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or Bhajan is quite happy using modern instruments.The older generation and the intellectuals are listening to songs from yester years like “Nidhubabur Tappa” or songs of Lalchand Baral.
People are quite disappointed with the poor standard of current Bengali songs and the lyrics.
To find out why we have reached such low standards, we need to analyse our social and political background. Our social, political and moral values have been continually deteriorating, decaying and dying. The national media refuse to share the protests or comments by our intelligentsia - so who is going to encourage a creative poet, lyricist or a composer ? Where is our national cultural leadership ?

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Q:  What about the state-sponsored and private media ? Have they taken any responsibility in this regard so far ?

A: The number of responsible and  socially minded TV and radio stations and publications are very few. Most of them are busy maximising their profit or busy doing Government propaganda. Using regionalism, divisiveness and narrow mindedness,we are suppressing or silencing the mass consciousness which could have encouraged the demand and create pressure for more creativity. During the ‘40s and ‘50s in spite of all those profit minded and state organisations we were able to ignite the mass consciousness using the mass songs. Without the conscious, efficient and well-structured cultural leadership this would not have been possible.

Q: Many people have commented on using western music in out Indian popular music.However, besides the excessive use of electronic music there is too much influence of western pop music.
What is your reaction ?

A: There are many possibilities in combining the western music with Indian music.The West Bengal Music Academy has been studying the these possibilities. The main point is how can we enrich the Indian music by using the western music ? It is not really a crime to use electronic music - what we need to consider is how much use ? We must use the modern techniques and make them acceptable to the people.

Q: In the past, you have quite successfully created wonderful songs from your poems - most of them are like long episodes. They really influenced people. Why your current compositions have not been as popular ?

A: It is possible to transfer some poems to successful songs . One does not have to make it like an episode. In my case - consider “Abaak Prithibi” or “Thikana” by Sukanta or “Ujjal ak jhank paayraa” by Bimal Chandra Ghosh, “Rekho maa daasere mone” by Michael Madhusudan Datta or “Oginikoner koner tallaat juDe” by Subhas Mukhopadhyay. These are real poems. I think the current cultural environment free from formalism could be the ideal environment primarily for lyrical compositions and create new waves in Bengali music.



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