BNWLA Hostel Appeal

BNWLA Fundraising Concert in Wales

2008-01-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Jules and her family organised a concert to raise funds for the BNWLA shelter home on Saturday January 12th. All 120 tickets were sold and the turnout was good, considering it was cold and rainy and everyone thought that the hall would be empty!

The evening kicked off with some children from the local primary school singing Food Glorious Food from the musical Oliver! Then Lorraine Barrett, Cardiff South Member of the Welsh Assembly, spoke about her work with the Bangladeshi community in Cardiff, most recently supporting them in their efforts to raise money for the victims of Cyclone Sidr.

Jules' nieces - Clara and Freya with their friend Clare - then recited a poem entitled Let's Help (which they had written specially for the event) about disadvantaged children all over the world. The first half continued with performances from Sound Women - a community singing group of which Jules' mum is a committed member! The interval was a time to sample chicken bhuna, vegetable bhaji, pilau rice and naan - provided by Penarth's own Bangladeshi restaurant, Jaflon.

In the second half Sound Women presented more songs from a diverse range of countries such as Mozambique, France and Bulgaria and got the audience participating too. The evening finished with a speech given by the Mayor of Penarth who stressed the fact that though Bangladesh might seem very far away, it was events like these that reminded us that we were one world and all connected.

After paying for the hire of the hall, food and decoration the event raised 1000.52GBP for the fund.

New Age Article

2007-11-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

The appeal and its connection with music was mentioned again in the press this week - all valuable exposure. Here's the link...

http://www.newagebd.com/2007/nov/02/nov02/xtra_also2.html

Day trip to Gazipur

2007-10-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

The BAG went to Gazipur this weekend, along with some of the kids from the current hostel to see the site for the new one. An article on the trip will follow soon in the Star Weekend Magazine. In the meantime, enjoy the photos! Click on the image below...

BNWLA Gazipur

Poster Boys

2007-10-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

Signed posters were auctioned at the most recent of Andrew's gigs with Arnob - raising another 50 pounds for the cause! What price autographs?

Third BAG meeting

2007-09-29T21:31:00.000-07:00

The BAG met again on Friday 28th Sept following our visit to the hostel. Lots of ideas for fundraising and awareness-raising for the campaign came out of this.

Members of the group have opted for various ways of supporting the appeal: by volunteering time to visit the hostel and carry out creative workshops; arranging for groups of students to go on an awareness-raising trip, and through developing a campaign short film. The appeal is also to be featured on Bangladesh's premier music website. Lots of energy and enthusiasm - we're expecting great things!

Also, BNWLA's own VSO volunteer Jenny (pictured, standing) is now part of the group, providing vital expertise and a key link to the organisation.

BAG visits the hostel!

2007-09-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

The BNWLA Action Group (Oniket, Don, Anika, Lemo, Jules and Andrew) met again last Saturday to go on a visit to the hostel, so that everyone could be in the picture. We are meeting again on on Friday to discuss our impressions, think of ways forward and consider how we can strengthen our ties with BNWLA itself as we seek to build on the 7600 pounds we have already collected.

Success!

2007-09-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

The gig was a huge success, and got rave reviews, and not only from us. We raised the profile of the appeal and made over 1100 pounds for the appeal. Already there are more dates lined up for Dhaka, as well as London and New York next year.

Click on the image below for a superb collection of photoagraphs from our good friend Arif Hafiz...

East Meets West

East Meets West Concert

2007-08-16T21:18:00.001-07:00

Preparations are well underway for the concert now, with the help of sponsors Warid Telecom and Media Partners Channel i and Radio Foorti. Should be a great gig, and a pioneering musical event here in Dhaka. Proceeds will go to the appeal of course. Watch this space for photos of the event, coming soon...

BNWLA and BlueNote in the news

2007-08-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

More press exposure for the cause from the pen of our good friend Anika Mariam Ahmed! See this article from this weekend's New Age....

http://www.newagebd.com/2007/aug/03/aug03/xtra_also2.html

Redesigned website

2007-07-01T22:56:00.001-07:00

Check out the newly redesigned website at www.bnwlahostel.org

Much smarter and more colourful, as well as easier to negotiate. Enjoy!

BNWLA Action Group

2007-07-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

We have formed an Action Group made up of 6 volunteers from across the community: a film director, a radio producer, journalists, writers and students, to take this appeal to the next level. Immediate plans are for us to visit the hostel, and then collaborate on making a short film. Yesterday's first meeting, (with five of us present), got us off to an enthusiastic start. Watch this space for our next steps...

Live on Radio Foorti

2007-06-16T07:14:00.001-07:00

BlueNote (see pic below) were featured on Radio Foorti this evening, talking in a 15-minute interview with RJ Fuad about our link to this campaign, as well as the presence of jazz for the first time in Dhaka. All good publicity...

More Jazz and Film

2007-06-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last night saw another collaboration between BlueNote and Future Shorts. with an evening of jazz and film at the Nordic Club. Again well attended, raising another £30 for the appeal.

