A symphonic cacophony of Dhaka City Sounds

Almost everywhere I go, I travel on my bicycle. It sounds fun, but for someone sensitive to loud noises, you can probably imagine how tough it gets for me on Dhaka's streets.
I have always wondered to myself how sound – the building blocks of music – can sometimes sound so harsh and soothing at the same time. But can this cacophony be turned into something melodious, like Evan Tyler ('Good Doctor' famed Freddie Highmore) did in 2007 'August Rush'? 
Thus, to my utter surprise, when I saw a Facebook post on the official page of Alliance Française de Dhaka (AFD) about an enthusiastic group of musicians setting up a concert based on the noises in and around Dhaka city, I was on my toes to find out. I was intrigued, to say the least. The show was organised by Goethe Institut. 
The said concert, titled 'Dhaka City Sounds', took place on the warm evening of 20 July at the courtyard of AFD. I have many memories from the same courtyard that I cherish to this day. After going through the concert, I knew that was another fond addition to my memory bank. 
From afar, the concept may sound bland. How interesting could it really be, right? 
But once all the pre-recorded noises of honking, hawkers screaming, buses braking and making a whoosh-whoosh noise, the sound of a 'majhi' [fisherman] hitting the water with his oar, etc were played in a musical pattern it blew my mind away, as well as the entire audience's. 
At the helm was Viktor Marek, a German musician and producer and also a DJ. Accompanying him were Kanak Aditya as backing vocal and ukulelist, Jabiul Islam as the flautist, Shagor as the rapper, and Eem as the percussionist on a cajon. 
Before beginning, Viktor demonstrated individual sounds that he recorded going around the town. This included rickshaw bells, beats from slapping the bus chassis and so on. At this point, the other instruments had not yet been introduced. Then, all of a sudden, Eem began beating his cajon and shook his 'ghungroo' [anklet] as Viktor filled the air with his mixes, made from what we perceive as "noise".
Aditya played single yet very catchy notes on his ukulele, adding another layer to Viktor and Eem's music. At last entered Jabiul with his flute. The set was complete. It was a novel experience.
For Viktor, this was an experimental tour and he wanted to find out how to turn cacophony to symphony. For that, he had to travel extensively around Dhaka and record noises. Now, recording noises is one thing, but putting them in order and making them sound like a total banger is a very different ball game. 
But even before their music began, what had caught my attention were Viktor's and Jabiul's extremely vibrant dresses. That in turn showed the vibrance of their personalities. Viktor was wearing a blue and gold jumpsuit and bedazzled golden sandals. Jabiul wore a silken-crimson Tangzhuang, a traditional chinese suit for men. Eem and Aditya wore equally bold dresses.
Anyhow, once all the musicians got into their grooves, the perceived notion of listening to noise-music faded away. Somehow the rickshaw bells, cars honking, hawkers screaming, engines buzzing and the likes sounded crafty. In my opinion, that is where a musician's talent lies: making the most unassuming thing fall in tune.
Think about it, a modern drum, for example, is just a hollow box with a plastic sheath meant to be beat. Individual drum notes, especially on the snare, can make one's ears bleed, besides boring them to death. But conjunct with other drum pieces and instruments, the same snare gives out music. Viktor's recordings had done their work.
The evening air was filled with high-energy techno music. 
Shagor came on stage from their second performance. The hip-hop artist rapped instinctively! The whole crowd welcomed Shagor's energy. At interludes, Aditya lent his high-pitched backing vocal while playing clean notes on the ukulele.
Most interestingly, Jabiul's technique on the flute felt so immersed into the techno backdrop that for a little while I forgot how the flute was not a Western wind instrument like the clarinet or trumpet. He used different flutes for the other performances. 
Their coordination was enviable.
One of their performances was a rendition of our very own Pop Guru Azam Khan's 'Alal o Dulal'. They added a beautiful spin to the legendary track. The crowd got up from their seats to dance. Looking at their enthusiasm, Viktor took his clunky machine on hand, still tethered to amplifiers, and joined the dancing crowd. I had nearly forgotten that a part of this overwhelming was just sounds from everyday objects. 
Each song lasted for nearly 10 minutes. But not a single beat in a single song sounded off. If the same show took place again, I would go.