Voting!

Hi all,

My name is Raj, and I am one of many students learning Indian Classical Music in New Jersey. First, I would like to address that the original method of the program as held by Kumar Sanu was far more realistic since you would have judges who would not be affiliated with the participants in any way judging the participants on their singing. Every year as a student of music, we are tested on our material before advancing to the next year's curriculum of music and we would be scored by points similar to the criteria of singers on "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2005".
I'm not going to say what was fair and what was not fair from this show; however, I will say that Kumar Sanu made "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" different from American Idol, the identical American show which has recently been noted to have some issues of participants getting very competitive and mean towards each other. In addition, we have to remember that there are SO MANY PEOPLE trying out for "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" and only a few get onto Zee TV on the actual show. This audition and training provided by "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" after being selected as a participant on the show on Zee TV is nothing new for a participant because they have considered their teachers as a Guru. Guru is a very powerful word in music and many spiritual aspects. The students give themselves up to their Guru in all aspects of their lives despite their age.
In this case, we have youth that are responsible for our future generation. Every singer is a winner no matter what, but challenge is provided so that one person prevails. Therefore, one person will always prevail and score higher. Kumar Sanu having different judges on various different shows provides a means of no one judging style creating a greater means for the participants to do well because they are performing in front of their Guru.
I would like to address Shaan that I prefer strongly that instead of the public's vote to count on a general basis for all participants singing, it is much better the way it used to be, and I would like to agree with Muhmeed, who has posted before me on indiaforums.com, that "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" has had the best young singers in the past few years who are stepping up into the industry.
Being a singer myself, I understand the value of the public since they are the listeners of the music. These youth are going to sing and the public are going to be listeners. However, "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" before becoming open to public voting is judged on a basis of difficulty, confidence, and variable different music terms that may not be familiar with the public.
For example, I have watched the show dedicatingly for the past few years with a strong passion. I don't like any other show on Zee TV except for this show especially because it had a truth behind the songs. I would not watch American Idol because it has public voting; however, "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" I would not miss. For allowing the public to vote, I understand the meaning behind why that is a good idea; however, the public is unaware of pitch, volume, rhythm, beat, length of a note, cutting of a word short, singing from the throat or the diaphragm, etcetera. There are so many more different variables.
Okay, lets say the general public does understand these variables. Yesterday being India's Republic Day, we have seen that since 1947 when India became independent, we have somehow maintained an order described in India as a social class system. Rather one agrees to this or not, everyone must agree that it still is in existance; maybe not for an individual, but somewhere in the country it still exists. I am not excluding that it exists all over the world as well because it does. My point of address on this issue is that public voting can cause many influences on a singer as a whole rather they are on the show or not.
I mentioned earlier that I am a student in music, and others that are studying music or at least have some grasp of it will realize that there is a difference between a Guru and the general public in the way Kumar Sanu ran the show, "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa". Many interested people in music are not taught the real meaning of music and how much of an impact it can make it an individual's life. Music is spiritual, intellectual, thought-provoking, expressive, meaningful, beauty, knowledge, etcetera. Let's not forget that no matter what religion or God one believes in, whether they are theists or atheists, music is inevitable in a person's life because it does something for someone and exists in every religion. I am a Hindu so I can only speak of certain examples such as the flute and the veena held by Krishna/Vishnu/Yogeshwar/(many multiple forms) Bhagvan and Saraswati Mataji. In churches across the world, an organ is used along with choirs.
Again, I emphasize the importance of music, and why we all should request Shaan to rather have it the way Kumar Sanu had it as well as Shaan before making it like American Idol where the participant sings individually, with a girl, then with a guy, and followed by a single winner per episode. All the winners come back and compete in a tournament at higher standards. There is a challenge there within oneself.
To keep a team together especially of such youth that are full of Sanskruti (culture, traditions, and religion) and have them develop close strictly describing as a pure form of friendship type of relationship is an excellent feeling for musicians. Musicians are able to express and music is a form of art where you can express. Let these kids express their talent, and still be given a judge's score.
If it has to be public, let judges not affiliated with the student give the public a true evaluation of the candidate including his greatness as well as flaws. I agree that Vinit is right when he says that they also understand how they sing somewhat, not necessarily stating that I agree with the content that he may have been addressing that.
Well, I am free to responses to my comment as we should make sure such events like this do not occur in the next 10 participants and so on. Feel free to email me at RajaShehr@gmail.com.