Playing in the Rain

2007-06-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

We had another of our fundraising bashes at the BAGHA last night. Despite sheets of torrential rain, 89 people turned up for happy hour proving the old adage that no monsoon ever gets between a Brit and his/her pint. That's the spirit. And yes, we risked electrocution, but what does that matter when we raised another £200 for the cause...? Huzzah, chaps! (Pic by Mikey
Leung)

BlueNote/BNWLA on YouTube!

2007-05-26T21:05:00.001-07:00

Here is an excellent video made during one of our recent performances by a friend of BlueNote and the BNWLA Hostel Appeal, Mikey Leung. Mikey is a VSO and soon to be author of a new travel book about Bangladesh.

Major fundraising event in September

2007-05-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

We are planning a concert for September at the Heritage Restaurant here in Dhaka, aimed at raising 2000 pounds in an evening.

Arnob and Andrew will perform an evening of East Meets West fusion music. The event will be sponsored by Warid Telecom.

2007-05-15T22:36:00.001-07:00

Last night was the first collaboration between BlueNote and the film company Future Shorts: an evening of short films and jazz at the Nordic Club. Great atmosphere, candlelight, and some excellent films, not to mention of course the superb music. We're likely to be doing one of these evenings a month now, with all proceeds going to the appeal. As the venue was quite small, and ticket prices were kept low, we made around £20, but it's a start...

Fundraising in the key of F

2007-05-03T23:30:00.002-07:00

Great gig last night. Around 90 people there - balmy summer breeze, gins'n'tonics all round. What better setting for the cool sound of BlueNote? And besides, all proceeds from the tickets went to the BNWLA Hostel Appeal, making Tk 27,000 (£200) in one evening. Putting the fun into fundraising...

Thanks to Mikey Leung for the photo. His own website on life in Bangladesh is well worth a visit for excellent photos and writing. You can find him at www.mikeyleung.ca

More musical fundraising

2007-04-28T04:16:00.000-07:00

This week BlueNote are playing at the British Expat (BAGHA) Club here in Dhaka. The BAGHA have offered to donate all proceeds from tickets to the appeal. We're grateful for this very kind gesture.

They're also interested in future events which combine jazz and short films, which will come courtesy of Future Shorts, a London-based company with international chapters. Oniket, the local curator, came to know of our appeal and has offered to collaborate with us. Could be very interesting.

Bits'n'bobs

2007-04-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Since Jules arrived in Bangladesh she has been busy networking and following a number of fundraising leads. Ideas so far include approaching garment factories for boxes of seconds for sale at expat events and setting up a benefit gig in the autumn, and a number of people have stepped forward to offer help. All these things bubbling away at the moment. Watch this space.

In the meantime, money continues to come in from BlueNote performances, and the British Expat Club - the BAGHA, has agreed to donate all proceeds from our next week's gig.

Incredible Offers No 3

2007-04-26T20:46:00.000-07:00

Our friend Farhad, founder of Ekushey TV, gave us a hundred copies of a coffee-table photography book with stunning pictures of Bangladesh, from his own publishing house. Last night we raffled 3 of them at the latest BlueNote gig and raised £40.

Great evening had by all

2007-04-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

Our friend Aaref's party went swimmingly last night, not only providing BlueNote with their first public performance (see BlueNote blog for details) but more importantly raising £500 for the cause. Excellent food, outstanding music (of course), and great conversation. There was a really international crowd, with friends from Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Mexico, Spain and the US as well as Bangladesh and the UK. Salma Ali, Executive Director of BNWLA also attended.

We wish to extend our thanks once again to Aaref for organising such a superb event. When the great book of the Hostel Appeal is written, this will go down as a real milestone...

With Arnob live at the British High Commission

2007-04-02T22:37:00.000-07:00

Getting more eyeballs for the cause, with more concerts lined up.

Click here for more excellent images by Snigdha Zaman of Ikon Photo, Dhaka. YouTube video to follow of Arnob and me rehearsing...

Ornob/Andrew/Nazrul Live at the BHC

Arnob to visit the BNWLA Hostel

2007-03-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

Arnob, the star of the Bangladesh music scene, described by many as the finest musician of his generation, has agreed to visit the hostel with me. We've recently begun to collaborate musically (see the BlueNote blog for info) and are playing a concert tonight for the British High Commissioner. Photos will appear here soon. He is unquestionably a musical genius and it's a privilege to be able to work with him.

As I've got to know him, I've also seen he has a strong social conscience. He immediately offered a percentage of tonight's fee for example to the hostel. So when I suggested coming, he agreed straight away. We'll perform our new set for the kids, and they will in turn put on a song and dance show for us. This will bring huge publicity to the hostel - as his presence will guarantee media attention. Salma Ali (head of BNWLA) is delighted. A couple of TV interviews with any of us will further bolster the cause.

