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STATES:
ORISSA
Drum
Struck
Former
chief minister Giridhar Gamang is striking a chord of a different kind
with the people. And creating a percussion wave in the process.
By
Ruben Banerjee
Slipping
into veritable cultural decadence, Bhubaneswar has found redemption in
the most unexpected quarters. Of late, evenings had acquired a dowdy,
monotonous flavour, the occasional night of uninspired rendition of Odissi
and repetitive songs broken by the expected baritone of speeches. The
venues, one of the two unkempt auditoriums in the Orissa capital, were
a complementary setting for the lacklustre performances.
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"I
am neither a classical musician nor a class musician. I am a mass
musician."
Giridhar Gamang, former Orissa Chief Mimister |
Then one
day last fortnight, a man of inconsequential stature lugging a tribal
drum straddled the stage. And electrified the city. As he strutted around,
beating the drum furiously to the accompaniment of various musical instruments,
the quiet night reverberated to a score seldom belted out in the city.
Bhubaneswar had not seen as lively an event as this in the recent past;
the country had certainly not seen anything like it, ever.
For in which
other state has a former chief minister taken to stage to spice up its
culture with such vengeance? Having set a record of sorts by being elected
to Parliament for eight consecutive terms, Giridhar Gamang's political
feats are as unparalleled as his artistic exploits. Out of job and out
of favour with the Congress high command for the past few months, Gamang
has been blamed for much of the administrative mess that the state finds
itself in after the devastating cyclone of 1999. He is, however, now scoring
points where politicians are least expected to.
Faced with
an uncertain political future and time to spare, Gamang is trying his
hand at becoming a full-time musician. Like most other tribals, music
runs in his blood-his father Haribandhu was a singer in his own right-and
Gamang continued to hone his artistic skills in private. It is standing
him in good stead now. He has taken to the dham (tribal drum) and is the
frontman for a troupe that performs in one public function after another.
In showbiz, novelty sells, and Gamang is one himself.
"If
politics was my profession, music has been my passion," explains
Gamang. But a former chief minister swaying to music on stage has the
audience bewildered and in awe. "It's great fun," gushes Kapilash
Bhuyan, one of the many who turn up regularly to watch Gamang perform.
Though the music dished out by Gamang & Co would not set a stage on
fire-during last week's show, the drum sticks slipped out of Gamang's
hands several times-what makes it infinitely interesting is a politician
dancing to the tunes of his choosing.
The quality
of music notwithstanding, Gamang's very presence is a surefire ticket
to the troupe's success. At a performance in Dhenkanal recently, the audience
prayed for more. Gamang promptly acceded to the request and will be back
soon to play before a bigger audience in the city's Sports Stadium.
It is not
only the local populace that's riveted by Gamang's stage appearances.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is known to breeze in and out
of functions after making a mandatory speech or two, made an exception
last fortnight when he stayed back long enough to watch his predecessor
perform and later said, "Thank you, Gamangji, for the wonderful programme."
There are
others who are grateful for this new-found burst of talent. "He is
the best thing to have happened to the music industry," admits L.N.
Agarwal of Hemraj Films. Intuitively sensing Gamang's draw at the box
office, this Oriya film producer promptly signed him up to score the music
for his forthcoming film, Amoksha.
In fact,
the queue in front of Gamang's house is getting longer by the day. In
the few months that he has been out of power, the former chief minister
has cut three discs. And audio company Tirumala Music is already splashing
the newspapers with huge advertisements, stating that Gamang would be
scoring the music for its soon-to-be-released disc.
Though out
of power, Gamang is happy. He has a packed itinerary-the drummer is booked
for the next two months-and his family is doing well: wife Hema is a member
of Parliament and son Shishir is an aspiring politician. Gamang's influence
in state politics may have dwindled but his grip on people has begun to
tighten of late. What is most satisfying for the former head of the eastern
state is that the public is craving for him, even if it is for different
reasons.
Even as
the beat of his dham reaches a crescendo and the auditorium reverberates
with thunderous applause, Gamang stands rooted in reality. "I am
neither a classical musician nor a class musician. I am a mass musician,"
he maintains humbly. For this politician, music has indeed proved a resoundingly
apt medium for staying in touch with the masses.
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