Election aspirants are enlisting local artists to craft memorable tunes to gin up voters ahead of the Jan 7 polls
Published : 04 Jan 2024, 11:05 AM
The song "Joy Bangla, Jitbe Ebar Nouka" became an anthem for supporters of the Awami League during the 11th parliamentary elections.
This year, candidates have once again turned to local artists to pen down political songs with fast-paced beats and catchy lyrics as a tool to gin up voters ahead of the Jan 7 polls.
Delwar Hossain Boyati and his team of musicians have also jumped on the election bandwagon, composing songs for candidates like Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, seeking re-election from the Dhaka-12 constituency in the upcoming elections.
The song eulogising Khan has already become a hit, drawing a large crowd near Dhaka's Khamarbari a few days ago.
Speaking to reporters, Delwar outlined his aim of swaying people's votes in favour of Kamal through the song.
During the BNP government's tenure in 2006, Delwar recounted being a victim of a police attack after singing a song about Bangabandhu.
"On Jan 14 of that year, there was a meeting of the Awami League near Sonargaon Hotel. I sang Bangabandhu's song, for which the police pulled me by the hair and beat me with a baton."
"My only crime was singing Bangabandhu's song."
Like Khan, other political candidates are also amping up their election campaigns this year by using music as a mode of outreach to garner votes.
AN HOUR IS ALL IT TAKES
As the electoral fervour ramps up, recording studios focus their efforts on dishing out new renditions of viral songs for political campaigns.
Music studios promote their songs on social media to give the masses a taste of the latest tracks hitting the campaign trail.
Shafiq Adnan, manager of a recording studio called Kamal Media, said, "It takes us four to five days to create a composition using a popular tune."
"Once the tune is crafted, we can turn it into a complete song within an hour after adding the lyrics."
His studio also offers various election song packages, allowing candidates to choose melodies that resonate with their campaigns.
Regarding the cost of producing melodies, he said it depends on multiple factors."If the song is intended only for speakers, the cost is different."
During the 2018 elections, Adnan lent his voice to over 700 songs for election candidates.
Comparing this year's work with the previous polls, he said, "This time, I have sung seven or eight songs for the eagle or truck symbol [favoured by independent candidates]. The rest were reserved for the boat."
COPYRIGHT CONUNDRUM
The issue of copyright laws in the creation of new renditions for electoral campaigns is a complex one. The majority of music studios do not seek permission from the original composer when remaking a popular song.
According to Adnan, most of the songs created for electoral campaigns are inspired by popular tunes of acclaimed musicians like Momotaz, Subir Nandi, Ayub Bachchu and Baby Naznin.
"We have made several songs using the tune of Awami League's special 'Jitbe Ebar Nouka'," said Adnan.
"We have also made new tracks from famous Bengali songs like 'Khela Hobe', 'Ammajaan', and 'Morar Kokile'," he added.
Addressing copyright laws, Adnan remarked that he generally uses copyright-free music to compose songs for the elections.
"YouTube does not take down videos if new instruments are added to the original composition," he said.
According to Saim Rana, a music teacher at Dhaka University, the appeal of these melodies usually dies down after the election as they are tailored for the polling season.
Mohammad Daud Mia, additional secretary of the Bangladesh Copyright Office, emphasised that recording studios cannot use a song's lyrics or melody without the original composer's consent.
GARNERING VOTES THROUGH MUSIC
'Joy Bangla, Jitbe Ebar Nouka' remains a massive hit five years after its debut during the 11th parliamentary elections. The twitchy percussion and startling use of electronics in the song have made it an earworm for Bangladeshis.
A new version of the song has recently been released, adding innovative notes to the original lyrics.
The updated lyrics showcase the accomplishments of the Awami League government in the last five years, highlighting feats such as the opening of the Padma bridge, the Dhaka metro rail, and the successful fight against the COVID pandemic.
Among the plethora of election songs produced over the years, this track is prominently featured in the campaigns of most 'boat' candidates participating in the upcoming elections.
'Mombatir Alo, Shangshad Jalo', 'Noukar Majhi Ferdous Bhai', and 'Mashrafi Bhai Ke Bhalobeshe', among other songs, have also become popular this election season.
HOW ELECTION SONGS CAME TO BE
The tradition of delivering election songs with lively tunes and a droll has a rich history.
Renowned artists like Ramesh Shil and Shah Abdul Karim have sung election-theme songs since the 1950s.
According to researchers, Ekushey Padak awardee Shah Abdul Karim was the first person to write a song about Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He also performed numerous songs during Mujib's election campaigns in the Haor region. In his autobiography, Karim wrote about his interaction with Bangabandhu in Sunamganj.
Music teacher Saim Rana pointed out the shift in recent electoral songs, likening them to commercial jingles. "There was a time when famous artists like Ramesh Shil, Fani Barua, and Shah Abdul Karim wrote songs to encourage voters to back a worthy candidate."
He believes the ethical boundaries of seeking votes have blurred, with candidates themselves financing the music for their campaigns.
"There are many candidates who are engaged in corruption and looting. When these people are lauded in these songs, it creates confusion among people. It becomes a tool for promoting dishonest candidates as virtuous."