"Nobody knows about many artistes of Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro"

Timir Nandy is a voice soldier at the Shadhin bangle Betar Kendro. He has enlightened music in terms of popularity from his teenage days to the present. During the War of Liberation, his songs inspired the freedom fighters and united millions of people including refugees. Timir Nandy shared the experiences with Sumaia Sugra Ananna which helped shape his life as a performer, and shared motivations behind all songs.

Asian Age(AA): First of all I want to know, besides your working with songs and directions, is there any more work involved?

Timir Nandy: As a student in the college of music, I graduated in music on scholarship from the then Soviet Union Government in 1973. Besides working with songs and direction, I am involved in teaching. At 2012, I did "staff notation" for national anthem in London Olympics.

AA: The first thing that comes out when talking about you is your singing at the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro in 1971. How did you join the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro?

Timir Nandy: Banabandhu's 7th March speech renewed my patriotism. At that time I went to Kurigram and Lalmonirhat from where I encouraged people in various places by singing mass song with social groups . Then 12 miles away from there I went to Bagua village. I with fellows would watch the village with stick in hands. The news of brutality and cruel murder by Pakistanis aired in radio raised my anger.

After listening to various programs about liberation war in Shadin Bangla Betar, inevitable passion to take part in liberation war pressed me. I reached Calcutta with lot of hardship and my life in hand. There, I saw many great artists of West Bengal including actor Uttam Kumar descend to streets to help refugees.

By watching their various programs, I got inspiration to go to war. I told my mother that I will go to war. In reply, mother said, if you go to war then jump with your voice, join Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro. With the blessings of my mother, I started finding out where the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro located. After listening to my mid brother, I went to Baliganj Circular Road where I found Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro.

There I found all familiar faces including Sujay Shyam, Apple Mahmood, Rathindranath Roy, Samar Das and others. I even got welcome from those who didn't know me. Songs and tunes were composed and recorded regularly and got aired at Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro.

AA: When you sang at Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendra at that time, how was that environment in your memory?

Timir Nandy: It was only memory that time. Everyone stayed with lots of trouble in a small house. I would go to various places and inspired people including freedom fighters by singing mass songs. We also organized a group called "Refugee Artist's Group". The actors in this group were Mamunur Rashid, Asaduzzaman Noor, Mitali Mukherjee, Fakir Alamgir, Subrata Sen Gupta, Kamal Sarkar, Shukla De and many others.

We would deposit the sums that we collected from programs in Freedom Fighter's Welfare Fund. At that time prominent news reader from Akash Bani of Kolkata Dev Dulal preached a song of mine by mentioning my name at an event.

The first line of the song was "Dhongsher porowana shuno ki, typhoon hyphoon akashe, mora pocha baruder gondho bhashe aj prithibir batashe". I was so proud to hear this song. When I was rehearsing a song at Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro on the morning of December 16, the news came that Pakistanis had surrendered in Dhaka. The pain of losing loved ones and the joy of victory gave rise to new feeling.

AA: What was the last song of the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro?

Timir Nandy: When the news came that Bangladesh became independent, the song "Bijoyer Nishan Urche Oi" was rehearsed and recorded by Shahidul Islam. Ajit Roy led this song. It was last song in Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro and first in independent Bangladesh.

AA: How are you in the country where you encouraged people to take part in struggle for independence?

Timir Nandy: I am so fine in this country. But one thing to say is that nobody knows about many artists of the Shadhin Bangla Betar Kendro.

AA: I would like to hear from you any childhood memories.

Timir Nandy: Only at the age of 4 did I learn to play the tabla by myself. My sisters used to dance on stage while I played tabla. I was young at that time that I would play tabla at pillow. Younger days were wonderful.

AA:  We see that the songs of the new generation cannot survive like those produced in past. What is the reason for this?

Timir Nandy: At past, a team would spend 3 to 7 days behind a song. That is a song was recorded live with song writer, composer and artists performing day by day. Everyone had a sense of responsibility. At present some are singing good songs. The rest are making CD without learning, and somehow if that song gets hit, they become star and float on sky.

I saw many present artists, even established ones, sing in wrong accent. But they do not think that an artist has many responsibilities and duties towards society. What they are giving away to new generation is perverted culture, wrong accents and unnatural songs. At the same time some radio and TV channels are encouraging them.

AA: What advice do you have for present and future artists.

Timir Nandy: Pursuit is the root of everything. Music is also a subject of pursuit. I will tell the new generation to strengthen their foundation by taking lesson on classical songs for at least 10 years. Without classical music, a singer cannot rise and sustain for long time. One has to practice his language. One has to know his country and know and learn his culture.

AA: Thank you very much for giving valuable time.

Timir Nandy: Thank you very much and good luck to all the readers of the Daily Asian Age.

The writer is a reporter
of the Asian Age