Winning His Way Into Hearts With His Songs

I would like to tell them to expose themselves world music. They should listen to world music. The data which we put into our minds gets processed and comes out as our music output. Whatever we imbibe and the more we imbibe helps in creating better music. In order for music to be everlasting there has to be a depth in it. Take the example of our classical raagas. When we listen to these, we can process them and pull them out when we create our own music.

Playback singer and composer JitulSonowalkept audiences at his shows glued to their seats as he belted out evergreen numbers like Jodi Ketiaba, Tumi Mur Kalpana, Ujagori ai rati, Jon Jole Tora Jole and O XunMoromiin his mellifluous voice. His modern musicalbums NiribiliGodhuli, Bristi, Natun Lahar, Sonali and others were made with renowned Bollywood singers like Anuradha Paudwal, Usha Mangeshkar, Kumar Sanu, Kavita Krishnamurthy The music director and lyricist made a tremendous impact in the field of Assam’s music with the depth of his creations and blending of western music with Assamese. As vice chairman of SrimantaShankardev Kalakshetra JitulSonowal assumes a newrole to make Assam’s culture take centre stage

Please tell us something about your family

I belong to Dibrugarh. My mother resides there and my father passed away one year ago. I have a brother and sister,

How did you get interested in music?

I think it was in primary school that I started singing in the cultural programmes of the school. Singing came to me naturally and I indulged in it as a pastime. I was probably eight or nine years old at that time. It was then thatBorin Sharma sir, a teacher of another school heard about me and came to our school to hear me singing,. He told my parents that I had talent and that I should be given training. My mother took me to Hiren Gohain, a top-class composer, who lived in the neighbourhood. Gohain was programme executive of All India Radio, Dibrugarh and his compositions were sung by singers like Dolly Ghosh and other singers. He put me on stage at Chowkidingee field at Dibrugarh during a Bihu cultural programme. I also joined a children’s cultural organisation, Mouchaq, which still exists in Dibrugarh, my home town. I began travelling to Chandigarh, Delhi and different parts of Assam, singing and acting with that group in different platforms. I also won an award of the United SchoolsOrganisation. This was the starting point.

You are considered to be the pioneer in bringing western influence into your music. Please tell us how this occurred

It was not something I did consciously. This influence as you say was a part of a natural process that happened most probably due to listening to western music aired by Dibrugarh All India Radio. They had a fantastic collection of western songs, folk and western classical music – Beethoven, Mozart, good western music –and theprogramme,Disc of your Choice, which predominantly played the record of your choiceon request, was one of my favourites. I used to listen to the programme regularlyand the music was processed in my mind along with the songs of the greats of Assam like Bhupen Hazarika, Jayanta Hazarika and others. The warp and weft of western and Assamese music became intricately woven in my brain due to this influence and I probably created music which were influenced by both,naturally.

You are amusic director, singer, lyricist, composer and entertainer.

I like to compose more than singing. To compose a song, you need to use your imagination and this is more powerful.Composing music fulfilled my need to expand my thoughts and existence holistically,

Singing was something that was forced on me.People used to tell me that I was a good singer and therefore I should sing. Initially, of course I started with singing before taking up composing and then both continued simultaneously. I also composed situation-oriented songs for films. Bijoy Duarah helped me a lot by writing most of the popular songs that I had earlier sung. As for being an entertainer that depends on people’s perception. I perceive myself as a serious singer. The entertainment part came in when I formed a band and the musicians played a part in entertaining the audience. It was Arun Das who started the band type culture and I followed suit. In my shows people didn’t come to see just me. The musicians – guitarist Kalyan Baruah, who is now a greatmusic arranger in Mumbai,there were also Diganta Sharma, Rakesh Baruah, Ganesh Deka, my brother Uttam Sonowal, Pawan Rasoli, Rintu, Prantik Baruah, Anniruddha Baruah, who all played different musical instruments and gave the audience a total package of entertainment. It was a very nice culture. Those were the days.

You also worked with renowned singers like Udit Narayan, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Kavita Krishnamurthy. Can you please relate your experience of working with them

One thing I would say about them is that they have a very high level of professionalism. Their attitude towards singing, the way they took pains to enunciate each word correctly, their articulation, pronunciation and modulation of voice and also the speed at which they picked up a song was a great learning experience for me. Methodically they were very sound and when facing the microphone their emotions surfaced. Kavita Krishnamurthy especially was very particular about writing down the notations of a song and later while singing, if I changed it or made a mistake in the tune she would immediately point this out to me. You could not deviate from what you had taught her in the studio. She was amazing. It was at that levelof professionalism that they worked and that is what I learnt from

There are many talented singers and musicians in Assam. When you started what were the challenges that you faced as a musician?

