A near-capacity audience turned up to watch Anwesha and Abhas perform at the Logan Campbell Centre on July 25. They were not disappointed, after being treated to close to four hours of fabulous entertainment from the charming duo, as well as some of the best local singing talent.

Both Anwesha and Abhas were at their very best. Abhas started the proceedings with a moving rendition of “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” and that really set the tone for the evening.Anwesha then captivated the audience with "Na jiya laage na", "Manmohana Bade Jhoote", her soaring taans sending the crowd into rapture. Gliding effortlessly to newer material, she had people dancing in the aisles with "Mindblowing Mahiya" and "Hum to aise hai bhaiya".

But what really brought the house down was, of course, "Mere Dholna", the deafening applause at the end of this song testimony to the mesmerising effect she has when she sings this song. Abhas, on the other hand, was the consummate entertainer, with a magical stage presence and his trademark soaring voice which captured the essence of every song he sang, most notably “Na to karvan ki talash”, “Aoge Jab tum sajana”, and the special section on Mohd Rafi. The duets that he sang with Anwesha were extraordinary: Kuhu Kuhu bole koyelia, Jaane jaan is dil mein, and finishing off the show in great style with Kajrare.

The local singers did a fabulous job too, with Arpita, Ashish, Ritika (who was also the MC), Rachit, Sayanti, Naveen, Avish and Bishnupriya – all leaving their mark and heightening the intensity of the show. The backing musicians also did a commendable job, with visiting keyboard virtuoso Indrajit Dutta leading from the front and providing a tight sound all throughout the show. Dancers from the Monisha School of Dance added a dash of colour and grace to the proceedings and were thoroughly appreciated by the knowledgeable audience.

The show, originally planned for three hours, stretched to nearly an hour longer. Toward the end of the concert, the space in front of the stage turned into a veritable dance floor with cheering music lovers, young and old, all completely lost in the magic woven by these two young prodigies.

Abhas contributed to this in no small measure by abruptly setting off into weaving runs through the aisles, microphone in hand, singing and literally exhorting the listeners to get to their feet and join the celebration of music.

A special 2-DVD set featuring the entire show is now available for music lovers. The concert was recorded professionally using state-of-the-art recording equipment, and the feedback about the visual clarity and sound quality has been positive. The collector’s edition DVD, priced at only $ 15.00, is available with the organisers who can be contacted on 09-6294158.