Music News

2007-03-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile, over at BlueNote, there have been some interesting developments which will certainly keep us in the limelight and help bring attention to the cause. Click on the link (bottom right on this page) to see the growing list of gigs plus news of an extraordinary collaboration in the making.

Incredible Offers No. 2

2007-03-23T11:20:00.001-07:00

My very good friend Aaref - a successful architect here - has offered the use of his ubercool urban pad as a venue for a dinner party in April, where we will play as BlueNote. He will invite 60 contacts and associates, charge them £10 per ticket, pay for all the food himself as a personal donation, and contribute the entire proceeds to our appeal. This is the sort of immense gesture which is coming to characterise this campaign, even in these early days. I wish to record here my personal gratitude to Aaref for this amazing contribution to the appeal.

First target

2007-03-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

Good news - we've reached £1000! Only another £329,000 to go. Or a month's salary for your average football player. We will get there. Target remains £10,000 for this first year- until December 2007. Between the various proceeds from gigs, the photo exhibition mentioned in a previous post, and the talk in the air of big charity music events, it's looking very likely that we'll reach it. Thanks to all who have donated so generously already.

Introducing BlueNote

2007-03-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, would you please now put your expensively manicured hands together for BlueNote.

BlueNote: a piano and sax duo playing all of your favourite jazz, blues, swing numbers and ballads. Smooth, edgy and sophisticated, BlueNote are the ideal ensemble to create an atmosphere for cocktail evenings, dinners, corporate events, club nights and private parties.

For photographs, click on the logo

BlueNote In The Mood

BlueNote supports the BNWLA Hostel Appeal (www.bnwlahostel.org) with proceeds from its performances. We will be working hard over the coming months to build up a reputation, and get booked to play more and more venues here. There is a real dearth of live music in Dhaka and it shouldn't be too difficult to get noticed. Besides, we are GOOD! (Even if I say so myself...)

For more information, news and details of performances, visit our blog at: http://bluenotesound.blogspot.com

Contact BlueNote at bluenotemusic@gmail.com

Inspiring Images

2007-03-21T00:34:00.000-07:00

Whatever else you have planned for today, please take ten minutes and check out the photographs of life at the current BNWLA Hostel taken recently by the excellent Snigdha Zaman of Ikon Photos here in Dhaka.

Positive, compassionate, movng and inspiring, this is a stunning collection of images. If you want to make a contribution as a result of what you see here, go to www.bnwlahostel.org

Alternatively, write to me at info@bnwlahostel.org to discuss how you can help out in other ways.

You can find the images by clicking on the picture below:

BNWLA Hostel by Snigdha Zaman/Ikon Photo

An incredible offer

2007-03-20T11:09:00.001-07:00

Met our Hostel Appeal photographer, the excellent Snigdha Zaman, at the Ikon Photo Agency for a photo session to launch our new musical venture (more on that later). She brought her friend and boss Ron along, to help with the setting up. While in the car driving to our session location I outlined to him how we came to be involved with Madhabi and BNWLA. On the spot he offered to hold an exhibition in the autumn from Ikon. Each of his associates would contribute up to 2 prints - we'd sell them at a gallery in the heart of upmarket Dhaka and keep ALL the takings. As they'd go for approx Tk 5000 (£40) each we could be talking about well over a thousand pounds from one exhibition. Is that amazing or what? It's the kind of gesture that makes me believe in humanity again.

We downloaded all the shots Snigdha took at the hostel. They are out of this world - simply breathtaking, full of compassion and dignity. I'll be uploading at least 50 of them to my own blog this week and urging you all to look at them.

Introducing the BNWLA Blog

2007-03-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the BNWLA Hostel Appeal Blog. In these posts I'll be updating you on what's been achieved, what's in the pipeline, and what ideas might be worth pursuing for fundraising in different parts of the world. Please make this one of your favourites, and please offer comments and contributions of your own.

The good news is that this initial week of the campaign has raised over £800, amongst other succcesses. A member of the Bangladeshi Human Rights Pressure Group Drishtipat produced a wonderful logo, free of charge, now on display here on the blog and on the Appeal website at www.bnwlahostel.org

In addition to launching the website, I commissioned an excellent local photographer to do a whole series of pictures of the survivors: both portraits and action shots from classrooms and training rooms. I'll be displaying these soon here on the blog. They will also be used in our brochure, which will be used largely to sell our cause to some of the bigger donors, so that we can follow up initial phone calls with professional-looking literature. It was free to produce, and inexpensive to print.

The musical side of fundraising is looking very promising. Entertaining people with sax and piano rather than a begging bowl. Quid pro quo. Watch this space on that one.

So it's been quite a week, and has generated a lot of momentum and offers of support. One idea that stands out already is trying to get Tesco to make a contribution. They have a lot of interest in Bangladesh as they source many of their cheap clothes here. They have grand statements on their own site about corporate responsiblity and child labour. I will soon put together a proposal to send to them. Does anyone have experience of that kind of approach to big retailers?

All for now. Past midnight. Tune in again soon.