandi rendered a couple of Radha Raman songs including 'Binodini go' and 'Karey dekhabo moner dukkho.'

Among others, Dr Nashid Kamal, Iffat Ara Nargis, Dilruba Khan and Md Azizul Islam rendered songs at the programme.

On the second day, artistes including Akramul Islam, Selim Chowdhury, Jamal Uddin, Nurul Islam and Md Abdus Samad Khan rendered songs of Hason Raja and 'Gambhira.'

Hollywood: Celebrities join World Bank in saving tigers

Agencies, Loss Angeles

Hollywood celebrities Harrison Ford, Bo Derek and Robert Duvall on Monday threw their support behind a new global initiative by the World Bank to save tigers from extinction.

While the global development agency's main mission is to fight poverty in developing countries, it has rarely taken on wildlife conservation efforts of endangered species. The new Tiger Conservation Initiative will bring together wildlife experts, scientists and governments to try to halt the killing and thriving illegal trade in tiger skins, meat and body parts used in traditional Asian medicines.

Ford, a long-time environmental activist, said efforts to protect tigers would only succeed if local communities were involved in conservation efforts. "By committing to help wild tigers, the World Bank is sounding its intention to be a global leader in biodiversity conservation," Ford, the star of the latest 'Indiana Jones' movie, told an event at Washington's Smithsonian National Zoo. World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the decline in the number of tigers was 'shocking' from over 100,000 a century ago to currently less than 4,000.

The clearing of large areas of forestland for urban development has added to their decline and disappearance from Central Asia, the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali, and most of China.

Poaching at all-time high

A World Bank report warned, "If current trends persist, tigers are likely to be the first species of large predator to vanish in historic times." "Just as with many other challenges of sustainability, such as climate change, pandemic disease, or poverty, the crisis facing tigers overwhelms local capabilities and it is one that transcends local borders," Zoellick said.

"This is a problem that cannot be handled by individual nations alone, it requires an alliance of strong local commitment backed by deep international support," he added. Zoellick said the World Bank would convene a series of discussions with countries, conservationists and the private sector to mobilize funding for tiger conservation, and launch studies on how better to protect the cats. The World Bank chief said there were examples of where tigers had been brought back from the brink of extinction, such as in Russia and Nepal, but added that saving the world tiger population would not be an easy task.

"All those concerned may not agree but this does not mean we should stand on the sidelines and do nothing," he said.

John Seidensticker, chief scientist at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Conservation Ecology Centre, said tiger poaching and trafficking in tiger parts and meat was at an all-time high and the biggest immediate threat to tigers.

"For wild tigers to live they must have much better security on their home ground," he said, also calling on countries to properly enforce laws to protect tigers.

This, Seidensticker said, required strong political will. "We're at a tipping point and we're going to lose wild tigers but with the World Bank initiative wild tigers now have a chance," he added.

Seidensticker said tiger conservation efforts needed to be more coordinated and focused, and the World Bank could help as a global institution.