Cult leader

Goutam Chattopadhyay was a gutsy, colourful and enigmatic personality with manifold qualities and an exceptionally brilliant mind, says Arnab Nandy about the legendary musician

“Dhoro haal shokto haate,

Bhoy ki nodir sathe,

Doobbe naa nouka bheeshon jhare re…

Mon aamar kemon kemon kore.”

This song, like Telephone” have turned into anthems for the young generation. Most Bangla bands invariably perform these songs at their shows. But, with numerous bands singing the same songs and with a number of them not even acknowledging the genius who wrote and gave tune to these songs, we’re in a situation where thousands of new Bangla band audiences don’t even know the name of the person behind these songs, who should take much credit for many of their songs and starting a new cult. It’s Goutam Chattopadhyay, the man who shattered existing dogmas and formed the first Bangla band ‘Moheener Ghoraguli’.

Goutam Chattopadhyay was a gutsy, colourful and enigmatic personality with manifold qualities and an exceptionally brilliant mind – someone who dared to be different but with a great deal of class.

A scholar of ethnomusicology, Gautam did extensive research on various forms of music like jazz, rock, Latino, gypsy, folk (baul, fakiri), eastern and western classical, etc. and went to different corners of the world to work with musicians. He was a self-taught musician who could deftly play the guitar, saxophone, piano, dotara, tabla and duggi.

Gautam lived with different tribes and bauls and managed to restore numerous folk songs that were on the verge of extinction. He combined jazz elements with ‘baul’ music and created a new genre of music called ‘Baul Jazz’.

In 1981, this multi-talented genius made his first feature film Nagmoti, a story based on the life of the riverine gypsies (he composed the famous song “Doriyay ailo toofan” for this film) and received a National award for the same. Music played a pivotal role in each of his films.

Many of the popular songs performed by Bangla bands today are Goutam’s brilliant creations… he was a genius ahead of his time

Apart from composing and directing music for his own films, he worked as a music director for several films and serials. In 1996 Goutam was invited by the Karbi (a tribal) Cultural Society, in the remote district of Karbi Anglon of Assam for protecting Karbi cultural traditions and creating a consciousness amongst the Karbi people about their roots. He lived with the Karbi tribals for a full year, developing the Karbi traditional songs, dances and instrumental forms. Using around a hundred of uninhibited Karbi boys and girls, he directed the first ever Karbi opera ‘Hai-Mu’, which was a great success. In 1999 he shot his only Karbi feature film Rongbin. He completed the music and the shooting and returned to Calcutta on 19 June, 1999. He passed away the very next day, 20 June, 1999.

“It is very sad,” says Bangla band Bhoomi’s lead singer Surajit, “that when Monimama (Surajit called Gautam by that name) created the first Bangla band, very few accepted it. And now, when the popularity of Bangla bands’ is at its zenith, he’s not here to see it.”

The short span of time (1974-1981) that Moheener Ghoraguli was around can be safely called the new wave of Bangla urban music. Unfortunately, at that time this band sang for an audience that was reared on decorous solo renditions of Rabindra Sangeet or mainstream Bangla adhunik gaan. To them, the jeans and T-shirt clad musicians, stagecraft, powerful lyrics, awesome vocals coupled with the startling combination of instruments like electric guitar, drums, dotara, piano and saxophone was too much to swallow and they rejected the band. Moheener Ghoraguli disbanded in 1981, but that didn’t stop Gautam from following his creative pursuits.

In 1995 he released an album Abar Bocchor Kur Pore. In 1996 came a second album Jhara Samayer Gaan, 1997 saw Maya and in 1998 he presented Khepar Gaan. In all these albums, he worked with young and fresh talents. For many of them it was a stepping-stone into the world of Bangla music.

Says Gourab Chattopadhyay, son of Goutam Chattpoadhyay and member of Bangla band Lakkhichhara, “It’s entirely because of my father that I’m into music today. In fact, it was he who gave our band its name. We as kids used to play instruments and sing together. We still had no plans of forming a band. Before the release of ‘Aabar Bocchor Kuri Pore’, he told us to sing a song for the album and we sang ‘Parashonay jolanjoli”. All the songs in these four albums became tremendously popular and a source of inspiration for many. His songs continue to draw young crowds everywhere.

Surajit of Bhoomi also released his first song in this album. “You can say he moulded me into what I am today. He gave me my first break. I had written this song ‘Aami daan dike roina’ and he liked it. So, he told me to sing.”

Joyjit Lahiri and Subrata Ghosh became immensely popular with their number ‘Tomai dilam’.

Today, how can bands not acknowledge this legend, whose popular songs they sing in stage shows? Don’t the bands feel some responsibility for the person who gave chances to so many and because of whom they’re singing right now? On being asked on this issue, different bands had dif- ferent things to say.

Surajit of Bhoomi says, “Earlier we used to sing two songs of Monimama ‘Doriya’ and ‘Telephone” and we never performed these without mentioning his name. But now, we usually don’t sing these songs since we have a lot of our own songs.”

Siddhartha of Cactus admits that they don’t acknowledge Gautam’s name every time they sing his songs. “We basically sing three of his songs. They are ‘Doriya’, ‘Telephone’ and ‘Barle boyosh. Actually, everyone knows that these are Gautam’s songs. But when we go to office socials or programmes like those where we have audience who are not regular Bangla band listeners, we make it a point to acknowledge,” is what he has to say.

Rajshekhar of Chandrabindoo says. “We don’t sing Gautam Chattopadhyay’s songs since we have many songs. But I think bands should mention his name if they are singing his songs”.

Does Gautam Chattopadhyay influence the leading Bangla bands of today?

“Bhoomi is very influenced,” says Surajit. But Cactus’ lead singer Siddhartha says, “We have a great appreciation for this works but I can’t say we’re very influenced. We like his basic compositions and passionate attitude very much, but not his musical arrangements. We also don’t think too much of him as a singer.

If you listen to him in “Aabar Bocchor Kuri Pore”, you’ll notice some obvious break of rhythms. But we respect him a lot. We have a song called “Ghora” which is dedicated to him. It is actually the Jeevanananda Das’ poem from which the name ‘Moheener Ghoraguli’ was taken. We’ve given tune to that poem itself.”

Rajshekhar doesn’t feel that Chandrabindoo is influenced in any way by his music and he says, “We respect him a lot, but no, we’re not influenced by his music.”

They say, “What The Beatles did to English songs, Goutam Chattopadhyay did to Bangla gaan“. With his radical musical experiments and his visionary outlook, this man was way ahead of his times.

“He’s legend and as long as Bangla songs live, his legacy will continue” is what Rajshekhar has to say. He was a selfless human being who never thought in terms of “I” or “me”, and so never released a solo album.

Goutam was forever getting others involved, sharing his compositions and ideas. His zest and zeal were infectious. He was a powerhouse of positive and participatory energy. Music to him was a collective phenomenon. To the last day of his life he never shifted his stance.

-Published in The Statesman Voices on August 4, 2005

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