Five amateur singers in Malda have become an overnight sensation with “Oh Malda”, a music video on the district that is the gateway to north Bengal.
On October 23, the video of White Canvas, their band, was released. Since then, the Bangla song “Oh Malda” has been widely shared on social media and has virtually become the “theme song” of the district.
Ophthalmologist Dhurjati Prasad Roy, college teacher Debraj Roy Chowdhury, entrepreneur Tanmay Das, student Sagar Saha, and engineer Jibangshu Das joined hands back in 2015 and formed the band, White Canvas.
Dhurjati Prasad said initially they would just “meet up and jam to have a good time”.
“But Soumitra Roy, a well-known folk singer of Bengal who happens to be my cousin, heard our compositions and encouraged us. We started to take ourselves a little more seriously as music-makers. This song, Oh Malda, is aimed at attracting tourists and rejuvenating the emotions of people who have roots in the district but live in various parts of the globe now,” he said.
Debraj said it helped that all of them were passionate about Malda. “This district was the capital of eastern India and undivided Bengal in the past. History and Malda are virtually synonymous. The district has mangoes, silks, a rich folk culture and many other things to offer tourists and visitors. That is why we decided on a music video tribute to showcase the uniqueness of Malda,” he said.
The first number of the album “Oh Malda” contains vivid digital presentations of the famous Jahura temple and mosques to showcase the syncretism of the district.
Monuments at Nimasarai, Foara More, which offer the possibility of numerous creative discussions and addas, have been shown in the video.
Dhurjati Prasad said many people with roots in Malda who live in other states and abroad miss the district. “They miss Malda, its heritage and culture. We want to keep them connected to their own land through music.”
Among the many people who’ve become fans of the band is Prasun Banerjee, the deputy inspector-general of police (Malda range).
“What Dhurjati, Debraj and their friends have started will surely touch the hearts of Maldaiyas (as Malda residents are colloquially known). If the district is creatively promoted, people will surely want to visit this place that has so much to offer,” the officer said.