BEHIND the scene look into organizing the largest virtual concert for India and Bengal – Hope 2020

Year 2020 started off with fireworks all over the world. As cheers reverberated, we heard the rumblings of a virus killing people in a distant city, Wuhan in China. We all assumed it would not affect us and it was a problem only in one city, connected to an animal market. We were grossly wrong. By January, it had spread widely in China, and then made the dreaded jump to Italy, Iran and then throughout Europe. By middle of March, it was in full blown pandemic, all around the world with cities in lockdown, hospitals full and panic everywhere.

By this time, the much-vaunted North American Bengali Conference (NABC), organized by Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB), scheduled for Las Vegas July 3-5^th was postponed first to Labor Day and then, to 4^th July weekend 2021. India was in severe crisis with a very quick strict lockdown, with migrant workers stranded and flights cancelled. Seeing the distressing pictures of migrants walking thousands of kilometres, poor without food, families without shelter, we were really feeling the urge to step up.

Phase 1 - When Lady Gaga lit a fire!

In the meantime, Lady Gaga had a huge aid concert for Covid on April 19^th and that lit a fire under Milan Awon, the NABC convener. He wanted this moment to be a clarion call for NRI Bengali community to stand beside Bengal in the time of need. He put together a small core team to discuss the feasibility. NABC brand must shine while we truly deliver for our motherland!

Tapan Sen of Toronto, Partha Sarathi Chatterjee of Houston, Biswa Bhattacharya, Krish “Bappa” Ghosh from NY got on a call with the man, Milan Awon. On that first call, we were overwhelmingly positive and determined to do something. Partha talked about putting up a global concert albeit online on the scale of LIVE AID in the 80’s for Ethiopia with the top celebrities of India. Tapan Sen and Biswa B took the responsibility to check with Bengal and Bollywood artists. Bappa Ghosh took up the mantle of thinking through production. Partha started researching the technology hosting for a huge audience and the interest from global organizations in joining together with CAB, NABC for a truly global concert.

Within a week, we gathered again on a zoom call. Response was overwhelmingly positive, almost euphoric. Artists wanted to do something for our country, that too without a dime. Tapan S and Biswa B quickly put together a dazzling array of stars, who had never performed together. Partha C had his list ready of partners as they were enthusiastic about joining. Zee was willing to host the event. AEMPL from Kolkata, led by Srimanta Chatterjee was ready to produce the grand event. With initial home work done over about 3 weeks and the man behind CAB – Prabir Roy buying into the initiative, Milan A was ready to go before the CAB executive committee and trustees for approval to move forward.

Phase 2 – Operations and planning a monster event!

CAB honchos led by President Chitta Saha gave an unconditional thumbs up to the proposal. Time has come to go from a three-day cultural event to a global philanthropic initiative, bringing NRI organizations across the globe together. Given the scope of the event and the number of organizations signing up, we could sense it will be huge and history making. After the approval from CAB, we embarked on zoom calls with partners, various teams to plan the event and propagate the message. Partha C Houston would talk about Swami Vivekananda and the need for all of us to leave a mark, do something for motherland. Instead of doubts, people started getting excited. It was not just a concert for Bengal; it was an all-India event, supported by global NRI organizations.

Tapan Sen and Biswa B continued to firm up the artists. Partha Chatterjee devised a communication strategy, drafted various letters and started social media posts. Marketing team with Tapan Sen at the helm and Biswa B and Tapas Sanyal brought in various partner organizations. Zoom calls explaining the concept and how people could help started in real earnest. Marketing gurus like Surajit Sengupta, Kallol Chattopadhyay, Babli Chakraborty, Lipika Mukhopadhyay and others joined in the effort. Fundraising started with Dipankar Chattopadhyay, Gopendu Chakrabarti combined efforts. Bappa Ghosh, Ayantika Karmakar, along with AEMPL team started hammering out the production details.

