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Back in his musical world

With his first, independent song set to be released, Sadique is singing his way back to the world where he belongs, says K.PRADEEP

REWARD FOR PERSISTENCE Sadique is now reaping the fruits of his hard work PHOTO: H. VIBHU

Sadique is making up for lost time. After being literally dragged away from music for 10 long years this persistent young man has come back with a vengeance. Sadique is realising some of his long cherished dreams.

"Music was taboo in my family. I got absolutely no support. They were very conservative and did not approve of my playing the tabla or singing. In fact, I was pulled out from my music class and strongly warned never to go there again. For the next few years I struggled doing various odd jobs. But I had decided that I would return to music someday," says Sadique who considers himself fortunate to have found the right teachers during that crucial phase.

Search for teacher

Even during those long, dreary years, Sadique stoked the embers of music. He never missed a chance to listen to concerts; music programmes and also tried to keep alive the little that he had studied. "The time lost was gone forever. I now had a family to support, a small advertising business going. I realised that if I had to pursue music it had to be through my own effort. No one was going to help me. So I began a search for someone who could teach me."

One person that Sadique always wanted to meet and seek advice was music director G. Devarajan. There was some magic in his songs that Sadique was drawn to. "I managed to meet and talk to music director M. K. Arjunan Master. I requested him to help me meet Devarajan Master. One day Arjunan Master called me and asked me to go and meet him at his Thiruvananthapuram residence. I did this. Devarajan Master asked me to sing, corrected me, and advised me on various aspects of my singing. He then asked me to find a teacher somewhere closer to my home."

It did not take long for Sadique to find one. "I went straight to Vijayarajan Master whose Sangeeta Kalaniketan was quite well known. He agreed and a day was fixed for the first lessons. The night prior to this, on the eve of Vijayadashami, I got a call from Devarajan Master from Thrissur asking me to come and begin my music lessons from him the next morning. So, on that very auspicious day I began learning music once again. I made the ritualistic offering before Devarajan Master in the morning and rushed back to Mattancherry in the evening to do the same before Vijayarajan Master."

Years of practice

For the next three or four years Sadique never appeared for stage shows, focussing himself fully in his study. "Every weekend I used to travel to Thiruvananthapuram to be with Devarajan Master. The rest of the week it was at Sangeeta Kalaniketan. There was a vast difference in the way both these teachers went about their training. Vijayarajan Master was very traditional, while Devarajan Master concentrated on teaching me film songs and the need to culture your voice."

After all these years the first time Sadique went on stage was for the music programmes organised as part of the 75th birthday celebrations of Devarajan Master in Kochi. From then on, he has been a regular part of Devarajan Master's stage shows. "He used to make me learn the songs that he composed, especially those written by Vayalar. One thing he always told me was never to listen to the cassettes of these songs. He wanted me to sing exactly as he would have sung them."

Sadique's long wait, patience and hard work paid off. After singing and recording tracks for various singers he recently got his first independent song. "The film `Chempattu,' has not been released. R. S. Prakash has set the song to music and is written by Vayalar Saratchandra Varma. I was lucky to get a melodious solo, which begins `Rathrimazha peythuadangi... ' The song has been recorded but the cassette has not been released."

Featured in various television music programmes, Sadique has also sung in numerous albums like `Devaragam,' which has songs by Devarajan Master, sung by five of his disciples and K. J. Jesudas.

Actively involved in the activities of ISCRA, like organising the monthly musical meets, instituting scholarships for deserving young singers etc, Sadique is singing his way back to the world that he always belonged.

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