A simple Google search
doesn't yield anything satisfactory other than suggestions for a herbal
medicine. Well, that makes sense. The character is a masterpiece in itself and
probably like all other genius of their time, he too will be remembered after
building a legacy of his own. A song writer, musician, actor and a
person allegedly walking on the tightrope of sanity, spawning some of the greatest work of art via his music.
The transformation from "Bhoomika" to "Janla Kholo" has indeed questioned many a aspects of the way we see, listen and perceive music. Are these really a transformation of what we ourselves heading towards or do they represent the constant tussle between the conscious and subconscious? Is this what we really want or what we get? Lots and lots of question. This particular capability of a person probably defies the boundaries in all sense. An aura of mystery is always intriguing and he has a flair for it.
An ensemble of musical entities this person possess. The melodious baul complemented by the eccentric "Janla Kholo". If "Fish Fish" was his ultimate tryst with insanity, the "Langta Bura" crossed all boundaries of social, spiritual and off course musical strata. They each constitute the bricks of a solid foundation. Enabling him to flirt with sanity or rather the insanity within himself. "Pagol, ke na pagol!" as he so convincingly portrays in his music.
Does it remind you of someone else? A person with the very similar traits albeit being a legend himself. A musician to the heart, not alone a songwriter or the guitarist, who plays with the very essence of it, believing only in his instincts. Someone who after having a bitter departure from Pink Floyd came up with the fascinating album "The Madcap Laughs". and songs like "Dominoes" from the album "Barret". A pioneer in psychedelic folk genre, who went into self imposed seclusion lasting 30 years while composing some of the great numbers of that time. His legacy notwithstanding we have amongst us someone who in his humble capacity conjuring a completely different genre. A genre which amongst many others is his own. He is none other than Shilajit Majumdar and within my limited capacity, I must say he is the Syd Barret of our times.
"Akta Raat" comes first to mind. A singles, to be technically correct, although spanning a good 40 minutes. Not sure how many of those do we get to see these days. None by far. An album composing an evening of "adda, gaan" . 40 minutes of Shilajit unplugged. Different locations, ambiance and mood is captured throughout the journey. You wouldn't regret after hearing it though. The album encompasses many a good numbers. "Swadhinota" being one of the really good melodious one and that too with a provocative yet subtly beautiful lyric. In one of the informal "adda" Shilajit quips "janis kukur e ekmatro prani jeta gaite pare" roughly translates to "you know what, dog is the only animal which can actually sing." and then goes on to explaining it with a crisp example. I am not sure whether he is planning to introduce a full fledged number with a dog next but at least he can draw inspiration from Roger Waters, having strong influence from Barret then, after the latter's departure in 69 and the former in 71 introducing "Seamus".
“Ami urte cheyechilam” holds a very special place in my heart for its lyrics and the beautiful transformation of music you would not imagine in your wildest dreams. Album is the infamous “Fish Fish”. “Jhinti” depicts the pain and lust of a lover. “Toder ghum peyeche bari ja ” is the one to dance with. “Tor ki phone kharap, amar mon kharap” might become the catch phrase of the generation next. “Bish diye bhat mekhe khai”, depicts the irony of having poison with a staple diet. The song aptly captures the emotional turmoil faced by the protagonist of the movie Bish of Gandu famed Q.
“Nesha” requires a special mention too. The music first appeared in Bish. The music video again due to the rebellious stance enacted a night of illicit adventure with explicit visual contents. A feat however unimaginable that time was executed with a panache by the duo Shilajit and Q.
The list is endless and prone to innumerable interpretation due to the very eccentric yet subtly confusing factor called Shilajit. The portrayal of Das babu in Gandu only affirms the strong artistic base of his. “Le Pocha”, a documentary based on Bangla Band courtesy Q, founds him explaining the rebellious nature with his dark humor and sarcasm at its best. Y2K(Sex Krome Asiteche) a subversive cult movie from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute directed by Chandril features him as a roadside-Romeo, drinking hooch and singing "Juicy Jolie", which itself has strong lyrics to say the least. Thereafter strongly denouncing the intellectuals by his trademark strong language and probably signifying the class struggle with a hint towards leftist liberalism.
The opportunities we missed in the 60's and 70’s has come back to haunt us through this musical architect of our generation. The majority of people may not relish or cherish his music now apart from the popular numbers. Yet his masterstrokes are hard to ignore by all. The generation which has grown up on his music needs no introduction or any other names to recognize the genius in this man but a time will come when a musical revolution will sweep us again after Gautam Chattopadhay. We will be reminded again "you and I and dominoes, time goes by...".
