Babul Supriyo Highlights Gender Imbalance in Music Industry Dynamics
Singer and former politician Babul Supriyo has brought to light a significant disparity between male and female singers within the contemporary music industry. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, Supriyo detailed how current trends are adversely affecting vocal performances and quality.
High Octave Singing by Men Forces Women to Lower Their Voices
Supriyo explained that male singers today often perform in exceptionally high octaves. This practice, he noted, leaves extremely talented female singers with little choice but to sing in lower octaves to maintain harmony. This compromise frequently results in a degradation of the actual voice quality, as the natural range and expression of female vocalists are constrained.
He elaborated on the evolving nature of playback singing, stating, "Today, there has come a major change in playback singing. For a lot of songs, there is no lip-syncing; it is all playing in the background." To illustrate this shift, Supriyo cited the example of Celine Dion's iconic song "My Heart Will Go On" from the film "Titanic," which is commonly used as background music rather than traditional playback.
Reaction to Arijit Singh's Decision to Step Away from Playback Singing
During the discussion, Supriyo also addressed fellow singer Arijit Singh's recent decision to retire from playback singing. He expressed strong faith in Singh's judgment, urging the public and industry to respect his choice.
"I believe he (Arijit) is an intelligent guy. He is an intense, extremely talented, and one of the best singers we have ever had," Supriyo told IANS. He emphasized that Singh's ability to beautifully express his craft suggests he has thoroughly considered his decision.
Supriyo advised against creating unnecessary noise around the retirement. Instead, he recommended a patient approach: "What is important is for us to not create noise about it but to quietly wait and see what new things we are going to see from him in the future because we all love him, that is what it is." He believes that Singh's future endeavors will likely showcase his talent in new and innovative ways.
The conversation underscores ongoing challenges in the music industry, from gender-based vocal disparities to the personal career choices of top artists. Supriyo's insights call for greater awareness and adaptation to preserve artistic integrity and support vocalists across genders.
