Veteran lyricist Kabir Bakul shares the art of song writing

From soothing romantic songs to upbeat ones, deshi music has undergone a major transition. And the nation’s most sought-after lyricist Kabir Bakul has witnessed this dramatic shift. Being in the industry for over 30 years now, he finds the new wave of songs to be a tad bit commercial than it used to be in the golden days. “I understand that everything changes with time but I feel songs these days don’t serve as a visual equivalent of the story like it used to in the past. There was a story within a song before, but now it’s very difficult to find a song that serves the purpose of storytelling,” explains Bakul.

He also thinks catering to the needs of the masses has a lot to do with the new format of song writing. He says, “Where change is concerned, most people believe that the shortcoming is within the lyricists that we have today.  However, I simply feel that they are serving what the audiences want. Like every other lyricist, they too want their songs to do well. So once the new style is proven to be a success, everyone is rooting for that.”

Bakul reckons that when it comes to songwriting, he’s never faced any challenges. In fact, he quotes that, “When you do something out of passion it shouldn’t feel like a challenge.”

Bakul advises to all the upcoming lyricists who are trying to make a mark in the industry, to portray their experiences into words. “Nobody becomes a successful lyricist overnight, neither did I. When it comes to achieving success in this industry, nothing goes beyond implementing your own experiences into words. Gather experience, explore the world, it will all reflect on your writing.”

Words have a profound effect on Bakul. He believes, with the selection of proper words you can play with people’s imagination, and that is the beauty of songwriting. Sometimes, it’s not what meets the eye; it’s what soothes the ears. So a word of advice from this legend is to explore your experiences and see your words cast a spell on your listeners.