With great affection,
Raj Shah (NJ, NC, and MO of the United States)

Hi everyone,

A lot of you are asking about why Vinit, Himani, and Hemachandra did not answer the question why? Honestly, I have been put in a similar situation not literally on TV, but in other regards, and I agree it was partially wrong of them to speak up in front of their elders and not sing for their love to sing. Rather, they were singing to win. I think music has a greater emotion to it when its sung without any expectation of your fruits (results). However, I am also pro fighting for one's own rights. It is one thing for them to have discussed this topic within themselves, but it is another to have discussed this with the world.
I think Shaan allowed the show to be played because the kids did not say exactly why they wanted to quit, but there are several reasons for why they would even consider that. I believe they did the right thing to at least stand up for their own rights. No one should be walked on, and no one should feel like injustice is being done to them. This is the reason why I felt like as posted in the message before the beginning of this one that the show needs to go back to its original methods as seen by Kumar Sanu. This is the first time the show has decided to play the game with 10 contestants and 1 winning to my knowledge, and I would not want to see this or any situation similar to this happen again in future events. It is very disappointing to take loss when you know the singer themselves knows they have done well and yet injustice is to be done in whatever way it may be. It is equally the fault of the Shaan for hosting the show that way, the judges in their ability to score the participants, and the participants in themselves. These problems do not arise and would never arise in the original method. How is Salmaan Khan, honestly tell me who is an actor, going to judge on music? I do not see Salmaan Khan singing. Sorry, no offense to Salmaan Khan, but I am saying in the essence of where this show is headed in the future.
Now, the question of why! I will tell you at least a good portion of why they decided to leave. I do not have to even hear it from them, but you could see it in their eyes, their heart, and their way of speech in the past couple of episodes. All of them were up for the challenge; however, they felt that for one person to be the first on the public meter after missing an entire line in a song and Ismael running off the show and blatantly admitting in the recent episode that he will stay and do anything to make sure Debo wins is a sign of schematic planning of injustice. In addition, the show is based on voting so yes it is unfair that 80% came from Asam, but there is no reason for Vinit, Himani, and Hemachandran to get mad about that because that's how the program has been running in the past few weeks. Like I said, if any of you liked it the way it was before, a petition should be started, and I will support any individual on that.
So theres the 80% voting resulting in Debo in first on the public meter after Ismael running off the show and Debo missing a line in the song. I really like Debo's singing. It was really good, but I do believe that like I said in my previous post its still a challenge. The public obviously do not understand the meaning of music and who should be selected from this situation. I go more in detail on this in my previous message above.
Honestly, if you were singing and you saw this happening to you where its blatantly obvious that Debo has missed a line of the song and Ismael ran of the show and Debo admitting that he was not confident in his singing when the conversation between Debo and Ismael was previewed shows that their is some type of injustice being done. Maybe it is not any individual, but the new method of the program. Therefore, I am strongly petitioning this new method by Shaan as this is going to be a concurrent issue in the future with upcoming new participants as well.
I understand that the public is looking forward to hearing the singers sing, and I partially agree that it was wrong for them to stand up on Zee TV and say they want to quit, but it shows maturity in the youth of today by not explaining and blaming any one individual or the show or the public. We always say if there is something bad to say, don't say it. Many people love gossip, but when its about themselves, they do not appreciate it especially if it is ill-oriented. Therefore, I respect Vinit, Hemachandra, and Himani deeply for their ability to not fall under the pressure in explaining why on public TV and creating blame for any one person. All the judgements of what was going on through all 3 of their heads came first out by Ismael if you recall when he is the first to state that "Is it because of Debojit ...". Well, at the same time how is Ismael at fault when he may have nothing to do with the voting; maybe he does who knows, but until proven he does not. This is why the show's method has to change, and these messages need to reach Shaan.

Feel free to contact me at RajaShehr@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns about my posts.

Thank you,
Raj Shah