By Willie Gordon Suting
Not many can recall an audio cassette that led into discovering various styles of music. But Diyatom Deb’s story was just this, as he reminisces now listening with all his heart John Denver’s The Greatest Hits. He speaks with a longing voice about that life-changing experience.
Deb suffered from a polio attack at the age of two which left him with a disability. Using crutches to be able to walk, growing up was challenging for him. But Deb possessed a strong determination to make it despite obstacles. He did well in matriculation passing out from Laban Bengalee Boys’ High School and then completed his higher secondary from St Edmund’s Higher Secondary School.
He was a professional engineer working in Delhi after graduating from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology. But he left the job to pursue music full time in the city’s music scene. He believes it is his true calling.
The 31-year-old singer has mesmerised fans and supporters all over the country with his riveting performances in The Stage, the television show telecasted every weekend on Colors Infinity channel. Shillong takes pride that one of its own has made it to the Top 9 contestants in the reality show.
“When you get selected in Top 9 of the country, competition is intense as other singers are brilliant. But it’s been a great learning experience,” says Deb.
Before competing in The Stage, Deb had established his name as a musician being the vocalist of Big Bang Blues. His leanings lay in classic rock and blues with influences ranging from bands like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Queen, AC/DC, Uriah Heep, The Doobie Brothers to Billy Joel and Elton John.
“There’s a purity to the rawness of that sound which is just beautiful,” says Deb who has toured with his band in many cities.
Deb has been playing music in Delhi for seven years now. And with Big Bang Blues, he had toured cities like Puducherry, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Goa.
“After The Stage, we are planning a northeast tour, Shillong being one of the places I’ll perform,” says the singer in an email interview from Delhi.
In The Stage, the journey is now becoming rough for Deb as he was alone benched after forgetting the first line of Coldplay’s Up and Up. He was allowed a second chance to sing the song, but the judges Vishal Dadlani, Ehsaan Noorani, Monica Dogra and Devraj Sanyal felt it was not up to the mark.
“It’s not a feeling you want to have. It was terrible especially after practising so hard. But in music, there are days which are not yours. You just have to live with it,” rues Deb.
He has an aversion to looking back on the performance, and now remains positive. “It’s already behind me and I want to look forward to the next round.”
Deb recalls his childhood in Shillong, saying it is “the most beautiful place I know in India”.
He fondly remembers those years when he had to study hard to make it to an engineering college.
“Whenever I have a ticket to go to Shillong, I can’t help but feel happy”, says Deb whose parents reside in Laban Harisabha.
When asked what message he has for fans and supporters here who have voted for him seeing him perform in The Stage, and also that posters of him splashed around the city, he says, “I really can’t describe in words. The love and support I have received from Shillong is overwhelming.”
“I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You helped me come so far in this competition.”
Deb personally believes music is the greatest discovery of humans. A medium of expressing emotions using sound, he says, “Music is like breathing for me. It helps me in spreading love with people.”
The winner of the reality show competition will get a recording and management contract with MTV Music Project, a Renault Kwid car and a Motorola X4 smartphone. The nine contestants have to battle it out through various stages of the competition to make it to the final.
Western music is growing in India with artistes making it a profession earning through touring live music circuits in major cities. Many have released music albums and videos that are played on television channels.
Though Bollywood being at the front and centre of many things in the country, western/English music has been making an impact among the young. It has garnered a huge fan following.
Shillong is known for producing many musical talents with Soulmate, Lou Majaw and Shillong Chamber Choir being the most popular. Western/English musicians in the city have also found a medium of artistic self-expression through social media uploading their original compositions in You Tube, Facebook and Instagram.
Kamanamoy Deb, Diyatom’s father, says it is a matter of pride for him to see his son reach this far in The Stage. “My message for Diyatom is to go ahead with courage and determination.”
Binapani Deb, Diyatom’s mother, echoes the same view saying, “I am very happy that he has made it this far, and I want to say thank you to the people of Shillong”.
“We are grateful for all the love and support through the votes. Our son reached this stage in the competition because of people of Shillong,” says Kamanamoy Deb.