The Hindu : New Delhi News : When music is the messenger

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Friday, Feb 22, 2008
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When music is the messenger

Singer Susmit Bose wishes to communicate social messages through his music

Mission oriented: Songwriter-cum-singer Susmit Bose.

Songwriter-cum-singer Susmit Bose says music is the best form of communication as he gears up for his latest concert titled “All Rise - 2008” at India Habitat Centre here on March 1.

With his simple acoustic guitar, harmonica and soulful voice reminiscent of the 1970s, the urban folk singer exhorts people to rise for dignity and justice and to take up cudgels against hegemony and exploitation of any sort.

Pressing issues

“I have been a musician for the past 30 years. Through music I have been creating awareness among the public about social issues. These days there is lot of awareness about the Right to Information Act, education, politics and gender issues throughout the country. While the media is mostly concentrating on issues like the corporate bigwigs, glamour and which cricketer is being sold for how much money at the Indian Premier League, there are more pressing issues that need to be highlighted. Our country is passing through a transition in terms of globalisation.”

Susmit has a way with lyrics and he articulates his lines in such a special way that he makes them seem personal and true observations.

Create awareness

Completely unyielding to the highly competitive music market, Susmit has stuck to the cause as he wants to engineer a social change in society through his own kind of music.

“I want to create awareness about exploitation of children, labour and gender issues, women emancipation, displacement of farmers and easy accessibility to arms. I think music is more important form of communication than literature.”

Fifty-seven-year old Susmit says he is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi but has not deliberately used the title of his latest album “All Rise-2008” to connect with Bapu. “The title is a translation of Gandhi’s “Sarvodaya” but it is just co-incidental,” he adds. “Gandhi is being used frequently by some political dispensations as a tool to reap rich electoral harvest. I want to give direction to the Generation X about the way they should lead their path.”

Susmit’s public concert will also see the launch of his recent album, “Be the Change”.

He would be accompanied by Deepak Castelino on the guitar and banjo.

Madhur Tankha

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