Bengal Rockstar Rupam roots for underprivileged kids

Amazed over the singing talent of underprivileged children having taken part in an album and song-dance skit initiative, popular Bangla band singer Rupam Islam today said their first album was refreshingly novel.
Thirteen financially deprived children lent their voices for the 'Condition free' album which has renditions of prominent new age Bengali lyric singers Surojit Chatterjee, Anindyo Chatterjee, Sidhu, Rupankar and Neel Dutta.
"These children are the true goldmine of talents who need to be unearthed. Me and three or four of our group took their classes and found how intuitive they are," Rupam, spearheading the 'Gold Underground' movement involving such children, told PTI here today.

"I expect people to come forward and encourage them not out of compassion or pity but to see how passionate they are about their works and naturally-talented," the 'Nishkromon' singer said.
"I sat through their performances at G D Birla, the song-dance compositions, the plays, which was nothing short of a collage. It was mesmerizing," the rockstar said.
Rupam, who oozed confidence that the album will be a hit, also pledged to talk about these children in whichever forum possible in future.

"The most rewarding part in meeting them is you reminded how much fortunate we all are as we don't have battle odds like them.

"Besides hailing from extremely poor background, some of the kids are differently abled and their resilience is something you will not see in ordinary people."
Veteran actor Barun Chanda said like other children, these kids were bestowed with a creative spark which needs to be ignited.
"These children, aged between 8 and 14, were all from deprived sections with some being physically challenged. I am happy that Rupam and other popular icons in Bengal have come forward as we need to stand by them, encourage them and offer a straw to clutch and get a foothold in life.
"They are all real golds or uncut diamond who need to be unearthed and polished by the society," the initiator of the move and Secretary of Sukriti Foundation Abhijit Dasgupta said.