The transformation from "Bhoomika" to "Janla Kholo" has indeed questioned many a aspects of the way we see, listen and perceive music. Are these really a transformation of what we ourselves heading towards or do they represent the constant tussle between the conscious and subconscious? Is this what we really want or what we get? Lots and lots of question. This particular capability of a person probably defies the boundaries in all sense. An aura of mystery is always intriguing and he has a flair for it.
An ensemble of musical entities this person possess. The melodious baul complemented by the eccentric "Janla Kholo". If "Fish Fish" was his ultimate tryst with insanity, the "Langta Bura" crossed all boundaries of social, spiritual and off course musical strata. They each constitute the bricks of a solid foundation. Enabling him to flirt with sanity or rather the insanity within himself. "Pagol, ke na pagol!" as he so convincingly portrays in his music.
Does it remind you of someone else? A person with the very similar traits albeit being a legend himself. A musician to the heart, not alone a songwriter or the guitarist, who plays with the very essence of it, believing only in his instincts. Someone who after having a bitter departure from Pink Floyd came up with the fascinating album "The Madcap Laughs". and songs like "Dominoes" from the album "Barret". A pioneer in psychedelic folk genre, who went into self imposed seclusion lasting 30 years while composing some of the great numbers of that time. His legacy notwithstanding we have amongst us someone who in his humble capacity conjuring a completely different genre. A genre which amongst many others is his own. He is none other than Shilajit Majumdar and within my limited capacity, I must say he is the Syd Barret of our times.
"Akta Raat" comes first to mind. A singles, to be technically correct, although spanning a good 40 minutes. Not sure how many of those do we get to see these days. None by far. An album composing an evening of "adda, gaan" . 40 minutes of Shilajit unplugged. Different locations, ambiance and mood is captured throughout the journey. You wouldn't regret after hearing it though. The album encompasses many a good numbers. "Swadhinota" being one of the really good melodious one and that too with a provocative yet subtly beautiful lyric. In one of the informal "adda" Shilajit quips "janis kukur e ekmatro prani jeta gaite pare" roughly translates to "you know what, dog is the only animal which can actually sing." and then goes on to explaining it with a crisp example. I am not sure whether he is planning to introduce a full fledged number with a dog next but at least he can draw inspiration from Roger Waters, having strong influence from Barret then, after the latter's departure in 69 and the former in 71 introducing "Seamus".
“Ami urte cheyechilam” holds a very special place in my heart for its lyrics and the beautiful transformation of music you would not imagine in your wildest dreams. Album is the infamous “Fish Fish”. “Jhinti” depicts the pain and lust of a lover. “Toder ghum peyeche bari ja ” is the one to dance with. “Tor ki phone kharap, amar mon kharap” might become the catch phrase of the generation next. “Bish diye bhat mekhe khai”, depicts the irony of having poison with a staple diet. The song aptly captures the emotional turmoil faced by the protagonist of the movie Bish of Gandu famed Q.
“Nesha” requires a special mention too. The music first appeared in Bish. The music video again due to the rebellious stance enacted a night of illicit adventure with explicit visual contents. A feat however unimaginable that time was executed with a panache by the duo Shilajit and Q.
The list is endless and prone to innumerable interpretation due to the very eccentric yet subtly confusing factor called Shilajit. The portrayal of Das babu in Gandu only affirms the strong artistic base of his. “Le Pocha”, a documentary based on Bangla Band courtesy Q, founds him explaining the rebellious nature with his dark humor and sarcasm at its best. Y2K(Sex Krome Asiteche) a subversive cult movie from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute directed by Chandril features him as a roadside-Romeo, drinking hooch and singing "Juicy Jolie", which itself has strong lyrics to say the least. Thereafter strongly denouncing the intellectuals by his trademark strong language and probably signifying the class struggle with a hint towards leftist liberalism.
The opportunities we missed in the 60's and 70’s has come back to haunt us through this musical architect of our generation. The majority of people may not relish or cherish his music now apart from the popular numbers. Yet his masterstrokes are hard to ignore by all. The generation which has grown up on his music needs no introduction or any other names to recognize the genius in this man but a time will come when a musical revolution will sweep us again after Gautam Chattopadhay. We will be reminded again "you and I and dominoes, time goes by...".
