Himachali Singers

epaper annithisweek.in

Himachali Singers Downgraded

Chavinder sharma                        Cover Story

Nearly thirty six district and state level melas and cultural festivals reflect rich cultural heritage and traditions of Himachal that are reflected through cultural programmes staged on these occasions. Himachal has numerous folk artists who have kept various art forms alive through their stage presentations across the state in different dialects spoken in Himachal. The state government has also been emphasising to preserve and conserve folk art forms. Steps also need to be taken to preserve folk music that is slowly vanishing. However, the organizing committees have over the years been neglecting Himachali artists while deciding their remuneration and time slot during such programmes. Another controversy has erupted as the organizing committee of Minjar Fair has priced Himachali singers’ much below their counterparts from Punjab and Bollywood. And that too through tender and auction process in which event organizers, middlemen acting on behalf of artists, played important role reportedly in downgrading the market value of Himachal’s established singers while over rating Punjabi and Bollywood singers. Knowledgeable persons of the field feel that it is high time that the state government constitutes a mela authority for organizing all such events by putting in a proper system, fixed norms and grading of artists so that Himachali singers also flourish at par with artists from other states of the country.

Meager Price for Locals in Minjar Mela

The open auction system adopted by the organizing committee of Minjar Mela regarding cultural programmes is snowballing into a controversy much to the chagrin of established Himachali singers. Himachal’s singers have been priced at a much lower rate as compared to Punjabi and Bollywood singers with playback singers Kumar Shanu fetching the highest price of Rs. 10.5 lakh and Debojit getting Rs. 2.9 lakh. Punjabi singer Satinder Sartaj was priced at Rs. 5.2 lakh whereas no Himachali singer could fetch a price of Rs. 1 lakh. In Himachali singers, Vickey Chauhan was priced at Rs. 80,000 and versatile Sanjiv Dixit getting abysmally low price of only Rs. 19,000 for their performance during forthcoming Minjar Mela. ADC Chamba Shubhkaran Singh says the list would be finalized keeping in view the lowest bid and auction of artists while keeping mela budget in mind.

Middlemen Controlling Prices

* No one contacted Himachali singers

* Apprehensions of over pricing of Punjabi and Bollywood singers

There are a large number of organizers who are dealing on behalf of Punjabi and Bollywood singers with organizing committees of different melas and cultural programmes being organized in Himachal. Surprisingly, these organizers never contacted established Himachali singers listed in auction of Minjar Mela before the process, revealed some of the Himachali singers to Himachal This Week. They said they would not perform during Minjar Mela at a price lower than their actual price even if they get an invitation. They allege that organizers were conniving to over price Punjabi and Bollywood singers with an objective to make a fast buck thus downgrading the market of established Himachali singers.

Every Singer Wants Stage

Knowledgeable persons feel that budding singers desperately want a stage to showcase their singing talents so that they get noticed. In the process even some good singers compromise on their price during such melas. It is another matter that their performances are washed through hurriedly during cultural programmes.

Need to Rank Artists

Most of the singers feel that the state government should evolve a method for ranking of Himachal’s artists, including singers based on their popularity. It would also bring in transparency besides enhancing the prices of artists periodically, they add.

Bollywood Singers Dominate Hiimchali Melas

Huge money is spent on inviting Bollywood artists to perform during cultural nights organized during world famous International Kullu Dussehra Festival. Last year also, Bollywood singers dominated the seven star nights organized during the festival with Mamta Sharma pocketing whopping sum of Rs. 17 lakh established Himachali singers were not paid more than Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 80,000. Less popular Himachali singers were given below Rs. 15,000 for performance during the festival. In 2012, Bollywood singer Kailash Kher was paid Rs. 12 lakh and Master Salim Rs. 6 lakh. Similarly Bollywood singer Sadhna Sargam and Himachal’s Nitin performed during Lavi Fair. In Mandi Shivratri and Sujanpur Holi festivals, Bollywood singers dominated the stage. In Mandi, the administration spent about Rs. 60 lakh to conduct the festival out of which Rs. 30 lakh were given to artists from other states as compared to Himachali artists who got much less.

Auction Price of Singers at Minjar Mela

Himachali Singers                           Auction Price

Vickey Chuahan                                   Rs, 80,000

Anuj Sharma                                       Rs. 70,000

Thakur Das Rathi                                 Rs. 65,000

Kuldip Sharma                                     Rs. 45,000

Sunil Kumar                                        Rs. 40,000

Geet Bhardwaj                                     Rs. 35,000

Suresh Chauhan                                   Rs. 32,000

Muskan                                              Rs. 29,000

Kritika                                               Rs. 28,000

Dheeraj Sharma                                   Rs. 25,000

Sunil Rana                                          Rs. 20,000

Sanjiv Dixit                                        Rs. 19, 000

Punjabi Singers                               Auction Price

Satinder Sartaj                                    Rs. 5.2 lakh

Amarinder Gill                                     Rs. 5 lakh

Nidhi Kohli                                         Rs. 3.5 lakh

Roshan Prince                                     Rs. 3.3 lakh

Bollywood Singers                           Auction Price

Kumar Shanu                                      Rs. 10.50 lakh

Kunal Ganjawala                                  Rs. 10.10 lakh

Nitin Mohan                                       Rs. 9 lakh

Tulsi Kumar                                        Rs. 5.80 lakh

Sadhna Sargam                                    Rs. 4.75 lakh

Debojit                                              Rs. 2.90 lakh

By Hamid Khan/ Chamba

Himachal’s Established Singers Say…

The organizing committees should contact Himachali singers directly rather than mediating through middlemen who are downgrading state’s established singers. Middlemen also indulge in quoting higher prices for Punjabi and Bollywood singers to make easy money. Grading of Himachal’s singers will make it easy for the administration

-Kuldip Sahrma

Himachal’s singers are potentially talented at par with Punjabi and Bollywood singers. The administration should not buckle under political pressures while finalizing artists for any cultural programme. No one contacted me for performance during Minjar Mela. Prices should be finalized by through direct contact with singers

-Vickey Chauhan

Himachal’s singers are also stars because they get equal response from the public at par with Punjabi and Bollywood singers. Folk songs would vanish if Himachali singers don’t sing folk. There should be a check on middlemen exploiting the situation. Some local singers also manipulate politically to get programmes

-Thakur Das Rathi

Himachal’s singers are versatile as they can sing pahari, ghazals, naati, Punjabi and Bollywood songs whereas Bollywood singers can sing Hindi and Punjabi songs. If anybody has doubt, let there be a competition among Himachali, Punjabi and Bollywood singers. Surprisingly, the organizers give less money and time to Himachali singers