Bohagi bidai has left an indelible
impression on Debojit Saha
Mother of all performances
- The popular singer recounts a heart-warming moment during
Bohag Bihu
Idol Chat Telegraph India
Voice of India Debojit Saha writes about a profoundly moving
experience ...
Spring has come and gone. That is a part of the cycle of
life. But this month of Bohag has left an indelible
impression on my mind, like never before.
This was for the first time in my singing career that I gave
nine back-to-back live performances as part of the Bohagi
bidai celebrations in my native land. It was absolutely
fantastic to find hysterical fans wherever I performed
during my tour.
Bohagi bidai is a part of the monthlong Bohag Bihu
celebrations in Assam. To be a part of the celebration is
quite an experience.
Bohagi bidai marks the end of the Bihu celebrations. At many
venues, I was greeted by nearly one lakh music lovers under
a single roof.
The sight of whistling fans, jiving to the tune of Bihu
numbers, is something that will be etched in my memory
forever. From Barpeta and Dhubri to Sualkuchi, the silk town
of Assam, and then to Upper Assam, it was clear to me that
if it is Bihu, music is the first preference of the masses.
As I performed one Bihu number after another, the myth that
I am not comfortable with Assamese songs also came to an
end. From modern to Bihu song numbers, I performed Assamese
songs exclusively during the entire tour. I received
requests to perform at around 15 places, but I could make it
only to nine.
For next year’s Bohagi bidai, I promise that my tour will be
for a longer duration, during which I plan to cover the
entire state. I don’t know whether my dream to sing across
the length and breadth of the state will be fulfilled or
not. But I will try my best to fulfil my long-cherished
dream.
The most touching moment during my entire tour was when in
Nazira, a 92-year-old woman came to see me perform, despite
her poor health. I went to take her blessings. With moist
eyes, when she raised her shaking hands to bless me, I felt
as though my mother had come back to life.
I sobbed silently, but felt reassured that mothers across
the state were praying for my success. I am thankful to all
of them.
I next head for Bangkok for a two-day concert. Another new
experience awaits me, but that will be nothing compared to
singing for a home crowd.
Silchar boy shines in musical
talent show
From our Correspondent
SILCHAR, May 27: After the stellar performance of Debojit
Saha, Rathijit and Saptaparma of Barak Valley in the talent
shows organized by different satellite channels, another
young rising music artist Ratnadeep Chowdhury of this town
is hogging the limelight.
He has surpassed a number of contestants at the Amul Star
Voice of India programme currently on in a private
television channel through his skill and mellifluous voice.
His ascent to this musical feat has come through tests and
auditions at different levels.
Ratnadeep made a breakthrough in April end any May 15 by his
outstanding merit at the Amul Star programmes in Kolkata. In
these pre-final mega musical contests, he enthralled an
assembly of 10,000 audiences and won their applaud. Eminent
personalties of the music world— Adesh Srivastava, Abhijit,
Alka Yagnik and Lalit Pandit— were the judges. Bollywood and
Tollywood stars, Koninika, Vikram Ghose, Shipra Basu and
Tony Bose, were present as special invites.
Gajendra Singh, the noted choreographer, made the gala
events memorable.
Ratnadeep impressed the judges by his inimitable style. His
devotional as well as modern songs were different in
rhythmic and sonorous touches.
He displayed great elan in the fusion of classical, semi
classic and Sufi notes that left deep imprints on the minds
of the music lovers.
The young artist is all set to do still better in the final
wrap up of the programme in Mumbai. The young artists
achieved the distinctive honour of being the first among all
the participants in Kolkata Doordarshan musical programme.
He has been receiving lessons on classical and other forms
of music from well-known persons of the art. He made his
debut in the world of music as a B-grade artist of Silchar
Doordarshan. He then moved to Kolkata for more exposition
and training.
Under the care of well-known singers, Haimanti Shukla and
Alok Chattopadhya, he has gained much.
Born to tabla artist of this town Bhaskar Chowdhury and his
spouse Dipika Chowdhury, Ratnadeep has been inspired not
only by his parents but also by his friends and well-wishers
to become a music artist. Sharing all this information of
his son with this scribe, Bhaskar Chowdhury said he is
confident of his son emerging as a topper in the mega final.
Relaxation must for life amidst
terror: Debojit Saha
From Our Correspondent
NORTH LAKHIMPUR, May 27 – “Relief of the mind and relaxation
in the age of terror and trauma is very important and
necessary,” feels Voice of India fame Debojit Saha.
Talking to this correspondent in an informal chat in his
room at the North Lakhimpur Circuit House, the hero of
Reality TV show on music who had became a household name
followng his triumph at the Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma contest,
said that people of the North East need relaxation because
of their daily ordeal with terror and that relaxation is
provided by music for which he too had been singing. Debojit
Saha was in North Lakhimpur for a musical concert called
Bohagi Melani organised by the Navodaya Sangha on Monday.
Incidentally, it was Debojit’s first ever Bihu stage
performance.
During the conversation, the popular singer and youth icon
said that he considers musical albums more independent with
creative inputs by the singer than the playback songs where
the artist had to folow the various requirements of the
music director often at the cost of his own and original
voice. However he said that he was not completely adverse
towards playback singing and had so far recorded songs for
music directors like Bappi Lahiri, Jatin-Lalit etc for some
films.
Debojit also expressed his feelings of sorrow for the
present bad phase of cinema halls in Assam and blamed the
uncontrolled expansion of the cable TV networks and piracy
of the audio-video cassettes and CDs for the loss of cinema
theatres in the State.
The singer also said that the amount of love and affection
he received in Assam was wanting in outside and though he
was staying in Mumbai for his professional interests, his
mind and soul would always be in Assam. Debojit also said
that he sang Bihu and other Assamese songs during his stage
shows abroad and fondly remembered the applause he received
after performing Bihu at Los Angeles and Bangkok. It was
also revealed during the conversation that Debojit was the
first artist to sing Bihu in a national TV channel. He also
sang the same while anchoring for the Bengali Sa Re Ga Ma
show in Zee TV Bangla this year.
Terming Dr Bhupen Hazarika a living legend, he said that he
always wanted to keep alive the evergreen songs of the
legendary artists of Assam by singing their songs during
each of his stage concerts in the state for the benefit of
the future generation. Terming the legendary song ‘Jeevane
Marane Moi Chiradin Asomiya. Sung by Bhaben Barthakur and
penned by Sayed Abdul Malik as his favourite and Debojit
said Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Mohd. Rafi and Hemanta Kumar
as his favourite idols.
Debojit recalled the pain and endurance bored by his wife
Vandana as the mantra behind his success and rise to stardom
and said that without her effort it would have been
impossible to become what he was presently. On bridging the
gap between the people of the Brahmaputra Valley and that of
Barak the singer said that common people always wished for a
bond between both the valleys but they did not have any
medium to do so. He also wished similar kind of bond among
all the communities of the entire North East. Debojit also
expressed his satisfaction that after long 22 years,
Rabindra Jayanti was celebrated in Guwahati at the Rabindra
Bhawan where he too participated.
The singer also expressed his desire to open an old age home
in the state for public charity besides doing his regular
stint with AIDS awareness campaign from Shillong where he
had been associated with an NGO called Maitree.
Later in the evening Debojit enthralled an audience of over
ten thousand with his songs at the Bohagi Melani on the
playground of North Lakhimpur Govt. H S School. He
entertained the audience with a number of Bihu songs along
with popular Assamese, Hindi and Bangla numbers. The
cultural nite was also participated by Nawab F Haque,
Superintendent of Police, Lakhimpur who also sang a number
of songs from his recently released audio albums.
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