“Both music and medicine have a universal language. Whether you’re in Santoshpur or Seattle, how you sing a raga or save a patient’s life remains the same,” says Debopom Goswami, a 33-year-old cardiologist who feels that “music is my oxygen”. Listening to Debopom the vocalist at the Suromurchhana concert at Uttam Mancha in June, where he presented the Multani raga along with a short composition in Gaud Malhar, one could be forgiven for thinking that singing is all he does.
“I was five years old when my mother (Srilekha Goswami) introduced me to music. She used to perform Rabindrasangeet. My paternal grandfather, Nityananda Goswami, used to be a classical musician, too, in the Dhrupad gharana,” recollects Debopom, who joined RG Kar Medical College for his undergraduate degree on the morning of August 1, 2008. The same afternoon, his parents took him to Pandit Arun Bhaduri, an exponent of the Kirana gharana, and a “living legend” in Debopom’s words. Under Bhaduri, Debopom received his taaleem for a decade, until the former’s untimely demise. Prior to Bhaduri, Debopom had been taught the fundamentals of classical music by Pranab Choudhury, who specialised in the Kotali gharana. Debopom’s current mentor is Pandit Amiya Ranjan Bandyopadhyay, an artiste from the Bishnupur gharana, who, at 96, can still “sing like he was 30 or 40”.
Practising classical music regularly helps me become a better doctor
Debopom Goswami practises classical music religiously every evening Arijit Sen
On the verge of completing his postdoctoral research in cardiology, which he took up following his postgraduation in internal medicine from Medical College Kolkata, Debopom attends to patients at three centres throughout the day before doing his daily riyaaz after coming back home. “Every morning, I leave around 8am and return no sooner than 8pm. Once I’m back, I try to spend at least a couple of hours practising. Indian classical music is like an ocean, the more you explore, the more there is to find,” explains Debopom.
But after 10 to 12 hours of OTs, OPDs and appointments with patients, does Debopom not feel too exhausted to devote himself to music every day? “It’s become a matter of habit now. Since music is cathartic, it washes away my exhaustion to a large extent. Additionally, practising classical music regularly helps me become a better doctor, as it improves my patience and concentration significantly.”
Absolute pleasure to share the stage with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Bickram Ghosh
Debopom during his performance at the Suromurchhana concert at Uttam Mancha Debopom Goswami
With an emphasis on early morning and evening ragas, Debopom mostly represents the style of the Kirana and Rampur gharanas. Apart from Suromurchhana, where it was “my absolute pleasure to share the stage with the likes of Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Bickram Ghosh and be seen and appreciated by those in India and the US (the concert was later streamed in the US)”, Debopom performs frequently at classical music events organised in Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.
“Sometimes my patients come and watch me perform and give me feedback on my singing. I really enjoy that because it brings my two worlds together,” smiles Debopom, who got married earlier in 2022, and credits his wife, Sneha Basu Goswami, with “giving me the encouragement needed to carry on with both music and cardiology”.
Ustad Abdul Karim Khan to Arijit Singh
Debopom with his wife Sneha Basu Goswami Debopom Goswami
A big admirer of the likes of Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee, Debopom is not snobbish about his classical tastes and enjoys his fair share of Bollywood music, too. “My favourites in terms of old Bollywood would be Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar, while from the present generation, I really like the songs of Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh… but I’m not much of a Bollywood singer myself,” describes Debopom.
Apart from music, Debopom paints whenever he has the time and is an avid Marvel fan. As a Kolkata boy through and through, he loves going to Peter Cat and Mocambo.
We need to reimagine classical music for the future
Debopom feels that classical music needs to adapt its lyrics to appeal to today’s youth Arijit Sen
Returning to his most passionate hobby, Debopom is concerned about the acceptance of classical music or the lack of it among the young generation, for whom “it’s difficult to relate to songs whose lyrics speak of Radha-Krishna and don’t communicate” in ways that today’s youth can understand. “We need to reimagine classical music for the future while at the same time making youngsters aware of its traditions and rich legacy.”
As for his own endeavours going forward, Debopom wants to pass on the knowledge of classical music to eager learners. “Classical music is a gurumukhi parampara. It needs to be passed on from one generation to the next. I don’t know yet when I’d like to begin teaching classical music, but I’m certain that I want to share whatever I’ve learnt with the talents of tomorrow.”
