Standard Chartered Bangladesh recently held the Grand Finale event for “Symphony – Brands in Sync” in Dhaka on 25 June 2022. Launched in November of 2021, the musical competition is the first-of-its-kind in Bangladesh.
British American Tobacco Bangladesh was named as this year’s champion. Unilever Bangladesh Limited was recognised as the first Runner Up, while Robi Axiata Limited was recognised as the second Runner Up. Among the finalists were: British American Tobacco Bangladesh, BRAC, Marico Bangladesh Limited, Robi Axiata Limited, and Unilever Bangladesh Limited. The bands performed a range of songs celebrating patriotism and the spirit of the day, a day which marked the momentous occasion of the inauguration of the Padma Bridge.
The following awards were also given to this year’s standout performers:
Best Bassist: Tahmid Tishad Khan, British American Tobacco Bangladesh
Best Drummer/Beatboxer: Muntasir Mynuddin, Robi Axiata Limited
Best Guitarist: Shafaat Mridha, Unilever Bangladesh Limited
Best Keyboardist: Grace P. Sengupta, BRAC
Best Lyricist: Tahmid Tishad Khan and Saif Sohan, British American Tobacco Bangladesh
Best Vocalist: Khadizatul Kobra Sraboni, BRAC
Bands performed in front of an audience of over 650 and a judges’ panel that included musical icons: Bappa Mazumder, Partha Barua, and Naquib Khan. Guests included business leaders from local and international corporates. Event attendees enjoyed a headlining performance from Warfaze, featuring Sunjoy Kamran Rahman – the band’s former lead vocalist.
Naser Ezaz Bijoy, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, said, “We are delighted to celebrate these talented musicians and their inspiring performances on such an auspicious day – a day that celebrates our nation’s 50-year journey of growth and prosperity. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for the inauguration of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge which to the millions of Bangladeshis, is more than a bridge, but rather a bold statement of Bangladesh’s ability to turn dreams to reality. I would like to dedicate this first iteration of our signature platform, Symphony – Brands in Sync, to this historic achievement.”
He added, “I hope that this competition is only the beginning of each band’s musical journey. I would like to thank our corporate clients for making this competition possible and for nurturing the creative talents of their colleagues. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Bappa Mazumder, Naquib Khan, Partha Barua, and Shafin Ahmed for their support and mentorship, and to Warfaze and our former colleague Sunjoy for their excellent performance.”
This year’s event marks the conclusion of the first iteration of “Symphony – Brands in Sync.” Following the launch of “Symphony – Brands in Sync” in late 2021, Standard Chartered’s corporate clients were invited to register their in-house bands via their Relationship Managers. During the preliminary stage of the competition, interested bands submitted pre-recorded audio tracks. The five finalists for this year’s Grand Finale event were s elected based on an assessment of the submitted tracks by the panel of judges. Once s elected, finalists benefitted from two months of practice in addition to one-on-one mentoring from the trio of celebrity judges.
Having an uninterrupted presence of over 117 years establishes Standard Chartered as the only multinational universal bank in the nation. A storied history and a future-oriented mindset empowers Standard Chartered to leverage deep-rooted local connections and knowledge along with an expansive global network and diverse product portfolio. For as long as the Bank has been around, it has been proud to be a partner in progress to Bangladesh.
BDST: 2159 HRS, JUNE 27, 2022
MSK