The amateur singer in Tamil Nadu’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata Sahoo could not have received a better opportunity; that too, for a noble cause.
In a promotional video for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Mr. Sahoo can be seen singing, encouraging the youth to vote. It turns out that the officer did not plan on singing initially. “I kept visiting the studio when we were making awareness videos, and suggesting changes. That is when the idea came up. The music director Srikanth Deva said you could also sing!” he says, adding that he readily accepted the offer.
“...I am an amateur singer and like to sing. I have sung songs in my mother tongue Odia, and in Hindi. I have uploaded some of them on YouTube. But, this is the first time I am singing in a proper studio set up,” says Mr. Sahoo. A native of Odisha, Mr. Sahoo is also conversant in Tamil and has served in the State for over two decades. “I sang in Tamil and the music director helped me correct wherever necessary.”
“I gave inputs so that my ideas could be incorporated in Tamil... Then, the lyrics was ready, and I sang,” Mr. Sahoo recalls.
The lyrics call upon the youth to do their duty and cast their vote on the day of polling and become a role model for others. It also urges them to cast their vote “without receiving money, but guided by their conscience”.
Mr. Sahoo is optimistic about a high voter turnout for the upcoming Lok Sabha election. “The national polling average during the 2019 poll was 67% and the percentage in Tamil Nadu was about 73% to 74%. Our ultimate target is 100%, but we will be happy if we secure between 75% and 80%.” The visuals recorded for the song show EVMs, VVPAT units, and the national flag.