Partha Chatterjee put together a big technical team with current NABC tech team members Partha Chakravarty and Debi Palit from NY/NJ and Debadip Bandyopadhyay. Challenge was multi-fold: payment gateway from all over the world needed to be created along with a full-fledged sub-domain for the event with overview, donation link, artists, where money is going to etc etc. In addition, a new team of techies – Chandan Biswas, Dhruba Ghose and Abhijit Bhattacharyya joined the team, They focused on providing HD, uninterrupted streaming capable of handling 1 million viewers, if needed.

Debadip was the stripe guru, keeping track of the payments, providing frequent updates to the core team and Ranadeb Sarkar, the treasurer and money man.

Phase 3 – Amphan hits and gives urgency to the event and a new name – HOPE 2020!

Almost a month to the date after the Lady Gaga concert, on May 20^th, a devastating super cyclone, Amphan, hit Bengal. It created unprecedented disaster, wiping out trees, breaking dams, inundating lands, destroying houses. It was simply an unmitigated catastrophe. Combined with the Covid crisis, it brought Bengal to its knees. It became a real urgency to help our brethren in India and specially Bengal.

We had an emergency call and rechristened the event Hope 2020 – NABC Covid and Amphan Care Concert – Together for you. We now had a challenge – the storm severely impacted the artists’ ability to record and the production team to produce. Cell towers were down, internet connection was non-existent. How could we produce a mega event, while practicing social distancing? If the artists could not go to the studio, but they had no working cell lines or internet, how could we produce the concert?

But, the urge to really step up big was huge. Core team did not disclose the true situation to anyone else. We acted as if everything was on track. Biswa, Tapan Sen focused on frantically calling the artists and making sure they were on board and would meet the deadlines, come what may. Bappa did a yeoman’s job coordinating with the production team, always focused on solving issues with a super dedicated AEMPL team. Partha C Houston started rolling out FB posts, drafting letters, content for Tapan Sen’s newsletters. Creating buzz through happening social media posts on all three NABC FB pages was a chore, happily done by him. Both Partha’s coordinated the website updates with Partha Houston providing content and design, Partha NJ making the website update with RP Chakraborty’s team.

Biswa led the effort to GO VIRAL – putting together regular zoom meetings with partner’s answering questions, bringing issues to the core team. Buzz was spreading, with so many partner organizations signing up and providing volunteers to help with marketing and fundraising, locally. Partners committed to raising funds from their members.

Global excitement was spreading with organizations from Wales, London, Nigeria, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and many others joining the fray. We literally had participation from 5 continents across a wide gamut of time zones. Coordinating zoom calls was a challenge but we survived through emails, whatsapp and phone calls as needed.

Prabir Ray was a one-man army, calling so many people and getting them to make big donations. He was really racking up the dough, through his charming persuasion and passion for Bengal. He put together a disbursement team with Ashok Rakshit, Satyen Mukherjee, Milan Awon, Ashish Sengupta. We would disburse the money to Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Ramakrishna Mission and the Artist and cine workers guild, supporting the distressed community.

Thanks to our digital partners Zee Bangla, Sharmila Showhouse, Bangla Podcast, excitement spread like wildfire. News papers Aajkal, TOI Bangla, Ei Samay also publicized the event. They all did a fabulous job, creating the buzz.

Radio Zindagi joined as a marketing partner. “Robi Barer Ashor” with Rini became a big hit with NABC honchos and partners and artists pitching Hope 2020.

Phase 4 – the Countdown begins ..

Preparation was truly in fever pitch with couple of weeks left. Production was a bit behind due to the various constraints. Some artists were not sending material in on time; some were not of good enough quality for AEMPL. More artists were eager to perform. We were squeezing them in. We had to produce 3.5 hours of programming, spread over 3 days.

With days to the concert, Biswa B put together a full-fledged support team with Ruchir Ghosh, Samita Sen, Pradip Gupta, Jyotirmoy Sarkar, Surojit Roy, Indranath Bhattacharya, Amit Choudhury, Madhumita Sen, and many others.

