Susmit Bose – Bengali musician known for his unique form of Naga folk blues

Urban folk balladeer Susmit Bose is a musician, singer and song writer from Bengal who has been associated with the world of independent music since 1970s. Winter Baby in 1973 is his debut musical album, and Man of Conscience, Song of Dharma – the story of Mahabharata, Train to Calcutta, Essentially Susmit Bose, Be The Change etc are some of his musical albums. He was forced to take a two-decade long break from music and concentrated on films before he returned back in 2006 after a hiatus of 25 years. “Public Issue” released in 2006 was well received. Best known for his rendition of the gospel song “We Shall Overcome”, the song has been translated into several Indian regional languages.

Susmit Bose born in 1950, at the age of 14 decided to pursue a career in music after got influenced by Bob Dylan. At the age of 21, he quit his studies and started playing music at local circles. By that time he also started composing small musical pieces. He borrowed a friend’s acoustic guitar to begin with, and was once spotted by an executive of HMV. Thus he released his first album Winter Baby in 1973, followed by a few more. He also performed in several international platforms and participated in many musical competitions around the world.

Though his first single Winter Baby was noticed for its uniqueness it took next 7 years for his establishment in the industry. During those struggling years he performed at nightclubs and five-star restaurants, playing covers. His participation in the International Folk Song Festival in Havana, Cuba in 1978 earned him international recognition. In 1980 he took a break from music and concentrated on film-making and Doordarshan TV shows. In 2005 his friends played an important role in bringing him back to musical world. He is now described as ‘Urban folk legend’ and often seen by many as a rebel. Performing with guitar and mouth organ together has become his trademark.

Susmit Bose – Some interesting and unknown facts

1. He was deeply influenced by Bob Dylan during his teens which induced his music interests too.

2. He wanted to become a socio-political singer-songwriter, for which he quit studies.

3. During his struggling years in the 1970s he used to sing cover songs to earn a living. He mostly sings in English.

4. He composed music for the film “I am Kalam“.

5. He was one of the seven directors of the iconic cultural show of Doordarshan in the 1990s – Surabhi.

6. For his live musical performances he wears long kurtas, plays a simple acoustic guitar with his notes.

7. His songs deal with social issues such as global peace, human rights, equality etc. As his songs are for social changes, his singing style is often compared to the likes of Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger.

8. A documentary film Urban Voice was made by Aneek Chaudhuri based on his life and profession.

9. Hindi version of “We Shall Overcome” – Hum Honge Kamyab was used in 1983 by Kundan Shah for the movie – Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.