I was ‘banned’ for seven years: Kanak Chapa
Kanak Chapa, a renowned singer of Bangladesh, is a three-time National Award winner. Despite her accolades, she faced years of exclusion from state-run media and events, including Bangladesh Television (BTV) and Bangladesh Betar. She was even barred from performing in stage shows across the country.
Following the recent student-led mass uprising, an interim government has been formed. In this exclusive interview with The Daily Star, the beloved artiste shares her thoughts on politics, music, and her beliefs.
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You were blocked from various platforms for many years due to your political involvement. How do you reflect on this now?
I was banned for a full seven years due to my political identity. Although it may seem irrelevant, the Covid pandemic taught me a lot. I realised that one can survive with fewer possessions. Excessive food and luxuries are unnecessary, and true peace comes from standing closely with people in need.
Similarly, the restrictions on my artistic expression have actually benefited me. Since birth, I've been immersed in music, barely having time for self-reflection. I never had the chance to consider which songs I should or shouldn't have sung. During this period, I found time to think and listen, especially during flights. I would read letters from my family, listen to Quran recitations, and watch good movies. In real life, I never had any personal time. During this ban, I read many valuable books.
As I have already sung the songs I could afford to, what was the point of restricting me? It doesn't matter whether they play on TV channels or not, my songs have reached the audience and remained. I've never participated in the rat race of life. Instead, I focused on caring for my mother and spending time with my husband and children.
As an artiste beloved by millions, how do you feel about the treatment you've received?
My country has always neglected me. I've rarely been invited to major stage programmes and have never been part of government delegations. I'm used to this. The National Award jury knows how many times I've been deprived of the award. Although I've won it three times, the audience knows how many songs I should have been recognised for but wasn't. I have no regrets. Recently, the value of this award has diminished so much that I'm actually glad I didn't receive it. The love from the people has always been my strength.
An interim government has been formed following the ousting of the former AL-led regime. What's your opinion on this victory?
After Almighty, I've always had faith in the youth. They are the strength and power. Fearless and extraordinary, they've shown that they aren't ignorant. While middle-aged people remained silent for years even when pushed to the wall, the youth demonstrated that tolerating injustice is also a crime. I often said on social media that the darker the night, the closer the dawn. They truly brought a new dawn, sacrificing their lives! May Allah reward them abundantly.
Can you share your thoughts on becoming active in politics?
I will continue to serve humanity as I have done throughout my life. I can't say more than that. The political landscape is vast. I have the honesty and love required to work there, perhaps even more, but I'm just a politically minded person, not a political figure. I've realised how much knowledge a seasoned political personality possesses. I don't want to act ignorantly. Being active in politics requires in-depth study.
However, if ordinary people want to see me as their representative, I'll try to fulfil that role with my honesty and dedication.
As a singer, what are your expectations from the interim government?
My only demand from the country and the newly formed interim government is a Bangladesh free from deceit. I hope the new government will keep commodity prices tolerable, automatically deduct appropriate taxes at the source of income, eliminate bribery, and end street extortion. I also dream of a special lounge for our remittance-sending expatriates, similar to the VIP lounges. The allocated allowance for the elderly should reach them directly. People of all faiths should be able to live in this country with their full rights secured. I also want words like "underprivileged children" and "minority groups" to disappear from our dictionary and practical language use. Every school and college should have comfortable, usable bathrooms with soap and sanitary towels. I hope these hopes of mine get fulfilled.
What are your thoughts on the current music scene? When do you think the golden days of music will return?
Music is still being created. Artistes are releasing their own songs, posting about them on social media, and others are reposting them. Artistes are satisfied with this. Meanwhile, songs are getting millions and billions of views on YouTube as well! The entire music world (I don't call it the music industry) seems extremely content with this. I believe this contentment is one of the main reasons music has lost its way. When our celebrity stars (we're not producing artistes anymore, everyone's either a king or queen!) move beyond this race for billions of views and start quenching the real thirst for music, only then will music return to its rightful place. Not a day sooner.
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