HIMANSHU GURU, OP
Devotional tracks gel well with the spirit of Durga puja but raucous and boisterous ‘melodies’ have, unfortunately, replaced the traditional tunes of devotion…
Durga puja is the festival of the victory of good over evil. However, the way it is celebrated sometimes contradicts this spirit. People often witness commercial numbers being played and performed at pandals. The committees come up with the excuse that people love entertainment and thus they try to woo listeners with melody nights. But does the film songs, some of which have even double meaning lyrics, are in dissonance with the spirit of the festival? Will it not be good to give space to the cult devotional music associated with puja? Sunday POST talks to some renowned singers of the Oriya film and entertainment industry to register their perspectives.
“As a token of respect to the goddess we should maintain some dignity around the pandal. I mean it would be good if only bhajans would be performed in the puja season. But yes, since people also want entertainment, melody nights should be organised but the stage should not be very close to the pandals, so that people can enjoy as per their choice and simultaneously devotees are not disturbed,” said singer Tansen Singh, who has hit songs like ‘Jhumka Tike Tuta Halei De’, ‘Mu Je Eka Pagala Bhanra’ to his credit.
“Once my friends asked me to perform ‘Jhumka tike tuta haleide’ on a church’s premises but I humbly declined. Because that was not the right place to sing the track they were asking, although I am the original singer and it was a hit song,” he added.
“People have started loving bhajans during Durga puja,” said Sailabhama Mohapatra who has sung hundreds of songs in her career of approximately 17 years. “I have been booked for four bhajan concerts this year. At many medhas the committees are organising bhajan concerts on Sasthi and Saptami days and melody on the rest of the days. During my early days bhajan was not in demand. But over time people have started longing for bhajans. Especially after the proliferation of TV channels, people are waiting for live shows of devotional songs. I am popular since I frequently sing on Prarthana channel. I am a singer and sing all genres and the audience accepts me. Of course out of melody and bhajan, melody will have more audience, but bhajan concerts are also liked by many,” she said.
“I will be very happy if the trend changes and bhajan programmes are organised during Durga puja. During puja, the moving crowd becomes the audience. They only halt for a while at a certain concert if they find enough entertainment there. And it is mostly through either a commercial song or record dance. And to woo this type of audience the puja committees organise melody nights where commercial tracks are performed and danced. They specifically look for singers who can woo the audience with songs like ‘Nadia tela’ and ‘Thia pala’ so that the programme is a hit. And in return it positively affects financial collection. Of course, the first or first two songs are always bhajans even in melodies. Since the time when the audio/cassette industry was reigning in the state, I have heard composers saying they have made a melodious song which definitely will rule at the medha. Once a song is performed at the pandal during Durga puja, it means that the song is a hit. But nobody makes a bhajan to be performed at the medha. However, if composers come up with hit bhajans and committees take a decision to give space to such devotional songs, then it will succeed. The same instruments accompany both a filmy song and a bhajan, only the lyrics are different. So why will not the bhajans do well,” says state award winning singer Tapu Mishra.
“Jagarata, the concert where bhajans are performed whole night, is rare in Orissa. People get fully entertained with these musical shows. Again, for melodies many other occasions are there. So, if puja committees will change their minds and take a risk to go for bhajan concerts, in the beginning it may seem discouraging, but ultimately the concept will click,” she added.
According to young heartthrob and singer Humane Sagar people want entertainment during puja. “I have found devoted people normally performing the rituals of worship at their homes with full devotion. And when they visit pandals they want to relax. Again, youngsters are the main audience of the musical programmes during puja. And of course this generation wants hit filmy songs. But it does not mean that people don’t love bhajans. Even in melodies, people want us to sing three to four bhajans at least,” says the singer.
“There is no harm staging both bhajan concerts and melody nights, but the former should be given priority in the puja season. And even in orchestra, stress should be given to perform quality numbers. Melody should be melodious,” says beautiful young singer Ipsita Panda.
“Dandia programmes are organised in the capital city during Dussehra where people enjoy dancing to the tune of quality tracks. Mostly devotional tracks are performed or played in Dandias. We watch on TV renowned singers performing Dandia in other states. Besides, Jagrata is also another option where people get pure devotional fervour besides normal bhajan sandhyas. Of course, we should keep in mind the entertainment factor, but even in melodies there should be decency,” Ipsita said.