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Soloist looks to establish distinct signature style

By Pramita Bose

Dub him a singer of all seasons and he responds with that loud, but sheepish grin. Thirty-year-old popular soloist from Kolkata, Francis Yee Lepcha, is game for all genres one can think of on one’s playlist. His wide range complemented with a ear-soothing tonal quality boasts of pop rock, disco, swing, rock and roll, country, reggae, ballads, soul, et al. And this unusual forte lends him an edge over the other contemporary solo singers of his league.

The list of icons he heard at that time had an all-inclusive inventory of collections from Neil Diamond to Michael Jackson. After enjoying a short stint in a reality programme called Coke Channel V Popstars in 2003, he retreated into his own lair and decided to go solo forever, thus singing his heart out to the bigger audiences. With his pure lively rendition of a vast repertoire, ranging from world-renowned vocalists like Frank Sinatra, Sir Cliff Richards, Englebert Humperdink, Elvis Presly, Paul Anka, Nat King Cole right down to Justin Timberlake, Lepcha has over time, seasoned his chords as a practised pro in all flavours. In fact, as a singer, his ability to perform these masters’ songs with facile ease and an uncanny semblance makes him stand out of the crowd.

Reluctant to limit himself as a cover singer for long, Lepcha sounds determined to carve a niche for himself in the near future. "I want to parade my own signature style and a spontaneous trait. That would be precisely my kinda music. The senior artistes have already created a particular sound of music on Bengal’s culturescape and the die-hard listeners are tuned in to it for ages now. So, the buzz is already there, and I want it to phase in faster for my own good sake. For that, I’m planning a Bengali album as a warm-up session to draw desirable vibes from the audience at large," he announces.

His maiden album titled Benglish, is a combination of both popular Bengali as well as English numbers. Still working upon the project, the compilation will be ready for release sometime in 2010. "I’m taking it easily and there’s no rush to cut the album at present. It does sound like a time-consuming endeavour as I’ve already spent a year-and-a-half to prepare it before laying it on records. Actually, this is my debut shot at Bengali and I don’t want to go wrong with my diction. I’m trying to perfect my pronunciation with a flawless expression to boot. Well, I don’t want to sound like a wannabe on this score" he said, making no bones. "And helping me out in my tryst with the tongue is my lyricist Kingshuk Chatterjee, who’s penned the wordings for the 10-track venture. All the compositions have been tunefully arranged by Saikat Dev," he divulges in detail.

Despite popular music tastes deteriorating gradually, Lepcha aims to deliver his goods with a hallmark quality. "I always say that my mind is in the heart and the heart lies in my brain. If Bengal has accepted my Sikkimese cousin Baichung Bhutia as a soccer hero on their field, I hope they too welcome me as a singer into their hearts," he states with an emotional twitch in his voice. Though he doesn’t mention the star but history has it that another stalwart of silver-screen has his roots, firmly intact in Sikkim.

When probed that if Bollywood calls, would he be then game to do the honours? "I’ve to see that the track suits me to the tee. Otherwise, I’d cut out a sorry figure in a pond of hotchpotch sounds-and-beats," he utters, without mincing words. "I won’t take the plunge blindfolded just because a big daddy is offering me a song in mainstream music. My own role play has to be there in it to rightly ascertain that the film playback assignment would only enhance my potential and not make me vanish in a jiffy," he asserts his ground.

Incidentally, famous bandsters Rupam Islam (of Jannat fame) from Kolkata and James (of Gangster fame) from Bangladesh had earlier lent their vocals in Hindi movies from the eastern part of the sub-continent.

Calling himself a lucky chap to be able to follow and listen to what his heart dictates, Lepcha wonders what he would be had he not stepped into his musical shoes.