It was not an industry then and even today I would not say that music is an industry in Assam. The challenges are still there. Filmmaking in Assam also cannot be said to be an industry. The actorsare known to switch to theatre or even do music when required. Theatre may be part of the acting industry where they have to go to earn more a handful of peoplemaybe earning a lotand one or two films out of 20 to 25 made in a year may make the box office mark and make money but these do not mean that industry status can be attributed to filmmaking in Assam One could say that the process is on or that it is in the making. Likewise for music. We usually forget about the musicians who are relegated to the sidelines. In fact, their situation is very bad,Musicians and singers mostly earn during Bihu functions or by performing in channels or other shows ust like the actors and actresses are dependent on theatre likewise musicians are dependent on shows. Moreover, musicians have to keep themselves updated with the latest music gadgets and instruments which are expensive. They are okay but still have a long way to go.

You are now the Vice chairman of SrimantaShankardev Kalakshetra Society Pleaseelaborate on this

The Shankardev Kalakshetra is the central point of our culture.It can be said to be an institution which serves as a cultural nerve centre. It is a very challenging job. Earlier literary greats and cultural activists like MaheswarNeog, Ratna Ojha and Shobha Brahmahad held the posts of vice chairman of SrimantaShankardev Kalakshetra. The Kalakshetra was the dream of BhabendranathSaikia, He toiled hard for establishing this institute. The Kalakshetra preserves, protects spreads our culture, tradition and heritage. Another important aspect is research. A lot of research is being done here and people can also come here to do research on different aspects of our culture and heritage. A few new elements like laser show, musical fountain and anew state of the art hall are all in the pipeline. We will soon see a new look in Shankardev Kalakshetra.

Can you please tell us about your memorable performances

I have staged shows in many places. I cannot particularly pinpoint which show was memorable and which was not Most of the times I have had good memories but also there have been bad moments. When our songs become hits, the artist is a bit cautious whileperforming live for a show. They do not know how the audience will react to their singing and whether they will be able to connect with the people . After singing four or five songs one gets to know whether the audience is liking you or not and once you know that you have reached out to them then these become a part of your good memories and remains in the subconscious mind.

What awards have you won?

I have won the Prag Cine Award for Best Music Director for the movie Hepaahdirected by Sankar Barua in 2003 and also a state award for Best Singer.

What are your present and upcoming projects?

At present I will be doing a few Bihu shows. Another project in under discussion with a friend in Mumbai and is yet to be launched. I cannot disclose what this project is right now and some other plans of mine which are yet to be finalised.

New singers in Assam are trying out new genres of music. What is your view on this?

In Assam there are two divisions of artists -- there are a few singers who have clicked by singing particular types of songs and others on seeing them are trying to ride this wave by emulate this style. I do not want to speak much on them.But many are trying new things. They are matured and want to do something different and are sticking to this despite not making much money. They are very focused and do not want to go to other lines.

In Assam music is different. The Assamese language, phonetics and dimension is different from others, it is soft. Therefore our music has to be different. We need different tunes and tonal quality.

There are also several who are trying out new experimentations -- rap, pop, EDM, progressive, psychedelic , we many talented musicians who are focusedand this is also a very good thing.

What is your advice to the new generation of singers and composers

I would like to tell them to expose themselves world music. They should listen to world music. The data which we put into our minds gets processed and comes out as our music output.Whatever we imbibe and the more we imbibe helps in creating better music. In order for music to be everlasting there has to be a depth in it. Take the example of our classical raagas. When we listen to these, we can process them and pull them out when we create our own music. The new generation of musicians should take pains to explore, expand and grow though the diversity that music has to offer the world over. After that he should find out what kind of music he wants to make. Music is related to the senses – the hearing and feeling senses. Every song should have a depthto be everlasting. Musicians should read books, poetry, do research and expand their horizons. A musician cannot become Bob Dylan in a day. How many composers have read about him, know that he is a Nobel Laureate and understood the depths of his poetry. All of them have to study, process and find out for themselves from which elements they can draw – be it tune, music, lyrics or anything else -- so that their music has a depth to it and leaves an everlasting impression in the listeners’ minds. Buying a guitar and belting out a song will not help in the long run. They should also be technically sound and learn the ropes in a good place.

Lastly, any words for our readers

The Sentinel is a very good newspaper and has benefitted its readers over the years with unbiased news and analyses. People should read the newspaper, think and ruminate. This is what I would also like to tell the new generation of musicians -- they should widely read, listen, expand, process and create good music.