New Delhi: This is the age of reality shows on practically every television channel. Participants get world-wide exposure and fabulous prizes and are lionised, converting them into celebrities overnight.
It is interesting then to talk about all this with the winner of the first music reality show in India, 'Meri Awaz Suno' on Doordarshan (National), 15 years back, in October, 1996.
Pradip Somasundaran from Thrissur won this all-India contest after a one-year-long series of various rounds, with Bollywood music celebrities being the judges. The legendary Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey ,Bhupen Hazarika and Hindustani vocalist Pandit Jasraj were the judges for the final when Pradip rendered the Manna Dey classic 'Poocho Na Kaise' impeccably.
Pradip speaks candidly, "Today's reality shows are not for promoting talent. These are just commercial ventures meant to exploit the gullible public and innocent singers. The real beneficiaries are the judges, the channels and the mobile phone companies. If you look at the winners of reality shows in the past few years, you will find that most of them are nowhere today!"
And he adds, "There is no future in Malayalam films for a young singer. Songs in Malayalam films are now used as mere commercial props or promos. Music is allotted very meagre budgets and music directors are forced to cut corners. Anyone and everyone gets to sing in films today since there are very few outstanding songs that test a singer's calibre. But most of the newcomers remain one-song wonders or two-song wonders. And most of the young singers are never paid for a song. It is as if they have been given a favour by being given a song!"
Then how do the young singers survive?
"They survive on stage shows, especially in the Gulf. One year's reality show participants get such shows for a year or so and thereafter the next year's reality show singers take over ! So they have to make a fast buck."
Pradip says that owing to the rampant piracy and downloading in Kerala, cassette and CD sales revenues are abysmally poor. "Many films release the CDs after the movie is released! In Tamil and Telugu the markets are much bigger and the public still buys CDs. So those industries keep on thriving."
He feels that young singers must realise that the future lies in online music. "Soon we may reach a situation where the music industry stands alone, without any support from the film industry. This is the situation in Western countries."
It was announced in 1996 that the winners of 'Meri Awaz Suno' would be offered songs in a Yash Chopra film. "15 years later that remains an unfulfilled promise!" says Pradip who still sings in select stage shows in Kerala,but pursues most of his music online.
"I used to be involved in musical blogging, but now I am more into Facebook since everyone who matters in music is there."
Soon after 'Meri Awaz Suno' in 1996, Pradip got to sing in a few Malayalam films, but could not get sustained offers. The engineer that he is, he wisely stuck to his job. He is now the Principal of the IHRD College of Applied Sciences at Vadakkumchery. "Following my efforts we have started a Sound Engineering PG diploma course in our college."
A couple of years back Pradip sang some songs in Telugu films under the baton of composer Sandip Chowta. Recently he sang for a Malayalam film 'Dhanyam' for newcomer-music director Sebastian. Last year a non-film CD 'Mazhanritham' was released, with Pradip composing all the songs and singing some. "I am now trying to write Hindi lyrics for these songs."
"15 years after 'Meri Awaz Suno' I still get invited for stage shows though I am not a full-time singer. But I wonder how many of today's reality show singers will stay on the scene for 15 years! It is not a derisive remark. I feel genuinely sorry for today's young singers," Pradip signs off.
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