A Star is born

A report on an American Idol style contest in Bangladesh .

There were over fifty thousand contestants,99 of whom would make it to the final round in Dhaka, to participate in Bangladesh's version of American idol. Among the many videos of this contest uploaded on you tube is one of a very ordinary looking,you could say 'rustic' schoolgirl,singing in the first elimination round. After the first few lines of her first song, the judges ask her to sing something contemporary. Its not that impressive. Then Ahmed Imtiaz Bulbul, a a film music composer in his country of the same stature as AR Rehman, asks her for a folk song. She sings in a strong voice far mature beyond her age, with a rhytm and intensity that has the judges clapping on the table with her. She is through to the finals.

Though other small interviews of the contestants and their families, we learn that she is poor, she's not had as much training as the others, that she only sings folk songs of Lalon, a folk singer and spititual leader of 19th century Bengal. She talks of how she would listen to famous singers on cassettes (no CD player) and try to emulate them. Her father appears in an interview in a very rural setting.

The second round of the finals passes by- nothing noticeably differnt, but she makes it to the next level. She is the youngest competitor.In the customary taped message for round 3, she appears in a red dress and a cute voice says:
"I'm Salma Akhter, I'm from the province where Lalon was born....I've faced lots of hardship while learning to sing. Please vote for me..."

On stage, we see the transformation- a pretty face and a newly acquired stage presence. Judge Imtiaz Bulbul tells her after the performance: "Someday when I give up this life and become a bard, I will come to your house and ask for three things-will you oblige ?" Salma nods. "First, I would want a meal. Next,shelter for a night, and third, grant the wish to be born as your child.". Bulbul,like the rest of his national audience,is getting swayed by her charm. Salma advances through the rounds, on the basis of huge audience votes. Bulbul will occasionally burst out in songs in her praise throughout the rounds.

Competition thickens,comments on you tube postings of the rounds point out how she can sing only folk, how judge Bulbul is obsessed about getting her married to his son. Expatriates comment on whether a modern singer would better represent the nation than this contry girl. Some other notable contestants appear, Muhim, Nishita and Ronty. The latter
is extremely versatile ,perhaps the most talented ,and she seems to get the highest judge
ratings, but only a half of the votes that Salma gets. She will eventually exit in the penultimate round, after having sung a few haunting numbers. Salma starts to get loads of fans calling on her cell saying they appreciate her music.

At the end, four are left- three of whom will make it to the final.Every contestant, including Salma,believes that she will be the one to exit- but she makes it. The last round is in December 2006. Among the three contestants left, the results are no surprise.
After Salma's song, Bulbul makes a strange comment about how you can smell milk near children, and how 'we get the same smell of newness in you'. She wins a car,lakhs of rupees from the sponsor, and a music tour of US, UK and Canada. Where will she go from here ? Throughout the contest,the top finalists appeared oblivious of their fame, though they had become familiar faces among the international diaspora. It has not yet gone to their heads.