In this world full of vivid cultures, conflict is inevitable. It requires some universal language to unite all of them and Music is one such language. It shapes the thoughts and behavior of societies while uniting people under the umbrella of solidarity. Music is an integral part of our life as it touches the soul and enhances harmony and happiness in Life. As we celebrate World Music Day, well known singer from Soumita Saha of Ishq fame opens up about her journey in the music industry.
How old were you when you first started your musical journey?
I was barely 3 years old and I could sing few of Tagore songs. When I was in play school, one day our Principal approached my mother saying “we want your daughter to sing for our annual function, she sings for us everyday and does have a small fanclub here that includes teaching and non-teaching staffsâ€. My mother was astonished as all I was expected to do then was baby talk.
This means your play school’s annual program was your first stage performance?
Yes, but I vaguely remember anything. My family members who attended the show tell me that I was not at all nervous on the stage. As if I was born to be there, that’s where I belong.
Music is like a Language. Unfortunately, these days it is controlled by people who can speak none – Soumita Saha
Tell us about one memorable incident you remember about your musical journey as a child performer.
Winning accolades and competitions became a part of life by the age of 10. But one of my performances as a child artist is the most memorable. At the age of 10, I was performing at CLT Aban Mahal kolkata, when I got the golden opportunity to share stage with Mr. Sameer Khashnabish, the man who was a part of Hemant Kumar’s team. Imagine my excitement as a child when I heard someone uttering “ do you know who’s playing guitar? Sameer da, Hemanta Mukherjee’s team guitaristâ€.
How much support did you get from your school when you were a child performer ?
I completed my schooling from Kolkata’s St. John’s Diocesan. There I received huge support from school as a child performer. Even though I never needed to skip exams or class tests because I was easily able to maintain the balance between academics and music. I did my Higher Secondary Schooling from M.B. Girls’ where I was lucky enough to be showered with the same kind of support.
What, according to you, is wrong with Music Industry today?
Music is like a Language. Unfortunately, these days it is controlled by people who can speak none. The present music industry is actively killing independent talents. A song is recognized by the name of the movie it belongs to. Singles and Albums from Independent Artists hardly get any audience. From Radio Stations to popular Music Channels, all of them allocate majority of slots to film songs only. Independent artists have been limited to working on cover and remixes only.
I wish independent artists came up with songs like Alisha Chinoy’s Made in India. I don’t say pop artists do not focus on Albums any longer. Some of them are definitely hitting the right chords, but those amazing songs do not reach Indian audience in the right way. During my school days, Euphoria’s songs and music videos used to be the topic of discussions.
Honestly, I don’t see the independent album trend returning. However, people still appreciate good singles. I wasn’t expecting my international debut to become a hit overnight, but our hard work paid off.
Your musical journey exhibits genre that are poles apart, take Tagore songs and trance for instance. How do you maintain balance ?
Music has always been my refuge from absurd situations in life. Having grown up in a musically infused environment, I knew Raag Kaafi’s thaat even before stepping into Kindergarten. My father is a renowned Rabindrasangeet exponent and it was he who originally inspired me to explore every genre of music I could relate to. He encouraged me to spread my wings of creatively. My recent work Ishq became a hit overnight. It was little difficult yet the artistic freedom I was provided acted pretty much like icing on the cake.
What message would you like to convey on the occasion of World Music Day?
Musically speaking, I wish Independent Artists come up with good singles. I request music lovers to come forward and support independent artists. This very essence of a music industry needs to be preserved, else it would lead to a complete monopoly of feature films.
Do you have any message for budding singers?
Oh yes, I have a crucial lesson to share with them. After so many projects, I finally realized that there’s no substitute to hard work. Follow your passion and come out of comfort zone. You need to fail 10 times before tasting success for the first time. Be prepared for that and the world will be yours.