K-Pop Music Concert: When two cultures unite through music

The K-wave brought Korean dramas, music and food to Bangladesh with its current. But when you take a closer look, it all started with K-pop, with groups such as BTS and EXO being the face of the genre. Its impact is even felt today.

So, when the Embassy of the Republic of Korea decided to showcase Korea's culture to Bangladesh, what better way was there to do it than through music? On 4 October, the cultures of Bangladesh and Korea were celebrated through the event, the '2024 K-Pop Music Concert' held at the Grand Auditorium of the National Museum.

The evening was filled with an exciting lineup including the K-pop group 'Lemonade,' creative dancer Hong Soo Jeong, an acapella group 'Only Voice' and a traditional Bengali dance performance.   

The entire event was divided into two major segments: The first half displayed the music and dance of Bangladesh and the second half – the highlight of the event – was dedicated to Korea's culture.

In the second segment, the performers did not just deliver, they blew the roof off the venue. Dancer Hong Soo Jeong, being a professor, performed soothing contemporary Korean dances. She was like a butterfly, with her wings spread afar and her dance was like the water, flowing ever so smoothly. 

I expected mostly Gen-Z folks in the crowd for an event like this but the turnout proved me wrong. People from all walks – young, old, male and female – attended countering the stereotype surrounding K-pop.

While the embassy didn't bolster a lineup of a top-rate degree (such as BTS, Blackpink, etc), it also didn't hold back any punches trying to deliver the best of K-pop. The performers who flew into Dhaka gave an incredible performance. 

'Lemonade' brought the taste of the K-pop we see online with some pretty bombastic dance performances. They danced along to approximately nine songs and each of them seemed better than the last. By the time they arrived at their final dance set, most folks in the auditorium were jumping out of their seats in rhythm. 

When it came to 'Only Voice,' the crowd became completely hypnotised and enchanted by the awesome vocal performance of the acapella group. It was a sound to cherish and a sight to behold.

I expected mostly Gen-Z folks in the crowd for an event like this but the turnout proved me wrong. People from all walks – young, old, male and female – attended countering the stereotype surrounding K-pop.

Yet, the event did falter. Unfortunately, its stumbles were most prevalent in the segment dedicated to our cultural dance performance. The performances by the Bangladeshi artistes included popular folk songs such as 'Agey Ki Shundor Din Kataitam' along with dance performances from a group of youths.

When both segments are compared, it was easy to see how poorly the first segment fared against the second segment although the audience could also see each performer's efforts. However,  the overall performance of the local segment was a little underwhelming. It seemed as though the young dancers had very little time to prepare for their sets.

At the same time, the auditorium at the National Museum of Bangladesh seemed like it was not built for an occasion like this. 

Yet the room was filled with people from corner to corner, with more people waiting outside just for a chance to get in. There was no ticketing or pass system, the concert was open for all but on a first-come-first-served basis due to the limited seating. I also noticed people were waiting outside in case anyone left the venue, so they could get in. 

The event was at full capacity.