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Shining Singer
Baidya’s sung songs are replete with powerful words and poetic prose
By THAKUR AMGAI
‘Sapana Bhulai Sara, Ansu Piyera Jau
Mandirma Chha Timrai Tasbir Liyera Jau’
The Nepalese audience of modern music can easily recognize the singer when they hear this song. This is one song that has made Yogesh Baidya widely known to the public. However, there are scores of other numbers that Baidya has voiced and all of them are of superior quality.
Baidya, who worked for many years as a food and nutrition professional is now spending a retired life, which he feels is more gratifying than a professional life. “In a job, even if you are the chief of your office, there is always some kind of force directing you. You can never be independent,” said articulate Baidya on a leisurely morning.
A very bright student during his childhood, Baidya had joined government job after completing a master’s degree in science. The career that began as an officer at the Food Technology and Quality Control Division elevated him to various high profile positions in the course of time. He prepared dozens of reports to formulate the policies of food and nutrition in the country. He has also headed several projects funded by the UN agencies to uplift the situation of food and nutrition in the country and worked as an advisor to various organizations at national and international agencies before he retired from his job last year.
The other facet of his personality - as an artiste - grew simultaneously along with his professional career. Inclined towards music from early childhood and endowed with the talent for singing, Baidya used to perform on stage at local functions organized around his home town. “When I was about five years old, my mother took me to the temples during religious functions and made me sing Saraswati Bandana. Others would be singing Bhajans there. These events are the initial sources of inspiration for me,” said Baidya.
He was encouraged by all for his natural ability to sing well. He listened to songs by Indian singers Mohammad Rafique and Talat Mahmood from the radio and quickly learned the wordings and the melody.
As a result, friends, teachers and seniors would ask him to sing at every gathering and public function. He used to lead the chorus of the morning prayer, ‘Purush – Nari Diwas Rajani, Sath Nai Yug Bhardachhan’ (Men and Women are days and nights, together they feel this era- penned by Siddhi Charan Shrestha and composed by Nara Raj Dhakal) at Shanti Nikunja Co-Ed school, where Baidya studied.
The ‘Dabalis’ and ‘Bahals’ of the three towns of Kathmandu valley – Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur held various programs those days. Baidya was one of the most sought after singers at such functions. He also performed at college functions when he studied at Amrit Science College and later in Tribhuwan University.
By the time he completed his Master’s Degree from the Tribhuwan University, Baidya had already become a popular singer among the people of Kathmandu. The authorities of Radio Nepal called him once. He recalls the moment, “All the high ranking people of Radio Nepal were waiting outside the building of Radio Nepal to receive me. They took an audition, where I sang about two dozen songs of different kind.”
They were very impressed. The next day, he went to Radio Nepal to record the song ‘Kati Pyasi Chha Jindagi, Bidhawako Siundo Jasto’ penned by Kiran Kharel and composed by NatiKaji.
“I did not rehearse for it beforehand,” said Baidhya. “I believe that music is an art and it should come out naturally. If we try to edit it, it becomes a fake creation and loses its originality.”
In addition to his innate flair for singing, his habit of selecting the wordings of the songs is the reason behind his popularity.
He has sung the songs of few, but selective lyricists whose styles have impressed him, such as Ram Man Trishit, Ishwar Ballav, Ratna Shumsher Thapa and G. Shah. The songs that he has sung are mostly the reflections of realities and phrased in impressive prose with a lot of metaphors. Not surprisingly, many of his songs are not easily understandable to the general audience.
“Who understands (the underlying meaning in these songs)?” repeats Baidya over and over as he recites the lyrics of the songs he has sung. Unlike most of the present day songs which become overwhelmingly popular one day and wane off the next day, his songs never die.
So, how does his profession relate to his artistic talent? While working for various projects he has prepared various promos and jingles to promote the health and nutrition activities he was looking after.
Like many of his contemporaries, Baidya is not pleased with the current trend of commercialization of music. He believes that music is not a commodity to be sold in the market. He honors it as an art that loses its quality when commercialized.
A very friendly and articulate Baidya, has also sung scores of patriotic songs. He is very clear on the feelings of patriotism reflected in such songs. Showing concern about the present situation of the country Baidya says, “The crisis the country is going through now is a result of the lack of a political system appropriate for our culture and the misuse of the ‘imported’ system by a few cunning people for fulfilling their vested interests.”
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