Now cut to the present times. Can you name five musical competitions on television? Chances are you can name ten! But how many do you actually follow? As one channel starts with one, another one starts with another in the race for TRPs. And just as you heave a sigh of relief that one season is over, the same show returns with a season for children. More than music, it’ s the melodrama and the sob story of many a contestant( with the judges coming on stage to wipe their tears!) these shows focus on. With too many talks and advertisements, chances are that in 15 minutes, you would probably see one performance.
Not to forget the Indian versions of international shows like‘ American Idol’,‘ The Voice’ and‘ The X-Factor’( senior, junior etc). Then there are competitions like‘ Jo Jeeta Wohi Superstar’ that pit the winners and participants of different musical shows together. Phew!
The latest one that started recently was‘ The Stage’, that is more or less the same concept wise except that the participants sing English songs and the winners are chosen by the judges. Nevertheless, it’ s a refreshing change from the reality show staple that everyone is so used to and gives a platform to those interested in Western music.
The good old‘ Sa Re Ga Ma Pa’ is still around and has many takers. But somehow it lacks the innocence and freshness of the 90s, which is lost in the game of TRPs and commercialization. Like many of its contemporaries, it has various editions like‘ Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge’,‘ Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li’ l Champs’ and so on leaving one confused regarding which is what.
So many shows and so many platforms for upcoming talent. It’ s a good thing right? Well, yes it is but how many of the winners are actually able to break all barriers and reach the top? How many of the participants do we actually remember once the show gets over? Also, is it a good thing for tiny tots to be pushed on stage at such a tender age?
If you look at all the participants right from the time these shows began, you would notice that most have faded into oblivion. In such circumstances, the only way out for these artistes is Bollywood and that’ s the bandwagon that many talented singers like Anushka Manchanda( from‘ Viva’), Neeti Mohan( from‘ Aasma’) and Arijit Singh( runner-up of‘ Fame Gurukul’) have jumped on.
While playback singing in Bollywood isn’ t an easy nut to crack, making it big as independent musician is equally hard. With a tough world out there, many talented artistes are struggling to get opportunities. And as the world gets caught in the‘ web’ of social media( quite literally at that), this struggle only worsens. There are too many channels of entertainment and the audience’ s attention is diverted. So if they stay out of sight, they are out of mind.
However, there are always two sides to a coin. Technology has also opened a world of opportunities. Although some probably didn’ t get the fame that they desired, they have carved a niche for themselves and gained hundreds of followers, thanks to Facebook pages, music blogs and YouTube channels.
Yes, the world is a much smaller place today thanks to the click of a button. However, we do long for those good old days where everyone in the colony watched the same programme and discussed the results the next day. Some even called each other to find out the results in case they missed it without Twitter or Facebook spilling the beans. Those were the days my friend, weren’ t they?
The Score Magazine highonscore. com
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