| Kabir Suman | |
|---|---|
Kabir Suman |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Genres | Bengali Modern Songs , Rabindra Sangeet |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Associated acts | Musician, songwriter, writer, poet, ex-journalist, TV presenter,occasional actor, politician [1] [2] |
| Kabir Suman | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament | |
| Preceded by | Sujan Chakraborty |
| Constituency | Jadavpur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16 March 1949 Kolkata, West Bengal |
| Political party | Trinamool Congress |
| Spouse(s) | Sabina Yasmin |
| Alma mater | Jadavpur University |
| Profession | Musician, Journalist, Writer |
| Religion | [Agnostic[3]] |
Kabir Suman (Bengali: কবীর সুমন, nee Suman Chatyapadhyay; born 16 March 1949) is a Kolkata-based modern Bengali singer-songwriter, musician, poet, journalist, political activist, TV presenter, and occasional actor.[2] Since May 2009, he is a member of parliament of India in the 15th Lok Sabha, having been elected from the Jadavpur constituency in Kolkata on an All India Trinamool Congress ticket.[2]
He changed his name from Suman Chattopadhyay to 'Kabir Suman' (Bangla: কবীর সুমন) when he converted to Islam.[4] He shot to fame in the 1990s with albums such as Tomake Chai (Bangla: তোমাকে চাই I Want You) and Boshe Anko (Bangla: বসে আঁকো Sit-and-Draw).
Contents |
Suman was born on March 16, 1949 to Sudhindranath and Uma Chattopadhyay at Cuttack, Orissa.[2] He was trained in classical music in his childhood, under the tutelage of this father. He graduated from Jadavpur University with an honours in English Literature[2] and a diploma in French language. He then worked briefly in All India Radio and the United Bank of India. Suman left for Europe in the mid seventies, and worked as a radio journalist in the Voice of Germany (Bengali Dept.) from 1975-79.[5] It is during this period that he heard the music of Bob Dylan in France, which became one of his most defining musical experiences.
Suman then went on to stay at the United States from 1980–1986, working for the Bengali language Department of the Voice of America at Washington D.C. Here, Suman came into contact with a number of musical and literary personalities including Pete Seeger and Maya Angelou. Suman also became highly interested in the Sandinista revolution at Nicaragua during the mid eighties. Pete Seeger introduced him to Father Ernesto Cardenal, the priest, poet, freedom fighter and Nicaragua's Minister of Culture. At Cardenal's invitation, Suman visited Nicaragua in 1985. He writes that he was largely impressed by what he saw in Nicaragua. It is here, that he also came into contact with the New Song Movement in Latin America.[6]
His contemporary urban, socially conscious songs draw upon both Bengali adhunik (modern) and Western folk and protest music. His work has been a major influence in the development of the Bengali songs, which has influenced bands like Chandrabindoo, and has grown to become a major movement in contemporary Bengali music. Most of his songs are played solo with just a synthesiser or a guitar. Like many other Bengali singers, Suman has also recorded albums of Rabindra Sangeet (Songs of Rabindranath Tagore), starting in the late-1990s.
Suman's primary training was in Indian classical music and Rabindra Sangeet, and he picked up Western folk forms while living abroad in Germany and the United States. He finished his second contract with German International Radio in 1989, and returned to Kolkata. In Kolkata,he was first associated with a band called Nagorik, and released two albums Onyo kotha onyo gaan 1 and Onyo kotha onyo gaan 2. He released his first solo album, Tomake Chai, in 1992, which was immensely successful. Since then he has released over twenties albums, his most recent one being Lalmohaner Laash in 2010.
Suman has often been credited with creating a new genre of music in Bengal,which is very simple, with lyrics that reflect common life experiences. He is sometimes referred to as the Nagarik Kabiyal (city troubadour).[4] Some people consider his song as Jibonmukhi (songs facing life), though he doesn't like this title and consider his song as simply adhunik bangla gaan (modern bengali song).[7] His music also reflects on social mores, and is often directly political, and much of his oeuvre bears the influence of Bob Dylan. He also transcrated Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" as Uttoro to Jana in his album Ichche Holo in 1993 and "Farewell, Angelina" (initially recorded by Joan Baez in 1965 and recorded by Bob Dylan himself and released in his 1991 compilation album "The Bootleg Series") as Biday Porichita in his 1997 album Jatiswar.[8] Dylan's influence is also obvious in the musical arrangements of his early albums, often consisting of only guitar and mouth-organ, both of which he played himself. Later on his musical arrangements became more elaborate.
Suman himself influenced a generation of singer-songwriters in Bengal, including Nachiketa Chakraborty and Anjan Dutta.and others like Lopamudra Mitra.
Along with his musical contributions, Suman has always held strong political views. He was a journalist in Nicaragua during the Sandinista revolution and wrote Mukto Nicaragua (Liberated Nicaragua) on his experiences. During the 2002 Gujarat riots, he composed songs in protest against fundamentalism. He is also noted for his strong declamations against political opponents in public.
Since 2006, when Suman was involved in the land struggle in Nandigram, he started aliging himself to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee. His songs on the Nandigram land issues have been released on two albums, Nandigram and Pratirodh. Suman also participated in the Singur agitation & other TMC party programmes on a regular basis.[9][10] He was present during the inauguration of TMC's stall in Kolkata Book Fair.2009.[11]
The Trinamoool Congress nominated him for the 2009 general election from Jadavpur constituency in Kolkata, West Bengal, and won the election, defeating his nearest rival, Sujan Chakraborty of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) by 54,000 votes (by a 10% margin).[12]
In November 2009, Suman had a spat with the Trinamool Congress. He complained that the local leaders of the party were not allowing him to work, and his views were not taken seriously in the party.[13] However, the issue was resolved amicably in a series of closed door meetings.[14]
Suman has also been vocal in his support for the movement of tribals in Lalgarh, and has composed an album called Chatradharer Gaan in support of the mass movement, going against the wishes of the party.[15] Going against the party position, he has also expressed his protests against "Operation Green Hunt", the Indian Government's military operation where the Naxalites have some influence.[16]
Suman,in the end of march 2010,claimed that he is going to leave Trinamool Congress and also his membership of the Parliament. Though on the request of Mahasweta Devi he postponed his resignation for seven days.[17] Within a few days, however, he makes a u-turn and declares on the 7th of April that he does not want to resign [18] by further embarrassing the party. [19]
Suman is married five times.[20] He calls himself agnostic, nihilist-anarchist and a "polygamous" person.[21] He is married to Sabina Yasmin, a popular Bangladeshi singer.[2][4]
|
|||||