Dhaka: Alliance Française de Dhaka celebrated Fête de la Musique 2015, which is globally known as World Music Day, with a two days long music that ended on 13 June, 2015 evening in La Galerie, AFD.

The first day’s programme was featured by several individual young band groups along with some solo performers. In the second day, group and solo songs were presented in Bangla, English and French language by the students and teachers of French language as well as other cultural workshops. Some melodious instrumental recitation by the students of École de Musique, Alliance Française de Dhaka was held as well.

Fête de la Musique, also known as World Music Day, is a music festival that began in France in 1982. The idea was conceived by French Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, in 1981. Since then 21 June has been celebrated every year in more than hundred countries in Europe and over the world as the World Music Day. It takes place in the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The concept of Fête de la Musique is an open air and non-stop musical performances, to help making all sorts of music accessible to the public. It gives an opportunity to commune and share a special bond through music. This day allows the expression of all styles of music in a cheerful atmosphere.

The musicians are asked to perform for free, and all the concerts are free for the public. It is the reason why they are used to play in open air areas as streets and parks or in public buildings like museums, train stations, castles.

Furthermore, the Fête de la Musique is a way to encourage the major music institutions—orchestra, operas, choirs—to perform outside their usual locations. These kinds of institutions can also welcome other types of music. In this way it offers an opportunity to develop exchanges between city centers and their outlying areas, to offer concerts in hospitals or in prisons, to promote encounters and exchanges between young musicians and well-known talents.