‘Guitar Clinic With Oni Hasan’: An evening of six strings and beyond

The show "Guitar Clinic With Oni Hasan" meticulously organised by Mavix Global at the Liberation War Museum auditorium last Thursday (May 16) featured musical maestros like Mizan Rahman and Ershad Zaman. The event was a rather dreamlike affair — especially for the up-and-coming guitar enthusiasts amongst the audience inside the venue. 

There are many of us, fortunate ones, who have been immersed in the country's concert scenes, been part of the local music scene, and enjoyed every other perk that comes with it. Hence, after a certain period, concerts or shows of any scale rarely hold that same level of childlike excitement anymore, but this show turned out to be one of those very special evenings to cherish forever. The ambience felt like a big underground show from the heydays of RCC (Russian Cultural Centre) but with an auditorium and backstage alleys consisting of only guitar enthusiasts! 

Considering it was primarily a guitar clinic, the event began with a wholesome Q&A session with Oni Hasan, and as soon as he entered the stage, the eyes of the attendees in the auditorium began sparkling and their heartfelt cheers reverberated the deep admiration they have for this man. Little did we all know that soon the evening would become a whole lot more than just a guitar clinic by cementing its place in many of our core memories. 

From nine-year-olds to veterans, the space was filled with people who hold guitar and music dearly in their souls and know Warfaze, Artcell, Vibe, and Oni Hasan — note for note. The entire experience was intensely intimate for both the audience and the artistes.

Oni's Q&A session consisted of the most heartfelt, inspiring, and fun-filled interactions — fans opening up emotionally whilst holding the mic, giving hugs and gifts to Oni, and Oni himself playing his solos on acoustic guitars as he invited them on stage. The entire session felt surreal, as if the event were not part of his homecoming after a decade, as if he had never left.

Next, Oni Hasan took to the stage with his partner in crime, the prodigious Taawkir Tajammul Nisshobdo, and wreaked havoc with his oeuvre of instrumentals including, "Shrine Revisited", "Blissful Youth", "The Himalayas Is Where My Heart Rests" and "Adrenaline Rush". Shortly after, with Ajoy Banik on vocals, Ershad Zaman performed "Tomake" and "Oniker Prantor" (unplugged) on the very nylon string guitar he originally used in the recordings for Artcell. 

Later, the audience lived through inexplicable moments as Mizan with his ethereal vocals and Oni casually performed "Bewarish", "Purnota", "Aalo" and "Na" (unplugged), with the wizard Asif Rahman Joy on the keys. This is where the entire auditorium sang to the guitar solo as Oni only strummed chords. 

Then again on a show filled with so many delightful moments, perhaps the highlight was the last segment, which involved an entrancing impromptu guitar jam between the immensely talented Dibbo Nasser - who also hosted the show, Taawkir, Ershad, and Oni, with Asif on keys. Towards the end, Taawkir suddenly took Asif's keys and started playing drums with them as the rest continued to perform. That stint was supposed to be the event's closure, but soon the audience chanted requests for Ershad to play "Onno Shomoy". So the song was then performed while Taawkir played Kazi Ashequeen Shaju's drum lines from the iconic song on a keyboard.

         
Last but not least, the only thing that transcends the excitement of witnessing such all-powerful artistry, is the reminder that there is no shortcut to achieving greatness in whatever field of practice we are in. We ought to be patiently persistent with our efforts.