Chandan, Dhruba continued to hammer out the AWS payment, tested the site going from payment to a link to watch, without capability of downloading videos to protect copyright.

Ayantika Karmakar and Debadip Bandyopadhyay combo focused on really taking our social media game to another level – setting up YouTube, Facebook. Bappa continued to load the promos and Partha C Houston went on sharing exciting social media posts using the promos and other posters. 

Bappa was the master of posters – he had a poster for every occasion, every appeal!

Ranadeb Sarkar, the CAB treasurer, was meticulous in counting the money and ensuring full transparency existed, collecting money from all sources.

With Milan Awon shepherding the ship, providing leadership, a global effort coalesced around helping motherland. An unbelievable feeling for all.

Stage was set – the launch of the largest virtual concert for Bengal and India with huge numbers of people watching, thousands of dollars of donation coming in for the motherland!

Phase 5 – HOPE 2020 – July 3-5, 2020 – Made history, together!

Hope 2020 was truly an amazing galaxy of stars - artists, singers, celebrities, appearing on one platform for charity for India and Bengal.

Day 1 started with a music composition by L Subramaniam with Leipzig Orchestra, top singers and musicians of India appealing for love and peace all over the world. This music reminded everyone of the powerful "We are the World" sung by world famous singers. It continued with music from Bengal and Bollywood - from Rabindrasangeet to folk songs to Bollywood Dhamaka. Top celebrities of India chimed in with appeals as to why we should support HOPE 2020.

Day 2 showcased the top upcoming talent - the winners of the iconic Sa Re Ga Ma Pa contest. Hope 2020 provides the platform for the rising stars to shine on the world stage. Hope 2020 was about a bright future and appeals continued to support your motherland.

Day 3 was truly a rocking finale, specially put together by Zee Bangla for happening ensemble of Bollywood and some Bangla music. Theme was focused on the ending of doom and gloom and ringing in of a bright future together.

We SHALL overcome; India WILL rise; Bengal WILL become Golden again - TOGETHER!

Post Event – What did we achieve, together, globally?

• ·       Campaign: Publicity campaign reached more than 10 million people through emails, social media, messages and phone calls.
• ·       Partner organizations: We reached more than 250 diaspora organizations, with about 85 officially signing up as partner organization across 5 continents.
• ·       Viewership: Digital marketing was at its best. The three-episode musical bonanza for charity witnessed record online and TV viewership. We will publish the streaming numbers and Zee Bangla TV premiere ratings when available.
• ·       Donation: Hope 2020 collected a mammoth $150K before July 5^th primetime online concert. Donations are still pouring in and will be collected till July 31^st, making it the most successful virtual concert related collection.
• ·       Feedback: The three-day program generated unprecedented excitement. Starting with a surreal and heavenly opening symphony to a galaxy of celebrated music stars to a rocking finale, the program touched the hearts of a wide genre of fans. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback online, through messages and phone calls.

This unprecedented success and the record charitable donation for motherland could not have been possible without unconditional support of the global diaspora, supporters, artists, sponsors, and partners. You were there for us; you answered our call; stayed with us throughout the process, helped deliver a fantastic concert, and more importantly, gave your valuable time and effort for us, believing in our cause.

Prabir Roy, said, “We united Indian and Bengali diaspora citizens from every corner of the globe, to stand by our brothers and sisters in our homeland India, holding their hands”. As promised, NABC will NOT keep any earnings from this fundraiser for itself. 100% of donation will go to recognized charities doing ground level relief. We will close our donation by July 31st and announce the total soon to be disbursed.

Thank you again for your offer of support. In the words of Milan Awon, “Together, we did make a difference for India and Bengal for COVID and Amphan. Brand NABC shone brightly.” We look forward to more such positive engagements in the future, providing greater benefit. Thank you for being a friend in need and trusting us to give back to Motherland.