::: Star Insight :::

Lyrics Contest Winner

Ripa Sarker

Ripa Sarker and Bilal Hossain Nuri have successfully held their 1st and 2nd positions respectively in the lyrics category in Celebrating Life2011. Both comes from very unusual and humble backgrounds. Star Insight team could not get hold of these two talented lyricists last time around. This time, we were excited to know them better and pen down their thoughts.

Zia Nazmul Islam

Ripa Sarkar lives in a village called Dhunot in Bogra. She has been living there for all her life. The only two times she came to Dhaka was to receive her award for winning the lyrics contest in Celebrating Life. She loves being in Dhaka getting all the attention, receiving awards from the president or the minister. Most of all she loves the fact that her writing is getting recognized.

Like most lyricists, Ripa thinks she has a innate ability to write songs. Most of her lyrics are formed in her heart. She calls it Moner Khata (book of the heart). It goes through a process of self evaluation in her mind. It can go on for months until it comes down to pen and paper. There are many lyrics that goes through a life cycle in her heart but never sees the light. And there are others that complete their process and are rejuvenated on paper. Ripa sent three of those masterpieces. Out of those two made to the top ten and one to the top.

Ali Akbar Rupu, directed her lyrics in a beautiful song. It was the theme song at the main event. After the show, the audience was asking about the song. They wanted a copy of it. When asked whether she imagined the song the song the way it was played, she said, evey song she writes she sings it in her mind. It is a process every lyricist goes through. She had liked it resembled her thoughts.

Although she believes she has a gift of writing from God, she humbly admits that she needs a lot of brush up. Therefore, Ripa is an avid fan of the radio program ‘Binimoy’. She gets her inspiration from the show and regularly writes letters. It helped her learn the grammar of lyrics. She loves reading books too. Apart from poetry, she loves religious literature. A lot of her inspiration comes from these books, she admits.

At moments, it seems she is a fragile girl from a tiny corner of Bangladesh. On a second look, one can tell that she is a strong woman who is ready to take her future in her own hands. A student of BSc at a local college, Ripa sees herself as an accomplished lyricist in the future. Her honesty and determination to her work will make her dream come true, she says. There are hurdles in her life but God willing, she will make it.

Being in the limelight is both exciting and a curse to her. Her guardian older brother does not approve of her traveling to the nearest town let alone to the capital, even if it is with a relative. Even after knowing she is nominated, she had to think twice to take a ride to Dhaka to attend the event. In the end, she made it to the event and all the way to the top of the lyrics contest. She could not keep her emotions in check as she was overwhelmed with joy as she was handed over the winning crest by the cultural minister. In back of her mind she was thinking of the long bus ride back home. Her brother threatened to burn all her books if she wins again and comes to Dhaka. We hope she wins again and comes to the city accompanied by a brother proud of his sister.