An Uttarpara girl has become the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of Danmark Har Talent, a Danish talent hunt along the lines of America’s Got Talent and India’s Got Talent. Nabanita Ghosh, an alumnus of Serampore College and Rabindra Bharati University, is now a resident of Copenhagen. t2 caught up with the 31-year-old over email.
How did you land up in Denmark?
Well, I got married at 23 and came to Europe with my husband, who is an engineer.
And how did you land up on Danmark Har Talent?
See, starting life in a new way in a new country, music became my best friend. As a child, I would sing the whole day. If not sitting with my harmonium, I could be found humming songs! I used to sing at the bus stop while waiting for my schoolbus, and here in Copenhagen too, I sing at the bus stop!
One fine day I found a Bengali group that was about to celebrate Durga Puja for the first time in Copenhagen. Thus started my journey of knowing my people, bonding with other Bengalis and Indians, performing for different Indian organisations and fests.
I started getting calls from outside the community, like Danish charity events, Bollywood events organised by the Copenhagen municipality, and last year I represented India among 14 other Asian countries, in the Asian Culture Festival that was held in the four biggest cities of Denmark — Copenhagen, Aalborg and Odense — with a footfall of about 10,000 people! After this I auditioned for Danmark Har Talent. I became the first Indian singer to bring Bollywood into a prime-time reality show in Denmark.
We believe the judges had some very nice things to say...
To be honest, when I got that call to join the show and send my audio file to clear the first round of scanning, I felt I should just go there and perform my best, so that the judges don’t press the red button and stop me in between, or say “no” to my act altogether. But I got a “yes” from all four judges and it was a dream come true! Jarl Friis-Mikkelsen, who is a legend in Denmark, said he thought he saw “Marilyn Monroe of Bollywood” in front of his eyes, and the others kept praising me too! I had to wait for 10 hours to get to the stage that day, but it was worth the wait. When I was leaving the theatre around 11pm, people from the audience took selfies with me, and asked for my autograph!
The Indian community there must be quite kicked to see you on prime-time TV?
The entire Indian community in Denmark went gaga over my participation! They kept sharing my posts, my videos, my songs, and different organisations, both Danish and Indian, started to spread the word to pull more votes for me! I feel very honoured that I have been shown so much love and respect; they tell me I have made them all proud.
Did you receive any professional training?
Yes, I did. I trained for three years in Rabindrasangeet and Indian classical music from Bangiya Sangeet Parishad and Sarba Bharatiya Sangeet Kala Kendra. Like most Bengali girls, I too had a harmonium and a music teacher and a tabla teacher every Sunday afternoon.
What is the Indian music scene like in Denmark?
Outside the Indian community, people here still relate Indian music with Bollywood, which for them is like a world of fantasy. It’s not mainstream at all, and not that popular! But some events are taking place here and there, and I try to make the best of every opportunity I get to showcase the real music of India. There are very few Danish musicians and yoga experts who have the culture of traditional dhrupad, or play sitar and tabla or dilruba. Anoushka Shankar is popular. I am connected to musicians and artists now, and I believe some day we can create something very high in taste to cater to the mainstream Danish audience. I am all set to open my own music school, Tarana, soon, where I have designed classes for one and all.
Can people in Calcutta watch your performances?
Yes, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i-GcFmGrp0
Zeba Akhtar
