Connected to his roots

Kiron Chandra Ray: a musical talent

DS: How did you enter the music world?

Kiran Chandra Ray: I grew up watching my Thakurda (grandfather) sing and practise folk music. That's what greatly encouraged me. I received formal training in music from my paternal Uncle Prabhath Kumar Ray. I also participated and won several singing competitions in school and college.

I never stopped learning.While I studied in Manikganj College, I got a chance to meet several music personalities, both established and up-coming. Among them are Kalipad Bhoumik, Maka Mia, Bulu, Ramesh Ghosh, Pijash, Debu, Faruk and Mithun. They used to sing different kinds of music, while I practiced more of folk songs and tried to establish myself in this field.

DS: How and when did you come to the capital?

KCR: Back in those days it was a difficult task to come to Dhaka, since one would have to ferry through two water passages and journey almost the whole day just to reach Dhaka from Manikganj. Nevertheless, I used to come once in a while and audition for the radio. On one such occasion, I chanced upon meeting the dotara player Chhan Mia, through whom I met the poet Jasimuddin. It was Jasimuddin who heard me sing and gave me a recommendation for the radio. That's when I passed the audition and started off being a radio artiste.

DS: Do you find any differences between the music presentation skills of the days gone by and today?

KCR: Definitely. In those days, we were all like a cultural family establishing a platform under one roof. We would learn from our contemporaries and share our knowledge with others as well. One would readily compliment his fellow musician on a performance, which you don't see much of today. You see more of the ego conflicts in today's music world.

Besides, the Radio Station, now situated in Agargaon, has lost its previous glamour and has turned into a small city now. I think that being a television artiste is more rewarding nowadays.

DS: When was your first album released?

KCR: It was in the year 1978 when four of my records were released. As I mentioned, initially it was like fighting a battle to pass a simple audition for the radio. However, as soon as I got selected for the radio, everything just seemed to work out on its own. Soon, I established a platform for myself.

I also began to sing playback for the cinema around 1968 with Aajmal Huda Mithu's Niyomito Khela. All along, I continued with my studies and completed my Master's degree. However, music was always my priority.

DS: Did you continue with your musical training?

KCR: Yes I did. In fact, when I was recording with the popular Sabina Yasmeen in the film Muktar Mala, I noticed many flaws in my performance. That's when I realised that merely studying music would not help me in becoming a good singer. I began to train under Khandakar Nurul Alam and continued learning for 14 years.

Eventually I got married to Chandana Majumder, also a singer in 1979. In 1983 I began to teach at the Armanitola Government High School and am continuing with the job.

DS: What do you think about the audio music media in our country today?

KCR: I think that this particular media has destroyed the music industry in our country. Everything happens to revolve around the business itself, and not the artiste or the type of compositions the artiste will sing. No body seems to be committed or passionate towards the art itself.

Unfortunately, the number of such artistes seems to outnumber the industry today. Real talent is nowhere to be seen now. In fact, Ustad Alauddin Khan had remarked that in a country where real talent is not appreciated, newer talents would be discouraged to come up. That way, one of these days, we will end up losing all the worthwhile artistes. I think the country is going through this exact phase at the moment.

I also think that the government has a role to play here as well. If the leaders encourage and honour the true artistes properly, the people will do the same.

DS: Nowadays, bands and solo performers releasing albums always seem to have a mixture of folk in their numbers. Why is that?

KCR: That is obviously because we are all still connected to our roots. The Dhaka City is a massive village where everyone is still bound together which reflects in our music creations as well.

DS: So many talented musicians come out of the different music schools in Bangladesh. However, we never seem to see their ability or their talents. Why is this so?

KCR: You never see the true artistes related to these so-called music institutions. It's a wonder as to how the teachers here actually vow to build up new talents in music. It's so surprising to think that in a country where we have very high quality artistes and a department for music alone, we also generate low quality musicians.